A scenic view of the Main Street Bridge in Conway, home to new SCLEOA President Chief Dale Long of the Conway Police Department.
President
Chief Dale Long
Conway Police Department
Executive Committee
President Elect
Chief Charles Barranco
Aiken Public Safety
1st Vice President
Chief Jim Stewart
Anderson Police Department
2nd Vice President
Asst. Chief Richard Gregory
S.C. Law Enforcement Division
Treasurer/Secretary
Major James “Jim” Miles
University of South Carolina Division of Law
Enforcement & Safety
Immediate
Past President
Chief James Allen
Timmonsville Police Department
Sergeant-at-Arms
Chief Deputy Eric Abdullah
Aiken County Sheriff’s Office
South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association
2024-2025 District Representatives
The District Representatives serve as the senior association official for his or her respective District. Each is expected to hold a District-wide Spring and Fall meeting to conduct District business and encourage prospective members to join the association. District Representatives present a report of the concerns of members, at each regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting, in his or her District and present a report of his or her monthly activities to the President as well. District representatives represent the district in which they are employed, assigned, or reside.
Rock Hill Police Department (803) 329-7200 chris.watts@cityofrockhill.com
November 12-14, 2025
President’s Message
SCLEOA family,
Your SCLEOA Board and Executive Director are already in the planning stages of the annual conference and banquet.
We are soliciting ideas for top shelf keynote speakers who would draw a crowd wherever they go. If you have a speaker you want us to pursue, please forward it to us.
The conference will be large this year with MASSIVE changes as we partner with CJIS to jointly conduct our training and parallel theirs.
This will expand attendance, the vendor hall, and they have some topics we may pull as
crossover material.
Here is my challenge. If every 100% department and agency would send their Officer, Deputy, Employee, Rookie, Investigator, or Supervisor of the Year winner, we would need a bigger venue!
If you are that award winner, please ask your Sheriff, Director, or Chief to send you for a training program designed by officers for officers.
Chief Dale Long of the Conway Police Department.
(423) 503-3500
Executive Director’s Message
SCLEOA Members and Law Enforcement Professionals,
2025 is well underway at the South Carolina General Assembly. Your partners at SCLEOA are working hard to ensure that we focus on legislation that supports law-enforcement and strive to make the Palmetto State a safer place to raise our families. Our General Assembly has multiple bills focusing on law enforcement and we hope to get those across the finish line on May 8th.
We are in the planning stages of the 2025 Golf Tournament, 2025 Bass Tournament, and our Line of Duty Death Memorial in May. We hope you can join us to volunteer, participate, or share what we do for our cops in South Carolina.
We are pleased to announce that we are launching a new South Carolina Law Enforcement Conference partner. In 2025, SCLEOA is partnering with SLED CJIS. Our partners at SLED are going to join us for the November 12-14 SCLEC in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
We have already begun seeing a larger number of attendees booking for the conference and we anticipate 300 or more attendees in November.
This year, multiple classes will be running to offer multiple subjects. The CJIS focus will be on NCIC instruction and networking for the ad -
ministrative side of our team. While those classes are being held, the law enforcement instruction is going to be even better than 2024.
We are excited to bring you instruction on survival, how to catch sexual predators, Understanding Incels, successful resolution to crisis situations, and more!
We look forward to training our police officers and networking to keep South Carolina safe.
See you in Myrtle Beach!
JJ Jones Executive Director, SCLEOA
Executive Director J.J. Jones
SCLEOA Scholarships Available
Each year, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Foundation (SCLEOF) awards $7,000 in Scholarships to three graduating high school seniors. The SCLEOF is the training and educational subsidiary of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers’ Association (SCLEOA), South Carolina’s oldest and largest professional association.
SCLEOA has been the Voice of Law Enforcement in South Carolina since 1941. Today, nearly 7,000 officers, representing every rank in municipal, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies, comprise the membership of our association.
The SCLEOF will award one $3,000 scholarship and two $2,000 scholarships to high school
seniors in the coming year. One of the $2,000 scholarships will be awarded to the child of an SCLEOA member.
The SCLEOA and SCLEOF are proud to support education in The Palmetto State and look forward to the scholarship consideration process each year!
SCLEC 2024 Conference - Myrtle Beach
J.J. Jones with Kim Dennis and Olivia Countess with Serve and Connect.
Pictured are Jason and Lindsay Long.
J.J. Jones with one of our Bronze Sponsors, Tonya Conway representing Sun Solutions.
J.J. Jones poses with Lindsey McCall Long.
Irmo Police Departments John Hendrix and Kazian Shull at SCLEC. Ashley Ferris speaks at the Saturday morning breakfast.
Outgoing President, Chief James Allen, addresses the attendees at 2024 SCLEC Banquet.
Conway Police Chief and President of SCLEOA, Dale Long, addresses the attendees at 2024 SCLEC Banquet.
Chief Dale Long is sworn in by Chief James Allen.
