JASPER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2021

1. The prior administration was awarded a grant for litter control in the amount of    $9,500.00 and never used it. We were able to clean up trash from the middle of Tammy Lane with the grant. We were also able to purchase to Automated License Plate Reader cameras and place them in two locations within the county that were having problems with different crimes. These cameras have greatly reduced the crime rate in these neighborhoods. These cameras cost $2,500.00 each and will cost $2,500.00 each year we keep them. Between December 13, 2021, and January 11, 2022, the cameras have read 51,412 License plates. Of those plates 30,947 of the are what are called Unique plate reads. Unique plate reads are defined as plates that are read more than once, stolen vehicles, or vehicle related to a crime. Flock Safety cameras have been searched a total of 192 times in the same time frame by outside agencies. These searches were for vehicles related to crimes throughout the United States. The cameras have been instrumental in helping locate missing persons, such as Sheriff Brantley. One of the cameras also helped apprehend a suspect for the Hardeeville Police Department that shot a store clerk approximately 8 times.
2.   We were able to secure a new $797,000.00 body worn camera and taser contract where we were able to outfit all of the officers within the department with new body cameras and tasers. This program also has mandatory videos the supervisors have to review on a monthly basis for training and officer accountability purposes. Supervisors also have the ability to log into the system and watch an officer through the body camera while the officer is on scene.
    
3. Under Sheriff Hipp the Sheriff’s Office was able to secure over a half of a million dollars in grants.
   
   A $277,000.00 grant was recently awarded that will fully fund two new School Resource Officers. The grant includes all of the equipment to go with each position.
   
   A $86,000.00 grant was received that was used to help pay for a new body worn camera contract.
   
   A $67,000.00 was received that was grant was used to help pay for new bullet proof vest for the officers to bring all of the department issued vest into compliance.
    
4. The Sheriff’s Office implemented Project Reach Out in the schools. This is a mentoring program for students. The program assists challenged youth by providing a positive influence as well as encouragement and offer solutions to assist with handling tough battles and real-world experiences that face our students today. The program was started in February 2021 and has helped approximately 300 students since its inception.
    
5. The Sheriff’s Office has leased two mobile Automated License Plate Readers that have been mounted on two separate patrol vehicles. These systems immediately notify the officer in the patrol vehicle if a vehicle surrounding them is listed as stolen, has no insurance, is connected to a wanted person, etc.
    
6. We were able to conduct a payroll study compared to the surrounding agencies and work with the Jasper County Council to raise the starting pay for officers from $38,300.00 per year to $46,868.00 per year. When Sheriff Hipp to office the Sheriff’s Office was 16 officers short. Since the pay increase, we are now only 4 officers short not counting the recent grant for the 2 School Resource Officers.
    
7. Under Sheriff Hipp, the Sheriff’s Office was able to certify 4 School Resources Officers as DARE officers and DARE instructors.
    
8. When Sheriff Hipp took office the Sheriff’s Office was over budget for over time from the last administration. The Sheriff’s Office completely re-aligned the Sheriff’s Office payroll through Human Resources and the APD program for better accountability of overtime. By doing so we have saved the county the following:

Between January 2020 and June 2020, Sheriff Malphrus spent $164,159.53 in overtime wages. Between January 2021 and June 2021 Sheriff Hipp has spent $53,810.86 in overtime wages. This is a difference of $110,348.67.

Between July 2020 and November 2020, Sheriff Malphrus spent $135,801.93 in overtime wages. Between July 2021 and November 2021 Sheriff Hipp spent $66,773.72 in overtime wages. This is a difference of $69,028.21. This is a savings to the county of approximately $179,376.88 for the year.
 

9. In 2020 the former administration collected approximately $4,698.50 in court ordered sex offender registry fees.

In 2021, under Sheriff Hipp the Sheriff’s Officer collected approximately $9,746.50 in court ordered sex offender registry fees.

Under the prior administration the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office lost its access to upload the sex offenders into the state system through the internet. All of the information had to be mailed to SLED for them to upload it. Under Sheriff Hipp the Sheriff’s Office was able to correct the problem with SLED and can now unload all of the sex offenders electronically.
 

10. Sheriff Hipp’s administration has been working to correct the evidence storage issues with the Sheriff’s Office evidence vault. Sheriff Hipp has ungraded the alarm system for the evidence vault and property rooms and added a full-time evidence and property custodian.
     
11. Sheriff Hipp has centralized all of the records within the Sheriff’s Office to one location for better record keeping and organization. With the prior administration records were stored between two separate locations with separate addresses.

 

12. In 2021, under the prior administration Jasper County experienced 4 homicides. In 2021, under Sheriff Hipp Jasper County experienced 3 homicides with all 3 being solved by arrest.
     
13. Under Sheriff Hipp, the Sheriff’s Office Narcotics team has managed to build working relationships with the surrounding agencies to include Federal agencies. Sheriff Hipp has also been able to purchase specialized equipment for the Narcotics Team that will help them conduct entries during the execution of Search Warrants without having to call in outside agencies.
     
14. Sheriff Hipp has been able to implement a new accounting program and procedures for better accountability for all funds within the Sheriff’s Office.
     
15. Sheriff Hipp has also adjusted all of the Sheriff’s Office Seizure and Forfeiture accounts to be state and federal compliant.
     
16. Sheriff Hipp worked to balance the 2020/2021 budget and managed to finish the fiscal year only 2% over budget. This was accomplished even though the previous Sheriff controlled the first 6 months of the budget.

