| Commonname: | Charleston Police Department |
| Abbreviation: | CPD |
| Patch: | CPDseal.jpgframeless |
| Patchcaption: | Patch of the Charleston Police Department |
| Flag: | Flag of Charleston, South Carolina.svg |
| Flagcaption: | Flag of the City of Charleston |
| Motto: | H.E.A.R.T. (Honor, Excellence, Accountability, Respect and Teamwork) |
| Formedyear: | 1856; 1865; 1877 (modern department) |
| Employees: | 573 [1] |
| Budget: | $60,782,338 USD (2023) [2] |
| Country: | United States |
| Divtype: | City |
| Divname: | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Sizearea: | 142abbr=onNaNabbr=on |
| Sizepopulation: | 159,138 (2023) |
| Legaljuris: | Municipal |
| Police: | Yes |
| Local: | Yes |
| Headquarters: | 180 Lockwood Boulevard, Charleston, SC 29402 |
| Officetype: | Bureau |
| Unittype: | Departmental Teams |
| Vehicle1type: | Cars |
| Vehicles1: | 400 [3] |
| Boat1type: | Police boat |
| Boats1: | 5 |
| Animal1type: | Horse |
| Animals1: | 2 |
| Animal2type: | K-9 unit |
| Animals2: | 8[4] |
| Electeetype: | Chief of Police |
| Minister1name: | Chito Walker |
| Chief1name: | Jack Weiss |
| Chief1position: | Deputy Chief of Investigations |
| Chief2name: | Dustin Thompson |
| Chief2position: | Deputy Chief of Operations |
| Chief3name: | Vacant (Formerly Chito Walker) |
| Chief3position: | Deputy Chief of Procedural Justice and Community Policing |
| Sworn: | 456 |
| Unsworn: | 117 |
The Charleston Police Department (CPD) is the official police force of Charleston, South Carolina. It is one of South Carolina's largest municipal agencies. It has 456 sworn officers, 117 civilian employees, and several reserve police officers.[5]
In the early colonial period, police protection for the citizens of Charleston was performed by the Town Watch, a paramilitary unit. After incorporation in 1783, Charleston formally established the City Guard, another paramilitary force. The City Guard helped suppress the 1822 Vesey slave rebellion.[6] From 1846 to 1855, the City Guard was reorganized several times and finally emerged in 1856 as a uniformed police force under the administration of Mayor William Porcher Miles.[7]
The Guard was armed with swords and pistols. It enforced a nine o'clock curfew for African-American residents of the city. Based at the "Guard House" at the corner of Broad and Meeting Streets, the force flogged those out after hours.[6]
Before the close of the Civil War, martial law was enacted in Charleston, and the city police force disbanded. Civil police forces were revived and reorganized, however, in 1865 following the election of P. C. Gaillard. These forces served as a counterpoint to the federal authorities until the end of martial law in 1877.[8]
The election of Mayor W. W. Sale that same year marked the introduction of a city police organizational system of officers and men, divided between the main station and the upper station, a system that was continued by succeeding administrations.
By 1880 the Police Force had, "...one hundred men, including a chief, three to five lieutenants, six to ten sergeants, three to four detectives, and seventy-three to eighty-five privates".[9] On 7 February 1888 a new station was opened at the corner of southeast King and Hutson Streets. In 1895 the State of South Carolina authorities established a metropolitan police and seized control of the organization from January 1896 to 30 September 1897, at which time control was returned to the city. In 1907 a large, modern facility was erected at the northwest corner of Vanderhorst and St. Philip Streets. The police department remained at this location until 1974, at which time they moved to their current location on Lockwood Boulevard.
In July 2011, the department was re-accredited through 2014 with the Accreditation with Excellence Award by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Replacing the former "Flagship Award," the Accreditation with Excellence Award is the highest single-period accreditation award available. The department also received the Meritorious Accreditation Award in 2011, representing at least 15 continuous years of CALEA accreditation.[10] [11] [12]
The CPD was criticized for its response to the 2020 George Floyd protests in downtown Charleston, which some called insufficient.[13]
According to police, on December 29, 2020, 911 operators received a call at 3:06 a.m. which was followed by a second call minutes later regarding a disturbance and domestic violence incident that was occurring at the Bridge View Apartment complex located at 105 N. Romney Street. "CPD officers were dispatched and, upon arrival, shots were exchanged between an individual and the officers," police said. The individual was 28-year-old Charleston native Jason LaTroy "Tank" Cooper. A report states one officer was shot in the chest but sustained non-life-threatening injuries as the officer was wearing a ballistic vest. Investigators said the suspect Jason Cooper was also shot during the incident and later died as a result of the shooting.
On January 19, 2021, Police say a man by the name of Montrez Cyrus Simmons of North Charleston South Carolina was wanted for multiple violent crimes in the Lowcountry including murder and carjackings has been arrested following a chase in the Charleston area which led to the suspect getting shot in an officer-involved shooting. Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds said the man, who has not been identified, is wanted for various crimes including a recent murder in Georgetown, a carjacking in Mount Pleasant that happened on Monday and an armed carjacking that happened earlier this evening in Charleston. Officers located the carjacked vehicle and the suspect Tuesday night, and a short chase ensued which ended in the area of Spruill Avenue and Comstock Avenue. According to Reynolds, at the end of the pursuit, shots were fired and the suspect was transported to a hospital for injuries from a gunshot wound. Reynolds said a gun belonging to the suspect was located and recovered from the scene. Reynolds stressed that it was the second time in weeks that his officers had encountered a violent suspect with a criminal background who was armed. "I want to make this clear. This is important to me to say this publicly. This is the second time my officers in a matter of weeks have encountered a violent suspect with a career violent criminal record who was armed," he said. "Let me say that again. This is the second time in a matter of weeks that my officers have encountered a violent armed criminal offender. We have a serious violent crime problem." The police chief said everyone must continue to work together to help address these crime issues. "I am proud of and thankful that we have police officers throughout this region, not just in the city of Charleston," he said. "Throughout this region, throughout this country that are putting their lives on the line to keep our city safe. They're selfless and they're fighting for others and protecting our citizens who can't fight for themselves."[14] Reynolds said he was pleased to say no more citizens were injured and officers were okay following the Tuesday night incident. "They're safe because this could have had a very different conclusion," he said."This is the second time that we've all stood here for a similar related event." State troopers and SLED agents also responded to the scene. Earlier tonight, viewers reported law enforcement units chasing a car followed by a wreck in a yard. One viewer who captured video of the incident said that someone appeared to be on the ground following the chase with law enforcement units directing traffic away from the scene.