The Columbia Police Department was awarded 2024 Santee Cooper Excellence in Law Enforcement Award at SCLEC. Chief Skip Holbrook addresses the attendees and accepts the award.
2024 SCLEC Attendees during dinner.
2024 SCLEC Attendees during dinner.
Retired Atlanta Braves outfielder and legend, Otis Nixon, addresses the 2024 SCLEC Banquet on overcoming adversity and never giving up.
Above: Bert and Heather von Hermann with Atlanta Braves legend Otis Nixon. Below: Chief Mark Keel, J.J. Jones and Atlanta Braves’ Otis Nixon.
Lt. Robbie Lint and Otis Nixon.
Asst. Chief Brian Lorick and Otis Nixon.
Left: Chief James Allen and Otis Nixon.
Below: Chief Jim Stewart and Jennifer Stewart hang out with Otis Nixon.
Victim Asst. Deputy Tammy Erwin of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office speaks to attendees
Chief Eric Williams speaks to the attendees on leadership.
Lexington Police Department Celebrates 100 Years
Chief Terrence Green is excited to announce that 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of the Lexington Police Department.
1From one officer walking Main Street 100 years ago to a department of nearly 70 officers today, this department continues to grow with a focus on “Building a Partnership with the Community We Serve” within the Town of Lexington community.
1To mark this milestone, officers are wearing a commemorative 100th anniversary badge which incorporates
several previous badges into the design.
Officers are also wearing uniform shirts with a 100th anniversary patch on the right shoulder and all marked vehicles have a 100th anniversary decal.
Throughout this year, the Lexington Police Department will be highlighting their history and significant milestones through photography and videos that will be shared on their website, social media, and on YouTube.
Visit the Lexington Police Department’s website (https://
lexsc.gov/919/Police), follow on Facebook(https://www. facebook.com/LexingtonPD/), X (https://x.com/LexingtonPD), and Instagram (https:// www.instagram.com/lexingtonpdsc/), and subscribe to the YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/@lexingtonpd.
Study: Ghost Guns Recovered at Crime Scenes Surging
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - by
Sarah N. Lynch
The number of untraceable privately-made “ghost guns” recovered at crime scenes surged nearly 1,600% between 2017 and 2023, according to the results of a new federal gun trafficking study released recently.
The study’s results, announced by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), come after President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland in April 2021 directed the agency to oversee a new research initiative to better understand how criminals in the United States obtain their guns.
The study found between 2017 and 2023, 92,702 suspected privately made firearms or “ghost guns,” which can be obtained without background checks and do not contain serial numbers, were recovered and reported to law enforcement.
During that same time frame, the number of ghost guns recovered in crimes grew from 1,629 to 27,490, the ATF said. About 1,700 of them have been tied to homicides, while another 4,000 have been linked to a number of other violent crimes.
The recoveries of illicit machine gun conversion devices, which are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into
machine guns, also increased 784%, from 658 in 2019 to 5,816 in 2023, the ATF found.
The Biden administration has sought to crack down on the rise of unregulated “ghost guns,” in a bid to tackle concerns about gun violence in the United States.
In October, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments, opens new tab over the legality of a Biden administration-led effort to regulate them, after a lower court found the ATF had exceeded its authority.
The justices signaled a willingness to uphold the rule, and a decision is expected by the end of June.
Steven Dettelbach, the ATF’s director, said on
Wednesday that the study’s findings overall support the need for more background checks before firearms are sold.
“The data show that in 60% of trafficking investigations, the end recipient of a trafficking firearm is a convicted felon,” he told reporters at a virtual news conference.
Remembering Andrew “Andy” Gruler
Retired U.S. Secret Service Agent Andrew “Andy” Gruler, 76, passed away after a short illness on Feb. 27, 2025, surrounded by his family.
He served from 1976-1996 in various field offies and on teh V.P. detail for then-V.P. George H.W. Bush. He was awarded the USSS Medal of Valor for his role in the fatal shooting in the lobby of the Denver field offie in 1980.
After retirement, Andy became a licensed clinical social worker and worked with first responders at major events like 9/11, the Virginia Tech shooting, and Uvalde. He participated in various post-critial incident seminars nationwide and served as clinical director until his death.
There was a celebration of life for Andy April 7 at Hope Community Church in Raleigh, N.C. Condolonces may
be sent to Mrs. Gail Gruler, 423 Indian Forest Dr., Bostic, N.C. 28018.
2025 Sporting Clay Shoot A Hit With Members
The 2025 SCLEOA Sporting Clay Shoot was a huge success! Thank you to NWTF and Edgefield County Sheriff’s Office, led by Sheriff Jody Rowland, for hosting 100+ shooters to support your law enforcement officers in SC. All proceeds were presented to the S.C. Law Enforcement Officer’s Foundation. Proceeds from the shoot support the Ben Willoughby Fund and the Line of Duty Death for SCLEOA members.
First Place Team: Jim McClary, Marion Baker, Cal Reighley, and Phil Watkins.
Team Dominion Energy.
Saluda County Chief Deputy Jesse Quattlebaum and the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office team.
