It is the Mission of the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office to partner with our community to provide quality public safety and public service to all citizens and visitors of Kershaw County. We are dedicated to conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the trust that has been placed upon us.

• Public trust is the most important element in maintaining a good law enforcement organization. Accountability of officers is the best way to build public trust and approval. Law enforcement officers must be held to at least the same standards as the general public.

   

• We must always stand ready to account for our actions and not be offended when we are asked to do so.

   

• Law enforcement officers have the authority to take away a person's freedom, but they never have the right to take away someone's dignity.

   

• Law enforcement officers should be fair and consistent in their duties. The best compliment an officer can receive is that he/she is “always fair” to whoever they have contact with.

   

• We ultimately work to serve the citizens of our community. We should never lower ourselves to the point of taking our frustrations out on a citizen. An officer can never let their personal feelings get involved with doing their duty.

• Most bad decisions are made when people are mad. Officers must remember that their brains do not work when they are mad.

• Our effectiveness is measured by the increase in public safety and reduction in crime, not the number of tickets or arrests. Writing tickets and/or making arrests are not the mission of the department; they are only tools to accomplish the mission.

• Law enforcement is only one part of an officer’s duty to the community. Officers are in a help related profession - so they should help people.

• Officers should not only avoid violating someone's rights, but should stand ready to protect everyone's rights. All citizens are equally important.

• If you make a mistake, admit it, fix it, and get back to doing your job.  I may discipline, but I will never fire a deputy for making an honest mistake.