Salary : $51,696.32 - $59,455.24 Annually Location : Lexington, SC Job Type: Full-Time Job Number: 24-00004 Bureau: Operations Opening Date: 07/09/2024 FLSA: Non-Exempt Equal Opportunity Employer: The Lexington County Sheriff's Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability. Job Purpose If you are passionate about law enforcement and seeking a rewarding career with excellent prospects for career advancement and development, join the team here at the Lexington County Sheriff's Department. Why should you consider becoming a School Resource Officer? An SRO is a deeply impactful career choice, centered around inspiring and protecting students within a nurturing community. As an SRO, you forge meaningful connections, leaving a lasting positive impact on young minds. Your unwavering commitment nurtures trust and bridges the gap between law enforcement and the community. Empowering students to embrace their potential is a rewarding experience. This esteemed role calls for individuals passionate about making a difference, leaving an indelible mark on the future of our children and fostering a safer, brighter, and more promising community for all. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as a role model, counselor, mentor, and instructor, fostering a positive and safe learning environment.
- Enforce local, federal, and state laws to ensure public safety and welfare.
- Identify and address potential problems, investigating incidents related to schools.
- Coordinate effective emergency response plans.
- Organize, schedule, and plan law enforcement services for extracurricular events.
- Support criminal investigations by conducting interviews, collecting evidence, and providing case follow-up.
- Prepare cases for prosecution and offer court testimony as required.
- During the school year, SROs typically work during school hours, Monday to Friday, with occasional evening or weekend shifts for special events or extended school hours.
- During summer and school breaks, SROs will typically assist patrol activities.
- Perform routine patrols, respond to calls for service, maintain order, and make arrests.
Job Specifications and Qualifications Education/Experience:
- While prior law enforcement experience is valuable, it is not mandatory. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply who meet at least one of the following eligibility requirements:
- Possess an associate's degree.
- Hold a Law Enforcement Certification.
- Have Military Police experience.
- Serve a minimum of three years in any military service.
Licensing and Certifications:
- Hold a valid South Carolina Driver's License.
- Already Class 1 certified officers - you will be hired directly into the SRO position. If an SRO position is not available, you will be entered onto a waiting list, or allowed to begin employment as a Patrol Deputy with priority to promote to SRO as soon as a position becomes available.
- If not already Class 1 Certified, training at the SC Criminal Justice Academy for Class 1 Certification, required for this position, will be provided by the Lexington County Sheriff's Department at no cost to you. You will be hired as a Patrol Deputy, and you will be entered onto an SRO interest list for career development to that position. More than likely, it will not be long before you are promoted to SRO and assigned to a school.
- Likewise, School Resource Officer certification will also be provided.
Additional Requirements:
- Must be a United States citizen.
- Must be a resident of the State of South Carolina.
Working Conditions / Physical Requirements
- Exerting up to 100 pounds of force occasionally, up to 50 pounds of force frequently and/or up to 20 pounds of force constantly having to move objects.
- Positions in this class typically require, talking, hearing, seeing, grasping, fingering ,standing, walking, repetitive motions, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, climbing, balancing, pushing, pulling, and lifting.
The Lexington County Sheriff's Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability. Lexington County offers a complete benefits package to full-time employees including: health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, retirement, holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, flexible spending accounts, wellness incentive health reimbursement account, deferred compensation, and more. To learn more details, visit our website's Salary for already certified Detention and Law Enforcement Deputy applicants Starting Salary: $46,933 - $49,751 Applies to South Carolina Certified Officer working less than three years. Salary reflects working our standard shifts of 86 hours bi-weekly. Three Years of Service Salary: $50,220 Applies to South Carolina Certified Officer working three years. Salary reflects working our standard shifts of 86 hours bi-weekly. Six Years of Service Salary: $51,629 Applies to South Carolina Certified Officer working six years. Salary reflects working our standard shifts of 86 hours bi-weekly. Salary for uncertified Detention and Law Enforcement Deputy applicants Starting Salary: $46,933 Applies to the brand-new detention or law enforcement applicant. Salary reflects working our standard shifts of 86 hours bi-weekly. Applicants may be eligible for additional incentives, depending on education and Spanish fluency. Call our HR Division office at 803-###-#### to learn more. Health Insurance The County of Lexington provides medical insurance for its employees through a county funded Employee Health Care Plan. There are multiple coverage plans available for the employee to choose from, depending on his/her personal coverage needs. Basic coverage is provided at a minimal cost to the employee. Employees who wish to cover members of their family may do so through payroll deductions. Actual rate within the range is determined on which coverage plan is chosen and how many children are being covered. The following semi-monthly rates apply: Employee Only $35.00 - $88.50 Employee and Child(ren) $62.00 - $257.50 Employee and Spouse $135.50 - $242.00 Employee and Family 162.00 - $410.50 Employee Wellness Center The County of Lexington provides a Wellness Center for its employees and their dependents who are covered under county health insurance. The