Team SCLEOA: Hannah Jones, J.J. Jones, Chief Mike Lanier of SCCJA, and Jacob Jones.
Top female shooter Hannah Jones.
Team Hoffman Building Technologies, Inc., took the Top Shot award, as well as Third Place team.
Chief Jackie Swindler and the SCCJA Team took Second Place.
2710 White Horse Road, Ste 381 Greenville (864) 448-8057
706 S. Guignard Drive Sumter (803) 775-1922
6008 White Horse Road Greenville (864) 991-7143
Old Easley Hwy
(864) 220-1144
New China East
920 Houston Northcutt Blvd
Mount Pleasant (843) 849-7288
7250 Rivers Avenue
Charleston (843) 818-6400
330 Robert Small Pkwy, Ste 22 Beaufort (843) 379-5357
503 N. Hwy 52
Moncks Corner (843) 482-0739 Mt. Pleasant Auto Service Center
Hwy 41
Mount Pleasant (843) 881-1275 Mt. Pleasant Auto Service Center 1157 Hwy 41
Mount Pleasant (843) 881-1275
Classified Directory
We are pleased to offer our readers this easy reference guide to additional businesses. We urge you to patronize these advertisers, as well as those who have purchased display space in this magazine.
385 LIQUOR
385 E ST. JOHN STREET
864-573-0066…SPARTANBURG
540 VAPE
123 S. GOOSE CREEK BLVD
843-718-0237…GOOSE CREEK
ALCHILE MEXICAN GRILL
8084 E MAIN STREET
843-726-4289…RIDGELAND
BAZAAR
1603 W. PALMETTO
347-722-3169…FLORENCE
BEAUTIFUL NAILS
205 COLUMBIA AVENUE
803-356-5667…LEXINGTON
CANO’S
29730 WHYTE HARDEE BLVD
843-505-5443…HARDEEVILLE
CHINA GARDEN
7120 PARKLANE ROAD
803-736-8585…COLUMBI
CITGO GUEST 24/7
2901 E MAIN STREET
864-579-4554…SPARTANBURG
CONWAY KING SMOKER 2246 US 501, STE D 843-321-3031…CONWAY
EL TAPATIO
489 S. HERLONG
803-324-9333…ROCK HILL
EXPRESS MART
2620 S KINGS HWY 843-945-2042…MYRTLE BEACH
FAMILY MART 3952 W PALMETTO 843-468-1983…FLORENCE
FLAVORS OF INDIA 137 E PALMETTO STREET
843-472-5222…FLORENCE
FOXY NAILS 99
860 PARRIS ISLAND GATEWAY STE C3 843-470-9027…BEAUFORT
GREAT AMERICAN JEWELERS 7201 TWO NOTCH ROAD 803-419-4415…COLUMBIA
GUANAJUATOS SUPER MARKET 205 CHESNEE HWY 864-902-8316…GAFFNEY
GUEST 24/7 CITGO
2901 EAST MAIN STREET 864-579-4554…SPARTANBURG
HARRISON’S LIQUOR
6010 N KINGS HWY 843-449-5553…MYRTLE BEACH
HAVEN NAILS 1136 HUNGRY NECK BLVD 843-800-5021…MT. PLEASANT
JENNIFER KNIGHT-HAPPY DOG
1008 OLD HWY 52 843-998-4905…MONCKS CORNER
JIN JIN
3208 E PALMETTO STREET 843-667-5177…FLORENCE
KT ENTERPRISE LLC
5023 RIVERS AVENUE 843-744-6843…NORTH CHARLESTON
KING’S EXPRESS 2011 S IRBY STREET 843-413-9192…FLORENCE
KOBE ASIAN BISTRO 484 N HWY 52, STE 112 843-761-3775…MONCKS CORNER
KWIK MART 2350 PEACH ORCHARD 803-499-9408…SUMTER
LOW COUNTRY AUTO SALES 3322 LADSON ROAD 843-863-8766…LADSON
LUIS QUINTRO JEWELRY 95 MATHEWS DRIVE STE E9 843-298-2244…HILTON HEAD
MAGIC NAILS 5421 DICK POND ROAD 843-600-1149…MYRTLE BEACH
MARATHON 1208 BYPASS 72 NE 630-440-4729…GREENWOOD
MING’S BUFFET 137 DEKALB 803-713-0203…CAMDEN
OLD POST STORE 1124 CHESNEE HWY 864-489-6252…GAFFNEY
TAQUERIA ROCIO 7715 W MAIN STREET 843-505-2342…ROCIO
TENAMPA MEXICAN RESTAURANT 40 PUBLIC SQUARE 843-944-5052…DARLINGTON
THAI EAST FUSION 5070 INTERNATIONAL BLVD 843-732-4371…NORTH CHARLESTON
TIFFANY NAILS 1170 BASKETWEAVE DRIVE 843-388-5924…MT. PLEASANT
Business Directory
I n addition to the advertisers who have display and directory space in this issue, these merchants and firms are cooperating to make this magazine a successful and valuable publication.
