Sheriff's Department Adds 15 Reserve Deputies

Fifteen graduates joined the Richland County Sheriff's Department as reserve deputies this weekend.

During the graduation ceremony at the South Carolina State Guard Armory on Friday, Sheriff Leon Lott thanked the deputies for their committment to the citizens of Richland County and for their hard work - both physically and academically - over the seven-month period.

John Burriss Jr., executive vice president of Gold's Gym, was the only member of the class to be recognized with awards in all three areas: academics, physical agility and marksmanship.  

"I always felt like I wanted to do something in law enforcement but didn't have the opportunity," Burriss said. "It's been a fun ride so far."

Reserve deputies are required to spend 60 hours every three months riding along with other deputies. Burriss is putting in 40 hours a month.

"I've been putting in a lot of hours, but I love it," Burriss said. "I can't wait to see what's next from here."

Also in the graduating class was Reserve Deputy Chris Hall, who received the Bill McKinzie Class Leadership Award, an award given to the class member selected by their peers for demonstrating the most outstanding leadership qualities during the course of training. 

Hall also received an academic award, given to officers who scored 90 or higher on their Criminal Justice Academy exam, and a marksmanship award, given to officers who received a score of 250 or greater on the test. 

Reserve deputies are sworn, uniformed law enforcement officers who work on a volunteer, non-paid basis. They provide backup to deputies by riding along with them on patrol, reducing the need for two patrol cars to respond to an incident.