staff of the Health and Wellness Center is licensed to diagnose, treat and prescribe for a wide variety of common illness and injuries at no cost to the employee and their covered dependents, when participating in the Gold or Silver Health Insurance Plan. There is a small co-pay if employees choose the Bronze Health Insurance Plan. Check out Marathon Health at Dental Insurance The County of Lexington provides dental insurance for its employees through the county's plan. There are two coverage plans from which the employee can choose, depending on his/her personal coverage needs. Basic coverage is provided at a minimal cost to the employee. Employees who wish to cover members of their family may do so through payroll deductions. Actual rate within the range is determined on which coverage plan is chosen and how many children are being covered. The following semi-monthly rates apply: Employee Only $3.11 - $3.58 Employee and Child(ren) $8.52 - $31.98 Employee and Spouse $9.28 - $10.67 Employee and Family $14.69 - $35.57 Vision Insurance The County of Lexington provides vision insurance for its employees through the county's plan. Basic coverage is provided at a minimal cost to the employee. Employees who wish to cover members of their family may do so through payroll deductions. The following semi-monthly rates apply: Employee Only $3.75 Employee and Child(ren) $7.75 Employee and Spouse $7.60 Employee and Family $11.80 Life Insurance The County of Lexington provides life insurance for its employees. Basic coverage is provided at no cost to the employee, with a benefit amount at 1.5 times the employee's basic annual earnings, up to $50,000. Additional coverage on the employee or his or her dependents is available and can be paid for through payroll deduction. Retirement All full time employees of the county participate in the South Carolina Retirement System or the South Carolina Police Officer's Retirement System. Deferred Compensation Employees are eligible to participate in the South Carolina Public Employees Deferred Compensation Plan, 401K or 457. The amount deposited is determined by the employee and participation is optional. This is a tax-deferred savings program and is handled automatically by payroll deduction. Overtime Employees who are eligible for overtime are paid overtime at the rate of 1.5 times his or her regular rate of pay for time worked. Overtime will be calculated at any hours worked over 86 in a two week pay period for non-exempt, sworn personnel. Collateral Duty Pay Employees receive collateral duty pay, in the form of quarterly-paid supplements, for serving in specialized assignments over and above their regular, paid assigned job duties. Extra Duty Opportunities Law enforcement officers (patrol deputies and other class 1 certified officers) have the opportunity to sign-up for extra-duty jobs to earn extra income working for secondary employers. Education Incentive Pay Employees receive educational incentive pay for completing degrees in pre-approved courses of study at approved accredited institutions. College Tuition Discount Employees may be eligible for law enforcement tuition discounts at various institutions. Montgomery G.I. Bill Veterans may qualify to use their G.I. Bill education benefits while working and receiving on-the-job training at the Sheriff's Department. Gym Membership Gym memberships are available to all employees at a highly discounted rate to the employee, made possible through the efforts of the Lexington County Sheriff's Foundation. South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers' Association Membership The department pays for membership in the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers' Association for all law enforcement and detention deputies. Membership in SCLEOA entitles the member to a list of member benefits. For more information, see SCLEOA's website at South Carolina Sheriffs' Association Membership Certified personnel receive an Individual Membership to the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association. For more information, see South Carolina Sheriffs' Association website at Annual Leave and Sick Leave Annual leave is accrued at the rate of 10 days per year for employees with less than five years of service with the county; 15 days for 5-10 years of service; and 20 days for 10 or more years of service. Sick leave is accrued at 12 days per year. Work Schedules Patrol deputies and detention deputies work the following schedule: 12-hour shifts - 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. - 6 a.m. Patrol Deputies: Two days on, two days off; three days on, two days off; two days on, three days off; (this cycle then repeats). Detention deputies work a permanent shift (days or nights). Patrol deputies rotate between dayshift and nightshift every 28 days. Vehicles At the discretion of the Sheriff, employees in designated positions are authorized to be assigned a department vehicle on a 24/7 week basis. Take-home vehicles are only available to personnel living in Lexington County or living in one of the adjacent/bordering counties of Aiken, Calhoun, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland or Saluda. Equipment Department personnel receive the equipment (uniforms, firearms, etc.) necessary for the position for which they are hired. 01 Are you at least 21 years-of-age, or will be within 3 months?
02 Are you a United States citizen?
03 Are you a resident of South Carolina, or will you become a resident of South Carolina upon hire?
04 Do you currently have South Carolina Class 1 Law Enforcement certification?
05 If you are certified in South Carolina through the Criminal Justice Academy, please list your Academy ID number. 06 Are you a certified law enforcement officer in another state?
07 Do you have military police experience, supported by a DD-214?
08 Have you served 3 years or more in any military branch?
09 Which statement below best describes the highest level of education you have completed?
- High school graduate, diploma or the equivalent (GED)
- Associate degree
- Bachelor's degree
- Master's degree
- Professional degree
- Doctorate degree
10 Are you able to work a flexible work schedule that includes nights, weekends, holidays, and includes varying shifts?
Required Question