Who We Are
We are professionals in law enforcement, compliance and professional standards, environmental health and safety, and risk management working diligently — 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — to protect the people and property of the University of South Carolina. Our values — human life, integrity, excellence and accountability — are your assurance of our commitment to provide a safe and secure environment.
Law Enforcement and Safety
The Division of Law Enforcement and Safety is made up of three main bureaus: Operations, Support Services and Administration. The men and women of these bureaus work around the clock to keep our campus safe and secure. The structure of the Division is depicted on an organizational chart, which is updated regularly.
Operations
Operations is the largest and most visible bureau and is responsible for traditional
policing functions. Our patrol officers provide uniformed police presence and respond
to calls for service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Operations also includes the
Training Unit, which provides professional development for all employees.
Support Services
Support Services includes our criminal investigators, crime scene technicians, and
victim advocacy who are responsible for investigating crimes, processing scenes for
evidence, and working with victims.
In addition, it includes Emergency Management, the Security Operations Center, Threat Management Services and the Technical Operations / Physical Security (TOPS) unit. When you dial 911 or the non-emergency line, our Security Operations Center Analysts are the people who take your calls. They provide 24-7 communications, notifications and video and alarm monitoring services. This includes fire and burglar alarms on the over 400 acre USC Columbia campus.
TOPS installs and maintains all alarm systems on campus including burglar, panic and temperature alarms. They also manage an extensive array of more than 2,500 internal and external cameras across the university. Investigators in this unit also offer their security expertise during the planning stages of all construction and building projects.
The emergency management team plans for and responds to natural and other disasters, working with university officials to make sure the campus is protected. The team also collaborates with other university departments during response and recovery. This team is responsible for safety at all university events including concerts, commencement and athletic events.
Administration
The administration team handles vital functions to include:
- Human Resources;
- Supply and Fleet Maintenance;
- Finance;
- Records Management;
- Evidence and Property Control; and
- Information Technology.
Related Departments
The division also includes several safety-related offices.
Environmental Health and Safety
Environmental Health and Safety works to provide comprehensive environmental, health
and safety programs and services to support the university’s mission to educate through
teaching, research, creative activity and service.
Risk Management
The Risk Management office supports the USC Columbia campus, statewide system campuses and other university-associated
entities in identifying, assessing and controlling risks associated with university-related
activities and can assist in purchasing insurance coverage, filing claims, providing
insurance certificates and negotiating or understanding contractual requirements.
Accreditation
The Division of Law Enforcement and Safety holds four active accreditations with three
separate accreditation bodies. Those accreditation bodies are the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA), and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Accreditation (SCLEA). The Division was first accredited by CALEA in 1996 and has consistently maintained
accreditation since 2016. The Division currently maintains two active accreditations
with CALEA for both the Advanced Law Enforcement Accreditation and the Public Safety
Communications Accreditation.