City of Charleston Police Department

In the early colonial period, police protection for the citizens of Charleston was performed by the Town Watch, a paramilitary unit. After incorporation in 1783, Charleston formally established the City Guard, another paramilitary force. The City Guard helped suppress the 1822 Vesey slave rebellion.[2] From 1846–1855, the City Guard was reorganized several times and finally emerged in 1856 as a uniformed police force under the administration of Mayor William Porcher Miles.

The Guard was armed with swords and pistols. It enforced a nine o'clock curfew for African-American residents of the city. Based at the "Guard House" at the corner of Broad and Meeting Streets, the force flogged those out after hours.[2]

Prior to the close of the Civil War, martial law was enacted in Charleston, and the city police force disbanded. Civil police forces were revived and reorganized, however, in 1865 following the election of P. C. Gaillard. These forces served as a counterpoint to the federal authorities until the end of martial law in 1877.

The election of Mayor W. W. Sale that same year marked the introduction of a city police organizational system of officers and men, divided between the main station and the upper station, a system that was continued by succeeding administrations.

On 7 February 1888 a new station was opened at the corner of southeast King and Hutson Streets. In 1895 the State of South Carolina authorities established a metropolitan police and seized control of the organization from January 1896 to 30 September 1897, at which time control was returned to the city. In 1907 a large, modern facility was erected at the northwest corner of Vanderhorst and St. Philip Streets. The police department remained at this location until 1974, at which time they moved to their current location on Lockwood Boulevard.

The department's operational units include the following:

• Uniform Patrol Division
• Homicide investigations
• Special Victims Unit
• Central Investigations Division
• Traffic Unit
• Harbor Patrol
• Canine Unit
• Special-Activated Units, including the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, the Crisis Negotiation Team, the Explosive Devices Team, the Underwater Recovery Team, the Civil Disturbance Unit, the Disaster Response Team, and the Honor Guard
• Forensics Services Division, including the Crime Scene Unit, a Fingerprint Lab, a Crime Lab, a Photo Lab, a Digital Evidence Unit, and a Polygraph Examiner
• Computer Crime Unit
• Victims Services Unit
• Animal Services
• Motor Bike Unit
• Community Actions Team to help bond with the public
• Community Services Officer (CSO) Unit, composed of uniformed volunteers who assist the department with various non-enforcement duties, but is slowly falling apart with outdated and old vehicles, also lack of response from administration.

The department manages and maintains its own fleet of vehicles, with ASE-certified mechanics operating an on-site garage. The department also operates a radio shop that programs and maintains the department's radio network and emergency vehicle equipment.

The Charleston Police Department's primary vehicle is the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and is gradually being replaced by the new Taurus based Ford Police Interceptor. The marked patrol fleet is augmented with the police version of the Dodge Charger, the Chevrolet Impala with the police package, and the new Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle. The Traffic unit uses Ford Interceptors and Chargers, as well as Ford Mustangs and Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycles. Black and white is traditional in this department but is slowly being replaced by all black interceptors. CPD is also gradually bring ford explorers into their department.

The department employs a wide variety of unmarked vehicles for officers assigned to administrative, investigative, patrol, special operations, and undercover assignments. Vehicles used are a mixture of Chevrolet Tahoes, Ford Crown Victorias, Ford 350’s, Ford Explorers, Chevy Impalas, and Ford Fusions.

Units serving in the peninsula of Charleston also use Trek police mountain bikes, T3 Motion electric vehicles, and Segway personal transporters.

The Charleston Police Department has several stations.

• Chief John Conroy Law Enforcement Center - CPD's headquarters and the Communications Center for several city Emergency Services, excluding the Charleston Fire Department (CFD). The Chief Reuben M. Greenberg Municipal Complex, located adjacent to the Chief Conroy building, houses the city's courthouse, the Municipal Court operations offices, the Department of Traffic and Transportation, and a Department of Motor Vehicles office.
• Team 1 Office on Meeting Street
• Team 2/ Team 9 Office on George Street
• Team 3 Office on Wappoo Creek Drive
• Johns Island Office at the CFD station on Bohicket Road
• Team 4 Office on Mary Ader Ave.
• Team 5 Office at the CFD station on Seven Farms Drive
• Team 7 Office (Traffic Division) on Brigade Street
• Crime Prevention Office in the Citadel Mall on Sam Rittenberg Boulevard
• Numerous other facilities and offices throughout the community

The headquarters building is the only CPD facility that is staffed 24 hours per day; all others serve as substations and/or business offices.

The Charleston Police Department also has authority over the:

• Temporary Holding Facility (the modern City Jail was closed in 2007)
• Police memorial at Brittlebank Park (across Lockwood Boulevard from the Chief Greenberg Complex)

Title	Insignia
Chief of Police
Deputy Chief
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Master Police Officer	(colors inaccurate)
Senior Police Officer
Police Officer
Probationary Police Officer

Charleston Police Department chevrons are royal blue on a black background. Non-commissioned officers also wear one royal blue-on-black hash mark on their lower left sleeves for every four years of service to the department.

The design of an officer's badge also changes by rank. Officer to Master Police Officer includes an all silver badge. Sergeant included a silver badge with a colored inside. Lieutenant Includes an all gold badge. Captain to Chief of Police includes an all gold badge with colored inside. Detectives as well have gold and colored in badges. Also Lieutenant to Chief of Police have dark striped pants when Sergeant to Officer has royal blue striped pants.

The titles "Detective" and "Investigator" are based on assignment only. Detectives are assigned to the Central Investigations Division and wear gold badges. Investigators are officers whose primary responsibilities include the investigation of criminal offenses, but who are not assigned to Central.

The position of Patrol Training Officer, or PTO, is bestowed upon experienced officers in the Uniform Patrol Division whose responsibilities include the training and evaluation of new officers upon their graduation from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. The PTO designation is displayed on a pin worn above the officer's name tag. The position of PTO was formerly known as Field Training Officer, or FTO.

The ranks of Probationary Police Officer and Police Officer were formerly known as Private. The rank of Senior Police Officer was formerly known as Private First Class. The rank of Master Police Officer was formerly known as Corporal. While the Charleston Police Department is currently phasing these ranks out in favor of the new command structure, some officers will continue to wear the old rank until they are promoted.

• CALEA Accreditation with Excellence July, 2011
• CALEA Meritorious Accreditation July, 2011

• Official website