Office of the Chief
The Office of the Chief of Police consists of five components: Public Information/Community Relations, Office of Professional Standards, Accreditation, Crime Analysis, and Officer Recruitment.
Public Information/Community Relations
The Public Information/Community Relations function of the North Charleston Police Department is the responsibility of the PIO Spencer Pryor. Press releases from the North Charleston Police Department will occur on an as needed basis. All prepared releases will come from the Office of the Chief of Police and will be released by the Public Information Officer.
The North Charleston Police Department values input, comment and feedback from its citizens. Our mission is to provide professional public safety services while working in partnership with citizens. To that end, building strong community relations is a major priority for the department. If you have a question or concern as an individual or citizens group, or a media related question, contact Spencer Pryor at (843) 740-2548 or e-mail.
Office of Professional Standards
The Office of Professional Standards, led by Lieutenant Karen Cordray, investigates complaints of alleged misconduct against the department's sworn officers and civilian members and, based upon departmental findings, to make fair, prompt and impartial disposition of all concerns.
The North Charleston Police Department is a professional law enforcement agency that is dedicated to providing all citizens with the highest quality of service possible. Our officers are sworn to protect the rights of all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
If you have a concern regarding the performance of an employee of this department, we encourage you to report the concern to a police supervisor. Likewise, if you feel an employee has performed an outstanding service, we encourage you to take the time to let us know about this action. Please call (843) 740-2844 or email Lieutenant Karen Cordray.
Accreditation
The North Charleston Police Department is in the process of becoming an Accredited Agency through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA). Lieutenant Karen Cordray is the department's Accreditation Manager.
What is Accreditation? Accreditation is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence.
The purpose of CALEA accreditation is two-fold:
- to develop a set of standards in police management and service; and
- to establish and administer a process through which law enforcement agencies can voluntarily demonstrate that they meet those standards.
Some of the benefits of becoming an accredited agency are greater accountability within the agency, providing better public services and verification of excellence. Chief Jon Zumalt says, "Accreditation will enhance the department's ability to provide service to the community through clarity of mission, provide avenues for receiving feed back and input from citizens, and generate pride in the organization and community." For more information, please call (843) 740-2854 or email Lieutenant Karen Cordray.
Crime Analysis
The Crime Analysis Unit supports the operational elements and the administration of the Police Department by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information on crime pattern detection, crime-suspect correlation, target profile analysis, and forecasting crime potential, trends, and patterns. For more information, please call (843) 740-2854 or email Lieutenant Karen Cordray.
Officer Recruitment
The recruitment and selection of sworn, full-time Police Officers is the responsibility of the Recruitment Officer. A career with the North Charleston Police Department can be exciting and rewarding! As a Police Officer, you will become a part of a professional agency. We encourage qualified candidates to seek employment with us. The City of North Charleston Police Department takes applications year round. When openings become available, applicants will be contacted to begin testing for the position for which they applied.
The North Charleston Police Department participates in college career days at various college campuses throughout the State. We also recruit at the career fairs and various military installments. We strive to ensure that all applicants are individuals of high moral character and capable of effectively performing the duties and responsibilities of the position. Click here for recruitment information, or call (843) 740-2840.