 

2022

 

1. Replaced all of the outdated shotguns within the department and was also able to equip every Deputy with a shotgun.
    
2. Replaced all of the worn out 10-33 assault rifles with brand new ones and was able to outfit all of the Deputies with a new rifle.
    
3. Purchased a drone that has night vision/infrared capability to assist with search and rescue operations and to conduct arial photographs of crime scenes.
    
4. Purchased a digital narcotics tester that will test narcotics through the packaging keeping the Deputy safe from possible exposure to harmful substances such as Fentanyl.
    
5. With the council’s help we have replaced approximately 98% of worn-out patrol vehicles with new vehicles.
    
6. We signed a contract with AXON to add in-car cameras to all of our patrol vehicles that will work in conjunction with our body camera, tasers, and signal side arm kits and have automated license plate readers built into them.
    
7. The Sheriff’s Office was able to appoint a second Animal Control Officer.
    
8. The Sheriff’s Office was able to create an IT position while staying under budget.
    
9. The Sheriff’s Office was able to lease a new state-of-the-art Animal Control Vehicle.
    
10. The Sheriff’s Office purchased an off-road utility vehicle to help with off-road search and rescue efforts while staying under budget.
     
11. The Sheriff’s Office purchased two (2) bloodhounds to help with finding lost individuals and fleeing suspects.
     
12. The Sheriff was able to appoint an investigator and a volunteer (former investigator) to investigate cold cases.
     
13. The Sheriff’s Office was able to outfit all officers with dress uniforms while staying under budget.
     
14. The Sheriff’s Office was able to form a Color/Honor Guard to attend funerals and ceremonies.
     
15. Purchased two (2) interactive whiteboards for meeting and training purposes while staying under budget.
     
16. The Sheriff’s Office added sixteen (17) Automated License Plate Readers throughout the county to assist in recovering lost individuals, wanted persons, and stolen vehicles. All of the Automated License Plate Reader cameras (19 total) read over 300,000 license plates per month.
     
17. The Sheriff’s Office was able to certify two (2) of the School Resource Officers with Active Shooter Assessment training so they can assist the schools, churches, and other businesses with setting up security measures to prevent active shooter situations in their facilities.
     
18. Held the Sheriff’s Office first National Night Out event, which was a great success.
     
19. Continued the annual Trunk or Treat event which was a great success.
     
20. The Sheriff’s Office was able to promote an officer to the Rank of Major.
     
21. The Sheriff’s Office was awarded a new School Resource Officer grant from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety that fully funded two (2) new School Resource Officers, saving the county additional funds.
     
22. Received $185,211.94 from the SC Department of Public Safety to help pay for the new in-car cameras.
     
23. Received $101,271.10 from the SC Department of Public Safety to help pay for Body-Worn cameras.
     
24. Signed an agreement with the military’s NCIS service to conduct more stringent background checks on applicants.
     
25. The Sheriff’s Office was able to replace all of the office computers while staying under budget.
     
26. The Sheriff’s Office was able to replace all of the in-car computers while staying under budget.
     
27. The Sheriff’s Office investigated one (1) homicide, one (1) manslaughter case, and one (1) hit-and-run fatality with all of them being solved by arrest.
     
28. The Sheriff’s Office was able to have two (2) Evidence Custodians trained and certified by the International Association for Property and Evidence.
     
29. The Sheriff’s Office able to have two (2) Deputies FAA trained and certified UAS Drone pilots.
     
30. Between responding to calls for service, the Deputies were able to issue more than $1,123,843.00 in citations.
     
31. The Sheriff’s Office was able to purchase a Live Scan digital fingerprint machine to print fingerprint cards for sex offenders and concealed weapons permit applications that is connected with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, while staying under budget.
     
32. The Sheriff’s Office created the Multi-Agency VICE Unit partnering with the Hardeeville Police Department and Fourteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office to investigate narcotics and violent crimes throughout Jasper County.
     
33. In 2022 the Sheriff’s Office responded to 29,722 calls for service.
     
34. According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s National Incident Based Reporting system the Sheriff’s Office obtained a 40.91% clearance rate on the crimes that are required to be reported to SLED. This rate is up from the 2021 rate of 22.42%.

2023

1. Created a Special Services Division to oversee the Animal Control Deputies, Airport Deputy, building upgrades, and hurricane preparedness.
    
2. Remodeled the Criminal Investigations Office adding offices for the VICE Unit, Special Services Lieutenant, and Animal Control.
    
3. Upgraded the vault in the main office with secure storage to securely store firearms and ammunition.
    
4. Remodeled the Patrol Office to add a small kitchen with a sink, countertops, cabinets, and a refrigerator.
    
5. Installed an electronic gate on the impound yard at the Criminal Investigation Division office.
    
6. Awarded a continuation of the School Resource Officer grant with an awarded amount of $433,840.00.
    
7. Awarded a new School Resource Officer grant for $173,805.00 to add a second (new officer) SRO at Polaris Tech.
    
8. Awarded a Body Armor Assistance grant in the amount of $15,415.00 to help pay for new body armor.
    
9. Partnered with Project Life Saver to help place tracking devices on people who suffer from cognitive disabilities and have to tendency to wander from home and get lost.
    
10. The Sheriff’s Office responded the 32,249 calls for service.
     
11. According to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division’s National Incident Based Reporting system the Sheriff’s Office obtained a 57.02% clearance rate on the crimes that are required to be reported to SLED. This rate is up from the 2022 rate of 40.91%.
     
12. The Sheriff’s Office was able to appoint an experienced Intelligence Analyst at no cost to the department or county.