Police chief leads push for facility

Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen continues to push for a regional law enforcement training academy despite a state panel's recent decision to withhold key support from the effort.

Mullen traveled to Columbia in January to enlist support for the plan from the panel that governs the state Criminal Justice Academy. He argued that a satellite training center would ease the burden on the state academy, reduce the waiting time for classroom openings and get new recruits on the street more quickly.

The South Carolina Law Enforcement Training Council, which oversees the academy, recently voted unanimously to reject the idea. The panel contends that regional training centers would siphon funds from the central academy at a time when it is struggling to rebuild after years of underfunding and neglect.

York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant, the training council's chairman, said that regional facilities might be possible in the future but that the timing is "very, very terrible" to push such an initiative now.

"We don't have the necessary funding to properly run the academy we have right now," he said. "To try to go out and open regional academies right now is just not feasible."

The academy has struggled to keep pace with the demand for training recruits. Agencies must wait months to enroll new officers in the required nine-week sessions.

Mullen envisions a regional facility that eventually could serve law enforcement agencies from Beaufort to Myrtle Beach, graduating roughly 240 students per year. He estimates the startup costs to be about $270,000.

Mullen said he was disappointed with the council's decision but will continue trying to win support for the idea from state lawmakers and the law enforcement community. "It's not like we are trying to create something that has never been done before," he said.

In fact, South Carolina is one of only a handful of states with a single training academy. South Carolina officials prefer that model because it ensures an equal level of training to departments both large and small. The academy is responsible for training and monitoring some 16,000 law enforcement officers.

Jeff Moore, executive director of the South Carolina Sheriff's Association, said the academy finally is getting much needed attention after years of neglect. Improvements are being made, but the academy still needs about $20 million to build a new dormitory, repair and expand its firing range and complete other projects. Opening regional facilities would only undercut that effort and stall progress, he said.

"We understand Chief Mullen's frustration. Everyone shares it. But we don't think this is a solution," Moore said.

Mullen isn't backing down. He recently sent information on his proposal to the Lowcountry legislative delegation.

Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, said he thinks it's time for the state to start "thinking outside the box" in meeting the demand to get more officers on the street.

"Based upon what the police officers have told me, the system is not meeting the education demands," McConnell said. "They have either got to beef things up in Columbia and make training more available or they have to be open to allowing the satellite centers, because ultimately we've got to have the police officers on the streets."

Yvonne Wenger contributed to this article. Reach Glenn Smith at gsmith@postandcourier.com or 937-5556.