The RCSD-hosted mini-festival was one of thousands held across the country By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Braving the wind and the rain: Moms, dads, children, grandparents, churches, local food venders, craftsmen, community outreach and service organizations and throngs of Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) deputies including Sheriff Leon Lott andContinue Reading
Maria Yturria becomes one of only three Richland County Sheriff’s Department leaders to graduate from the elite six-month course By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Deputy Chief Maria Yturria recently graduated from the FBI’s “uniquely” intensive six-month National Executive Institute – designed specifically for executive-level lawContinue Reading
Multiple services were held across the Midlands on September 11 By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Deputies with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) along with fellow law-enforcement officers and first responders from various other agencies gathered to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, rememberingContinue Reading
Courtney and Austin Cable reach out through the Richland County Sheriff’s Department By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Midlands-area women’s shelters became the unexpected beneficiaries of eight large bags (and two boxes full) of brand-new and slightly used women’s clothes, a gift from Courtney and Austin Cable to women-in-need facilitated throughContinue Reading
Leon Lott receives permanent name-recognition within the ongoing development of Centennial Park By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, a South Carolina Military Veterans Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2025), has received yet another honor with a brick bearing his name and law-enforcement title installed directlyContinue Reading
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and RCSD hosted bench-press challenge celebrating America’s 250th birthday By Christopher David Carter FIFTY-ONE MEN from across central South Carolina and beyond participated in the Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s (RCSD) 250 Bench Press Challenge, celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The 51 strength-and-power athletes, primarily law enforcementContinue Reading
Event celebrating America’s 250th birthday gaining momentum as participants train to hit top numbers by month’s end By W. Thomas Smith Jr. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department’s (RCSD) 250 Bench Press Challenge added four new sponsors in recent weeks, not including three additional participating gyms, which will assist in verifyingContinue Reading
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