On March 10, 2021, officers were notified of a man walking around the Colonial Grand at Cypress Cove apartment complex with a semi-automatic rifle around 11:00 a.m. Neighbors reported that the man was harassing them and trying to get into their home. "He's standing outside our apartment he's actually across from us and he is waving a big gun. It looks like a AK-47 of some sort and I do not feel safe," says a 911 caller. The suspect, who was later identified as George Grayson Sanner (25), barricaded himself inside his apartment when police arrived. After an hour of waiting, Sanner walked out onto his balcony and shot towards an officer. The officer returned fire and Sanner was hit, then taken to the hospital. Ninth Circuit Solicitor Scarlett Wilson declined to bring charges against the officer who shot Sanner, noting that Sanner was armed and dangerous and shooting at officers.[15]
The City of Charleston Police Department is organized and overseen by the Chief of Police, who is in turn appointed by the Mayor. The Mayor is responsible for overseeing the Police Department and transmitting orders and directives from the city council.[16]
The Charleston Police Department is divided into four Operational Areas, which are under the command of the three main deputy chiefs (except in the case of the Chief of Police's Staff).[16] The four Operational Areas are the Chief of Police Staff, the Bureau of Operations, the Bureau of Investigations, and the Bureau of Procedural Justice and Community Policing.
| Operational Area | Commanding officer | Description | Subdivisions | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs Staff | Chief of Police | The Chiefs Staff is directly under the command of the Chief of Police. It is responsible for the administrative functions of the Charleston Police Department. | This Area can be further subdivided into Legal, Administrative Assistant, and the CPAC Liaison. | |
| Bureau of Operations | Deputy Chief of Operations | The Bureau of Operations accounts for the largest Buruea in the CPD, as it is primarily responsible for Patrol. This Bureau is under the command of the Deputy Chief of Operations. | This Area can be further subdivided into Patrol and Special Operations. | |
| Bureau of Investigations | Deputy Chief of Investigations | The Bureau of Investigations is responsible for the prevention, detection, and investigation of Crime. It is under the command of the Deputy Chief of Investigations. | This area can be further subdivided into the Central Investigations Division and the Forensic Services Division. | |
| Bureau of Procedural Justice and Community Policing | Deputy Chief of Procedural Justice and Community Policing | The Bureau of Procedural Justice and Community Policing is responsible for Internal Investigations, administrative duties, and for community outreach. | This area can be further subdivided into the Professional Standards Division, Administrative Services Division, Community Oriented Policing Division, Fleet Operations, Procedural Justice & Research, and Special Projects. |
The first policing organization in Charleston was the Town Watch. The Town Watch had two main headquarters buildings during their time, the first was located above the Half Moon Battery (today the site of the Exchange and Provost). The second building was located on Broad Street, "...between, the Public Armory, State House, St Michael's, and the Market".[17] In 1838 the City decided that the City Guard (which evolved from the Town Watch after the city was incorporated) needed a new Guard House. The new Guard House was larger and was used until August 1886 when it was irreparably damaged in an Earthquake. The site of the new Guard House is where the United States Post Office and Courthouse (Charleston, South Carolina) would later stand.
1887 saw the birth of the Charleston Police Department as it is known today, as well as the construction of a Central Police Station to replace the new Guard House. The Central Police Station was located, "...at the corner of King and Hutson streets, a lot which was "long vacant, neglected, and most unsightly"".[17] This Central Police Station was located next to South Carolina State Arsenal. In February 1906, the Citadel Military Academy was looking to expand and asked the City to sell the building to the State, an agreement that was finalized in 1908.
In 1907 a new Headquarters Building was opened, "...at the northwest corner of Vanderhorst and St. Philip Streets".[18] This would be the Headquarters building until 1968 when plans were begun to move the department yet again. In 1974 these plans were finalized and the department moved to their current location on Lockwood Boulevard.[18]
The Charleston Police Department has lost 24 Officers in the line of duty since 1857. The CPD has the most amount of fallen officers of any local city department in the State of South Carolina.[19]
The Charleston Police Department has a broad array of specialized services, including SWAT, K-9 Unit, Explosive Devices Team, Mounted, Civil Disturbance Team, Underwater Response, and Harbor Patrol.
In 2022 the city responded to 124,337 calls for service which resulted in 4,451 arrests and 2 vehicle pursuits.[20]
| Aggravated Assault | 340 | 316 | 336 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 10 | 9 | 16 | |
| Robbery | 82 | 72 | 88 | |
| Sex Offense | 36 | 57 | 65 | |
| Burglary/ Breaking & Entering | 263 | 245 | 273 | |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 447 | 494 | 468 | |
| Theft from Motor Vehicle | 786 | 731 | 771 | |
| Total | 1,964 | 1,924 | 2,017 |