Support Services                               

The Support Services Division is under the Command of Deputy Chief William "Butch" Barfield, Captain Ken Hagge, Lieutenants James Heape, Kim Asaro and Terrell Palmer. The division is responsible for providing support services to the department and is directly responsible for a total of -- employees in the following areas: Communications, Duty Officers, Warrants Unit, Records, Evidence, Court Officers, Administrative Services, Equipment and Supply, Radio Shop, Fleet Management, Training, and Emergency Preparedness.

Administrative Services
The Administrative Services section is in charge of receiving and issuing of all police department supplies, and equipment, cost accountability, inventory of police department capital equipment, and administrative support to the department. For more information, please call (843) 740-2832.

Training
The training unit's primary responsibility is to research, write and present all training to the officers of the North Charleston Police Department that is required by state statute and departmental policy. This includes basic, advanced and in-service training as well as legal reviews and officer safety tactics/issues. Training instructors utilize the latest in simulators as well as hands on training to effectively prepare our officers for duty. The training unit reviews actual incident reports, use of force reports and complaints along with state and federal trends to tailor each years training to address these issues. The unit also tracks each officers training and credit hours and submits these to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy which insures each officer remains state certified. Training also manages and directs the field officer training program which closely trains and monitors new police officers during their probationary tenure. The unit also offers a Citizen's Police Academy each year to educate residents on the police mission. For more information, please call (843) 740-2876.

Dispatch
The Communications Center Dispatchers coordinate all of the agency's communications, from taking citizens' calls for service, to dispatching officers to them During 2004, Comm Center personnel received over 193,862 calls, and issued more than 44,804 incident case numbers. For more information, please call (843) 554-5700.

Records
Some of the most vital support units in the department, records, Validations, UCR, Identification, Warrants, Duty Officers provides the necessary service to track, file and retrieve efficiently the volumes of paperwork generated by criminal investigations. The Records Division handles a large number of requests for reports, the most common being accident, arrest, and case reports. Accident reports can be released as soon as the Records Division receives the report from the Patrol Division. The reports are generally received from Patrol Division and available within three to five days. Citizens may obtain accident, arrest, and case reports for $5 and $6 respectively. Duty Officers receive calls from the public and notifies police communications when a police officer's presence is required. They monitor towing logs for abandoned and stolen vehicles and provide any assistance an officer may need. For more information, please call (843) 554-5700.

SWAT Team
The Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) is utilized in a manner most likely to minimize life, injury, or property damage during high risk police activities when a traditional police response would be inadequate or ineffective. The team trains twice per month to maintain excellence for the following tactical maneuvers: hostage and sniper situations, barricaded persons, dignitary protection, high risk warrant service and building entry.

The Team is one of the top SWAT Teams in the State of South Carolina winning second in the most recent SWAT Competition held in Orangeburg South Carolina, November 2004. For more information, please call (843) 554-5700.

Dive Team
The Dive team is responsible for search and recovery operations within the jurisdictional waters of the City of North Charleston. For more information, please call (843) 554-5700.

Bomb Team
The North Charleston Police Department has two (2) Certified Bomb Technicians that work on a Metro Bomb Team within the Charleston County Sheriff Department. Upon request this team responds to incidents of suspicious packages or devices or incidences where explosives are a threat. For more information, please call (843) 554-5700.