Rural patrol has own risks
By Noah Haglund
Deputy Sheriff Dennis Compton shared a risky occupation with colleagues who patrol rural areas when most people are sound asleep.
Though most law enforcement officers are killed in urban areas, police work in less populated areas brings its own perils, especially at night. Problems may be fewer and farther between, but when they arise, deputies usually face them alone, with backup 20 minutes or more away.
"I've had a lot of people ask me over the years, 'Why don't you have two people in a patrol car?' " said Jeff Moore, executive director of the state Sheriff's Association. "It basically comes down to budgetary constraints."
Compton, 39, was shot dead while responding to a home alarm early Wednesday in the Smoaks area of northern Colleton County.
Michael Smith, chairman of the University of South Carolina's Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said no study he's seen can offer statistical proof that assaults on officers are more common in urban areas than in rural ones. But the discrepancy is well-established in law enforcement circles, he said.
Still, a beat measured in square miles, instead of square blocks, presents challenges.
"The danger that rural officers face is that they typically operate alone with assistance a long way away," Smith said. "Although it would be fairly standard to send two officers to an activated burglar alarm in urban areas, rural departments don't often have that luxury."
Even in most big cities, two officers in the same car is not the norm anymore. "But backup is often only minutes or even seconds away," Smith said.
Moore thinks that given the choice, most sheriffs and police chiefs would prefer to have two officers respond to calls. But that's often no safety guarantee, as recent shootings in South Carolina have shown.
Two Beaufort County deputies were shot to death in an ambush while responding to a domestic disturbance call in the Burton area near Beaufort on the afternoon of Jan. 8, 2002. On March 25 of last year, two Moncks Corner police officers were fatally shot on a daytime domestic disturbance call.
"The job in and of itself is inherently dangerous," Moore said. "That's why they wear bullet-proof vests to work every day."
Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Absolutely dangerous. Rural areas anymore mean meth labs and drup thugs. Colleton has had problems for years with this. They need to pull an Elliot Ness and go in with guns blazing and break this crap up!
August 7, 2008 at 6:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LadyRenegade (anonymous) says...
They obviously don't provide enough entertainment to get better pay. *sigh* Neither do firefighters or the military, those people who put on a uniform every morning/evening and realize they may not come home to their families because they can and do die in service to others. And let us not forget teachers, EMTs and paramedics. None of these occupations are paid anywhere near enough for the service they give. It's far more interesting to see what the NFL is going to do about Bret Favre.
These officers need to know they are appreciated. Before it's too late. Only 2 years to live a lifelong dream. Carpe diem.
August 7, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
No,no guys remember the other day when I suggested higher pay for public safety?I was told anyone can do these jobs,not everyone can be a coach or an athlete.(barf)Ignorant people among us think EMTs,Parmedics just drive fast,cops just write tickets and eat doughnuts and firefighters are dumbazzes who make good chili.But when someone needs their help or one of them dies in the line of duty-only then they become a hero.So sad at the community ignorance and lack of appreciation.
August 7, 2008 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCPDBLUE (anonymous) says...
Its up to your city and county leaders to get public safety persons raises, Then it comes down to the taxpayers.Most taxpayers want more public safety but dont want to pay the extra taxes to do so, the elected leaders know this and dont press the issue or vote no because they want to keep their seat.In the case of volunteer State Constables they dont even get a tax break like vol. Firefighters,reserve duputy sheriffs,city reserve police officers and Volunteer SC wildlife officers but they (constables)are in the line of fire and risk their lives just like the above stated personal.Case in point S.C. State Constable Robert Bailey E.O.W. 14 May 2007 shot and killed during a traffic stop.To Coolfreaknbeans THANK YOU
August 7, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
I too will contact congress to voice my opinion.Time to get some action out of our gov't.You're so right RW about the pay.Of course most all get into to public safety careers b/c they want to help.But people don't get that that doesnt mean they should live paycheck to paycheck and barely obtain the American dream of homeownership.I saw a talk show highlight jobs that made min. wage or barely over.One example was an EMT that made barely over min. wage!(it was in a more rural area,our emts make more)Thats right someone who is well trained to save your life made as much as a teenager working as a sales clerk in a store and less than most gas station clerks.It's disgusting.
August 7, 2008 at 4:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
SCPDBLUE (anonymous) says...
To this date
Total Line of Duty Deaths: 64
Automobile accident: 21
Electrocuted: 1
Exposure to toxins: 1
Gunfire: 24
Gunfire (Accidental): 1
Heart attack: 2
Motorcycle accident: 3
Stabbed: 2
Struck by vehicle: 2
Vehicular assault: 7
By Month:
January: 14
February: 11
March: 4
April: 3
May: 9
June: 13
July: 7
August: 3
By State:
Alabama: 2
Arizona: 1
Arkansas: 1
California: 4
Colorado: 1
Florida: 5
Georgia: 4
Illinois: 1
Indiana: 1
Iowa: 1
Kentucky: 2
Louisiana: 2
Maryland: 2
Missouri: 2
Nevada: 1
New Mexico: 1
New York: 4
North Carolina: 2
Ohio: 2
Oklahoma: 2
Pennsylvania: 1
Puerto Rico: 1
Railroad Police: 1
South Carolina: 3
Tennessee: 1
Texas: 7
Tribal Police: 1
U.S. Government: 4
Virgin Islands: 1
Virginia: 2
Wisconsin: 1
Average tour: 10 years, 6 months
Average age: 38
By Gender:
Female: 6
Male: 58
REMEMBER WE DO GIVE MORE THAN JUST SPEEDING TICKETS
August 7, 2008 at 4:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Oh those "dingleberries" in Washington AND don't forget Columbia. Our government system proposed by our fore fathers is the greatest in the world but oh what we have become where teachers and protectors of the peace are some of the lowest paid people. These idiots in our Gov now vote themselfs great pension plans, great insurance plans and great pat raises all at the expense of "WE THE PEOPLE"!
Well who really is the idiots, huh?
August 7, 2008 at 7:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blackwoman (anonymous) says...
Give criminals who are eligible for the death peanalty, life without parole. No parole period. Let them pick the produce needed to feed Americans. Abolish the death penalty and allow all the money (approx 2.4million dollars per death row inmate) which is spent on appeals to instead fund law enforcement. (The monies saved could also fund our state DNA database.) The entire system is upside down. When criminals have the upperhand due to the fact that there is not enough monies for adequate law enforcement it is pretty scary.
August 7, 2008 at 9:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
coolfreaknbeans (anonymous) says...
RW-Don't forget EMS :)
August 8, 2008 at 9:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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