Richland County Sheriff’s Department points to mobile-phone forensics as “vital asset” in recent homicide-solving successes By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Recent national reports of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s (RCSD) successes in solving 100-percent of all homicide cases (80 murder cases in fact since 2023) beg the question: How? BroadContinue Reading
Richland County Sheriff’s Department Chaplains play key role within the department and throughout the community By W. Thomas Smith Jr. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) has for decades maintained a viable corps of chaplains, officially the RCSD Chaplaincy Program (spiritual caregivers who serve the needs of those within theContinue Reading
Press conference addresses the good and not-so-good in terms of criminal activity over the previous year By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott held a first-of-the-year press conference, January 6, addressing countywide crime trends – the good and the not so good – going into 2026. LottContinue Reading
Popular Midlands-area School Resource Officer attends international police conference in Seoul By W. Thomas Smith Jr. I love Korea. I love and respect the country for its deep, rich history and culture (food and art included), and for the very nature of who the Korean people are and have beenContinue Reading
Larry Payne’s life’s work is reflected in his three decades of service to Richland County By W. Thomas Smith Jr. In January 2018, then-Lieutenant Larry Payne was one of three Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) deputies featured in a national POLICE1 article which examined the department’s unique and first-of-its-kind pre-PTSDContinue Reading
High Five Fridays have become an exciting beginning to the last day of each week By W. Thomas Smith Jr. For years (during the schoolyear) one of the most enthusiastically anticipated end-of-week interactions between schoolkids and deputies has been HIGH FIVE FRIDAYS (H5F), a Friday morning period when deputies meetContinue Reading
Photograph becomes “Photo of the Week” in top national publication By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Sheriff Leon Lott (on the far right wearing a pink shirt with sheriff’s stars on his collar) was photographed with a group of Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) senior leaders, investigators, and administrative personnel inContinue Reading
Sheriff Lott honors retired Deputy and Vietnam veteran James L. Taylor Sr. By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Mr. James L. Taylor, Sr., a 92-year-old retired deputy sheriff with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) was presented his retirement credentials, during a special ceremony at the RCSD headquarters, Tuesday, Oct. 21.Continue Reading
Lott says his Richland County Sheriff’s Department has changed the public narrative through new and emerging technologies as well as RCSD’s “peace officer” branding By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott addressed members of the Spring Valley Rotary Club at Columbia’s Northeast Presbyterian Church, Thursday,Continue Reading
Richland County Deputy among five first-responders to be honored on the eve of the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) School Resource Officer (SRO) Todd Minemier, one of the longest-serving certified SROs in South Carolina, received EastminsterContinue Reading
Inspired by a century-old Texas Rangers’ prayer, W. Thomas Smith Jr. crafted a modern invocation for the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, reflecting faith, courage and service in 2025 By POLICE1 Staff [A version of this story was published in POLICE1, August 13, 2025] Recently when South Carolina writer W. ThomasContinue Reading