COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame held an induction ceremony to recognize seven officers for for their contributions to law enforcement in South Carolina. The first ceremony recognizing officers for meritorious service was held in October 2017.
Nominees for this honor must have a proven record of excellence that is manifestly outstanding, especially to South Carolina law enforcement as a whole. They must have 25 years minimum of law enforcement service. The nominees can be nominated posthumously. The nominees cannot currently be employed by a law enforcement agency or have been employed in the past five years.
“Each of the officers recognized have made notable contributions and advanced the field of law enforcement in South Carolina through innovative ideas and partnerships; forward-thinking leadership and a commitment to making our state safer,” said SCDPS Director Leroy Smith, chair of the S.C. Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame Advisory Committee.
Representatives from law enforcement agencies and associations presented a narrative of the award winners at the ceremony.
This year’s inductees included:
Director Ellis C. MacDougall – S.C. Department of Corrections; Lieutenant Ulysses Flemming – S.C. Department of Natural Resources; Major Israel Brooks Jr. – South Carolina Highway Patrol; Lieutenant Carl B. “Pedro” Stokes – S.C. Law Enforcement Division; Chief Andrew Shealy – Newberry Police Department; Sheriff Williford L. Faile – Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office; Chief Deputy Jerry Wright – Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
The recipients’ names will be permanently displayed in the Hall of Fame, and going forward each year names will be added representing the “best” in leadership and service in South Carolina law enforcement.
The S.C. Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame was created by an act of the S.C. General Assembly in 1974. That act established the Hall of Fame’s mission as both honoring South Carolina officers who have died in the line of duty and honoring officers in the day-to-day performance of their duties. The Hall of Fame enabling legislation also established an advisory committee to determine who would be honored at the Hall of Fame and authorized that “Any officer whose continued record of excellence over a period of years is manifestly outstanding may be elected to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame by the advisory committee.”
