By W. Thomas Smith Jr. Forty-eight hours prior to Hurricane Florence’s projected thrust into central South Carolina, the Richland County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Dept. (RCSD) was already manning RCSD’s command post and deploying disaster “strike teams” to the various regions of the county….
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. COLUMBIA, S.C. – A report of “active shooter” at a local elementary school kicked off a major active-shooter response exercise for the Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. (RCSD), earlier today, with scores of RCSD deputies and other officers…
Fitness event honoring fallen soldier precedes July 4th celebrations in Palmetto State By W. Thomas Smith Jr. COLUMBIA, S.C. – Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Deputy and S.C. Army National Guard (SCARNG) officer Ryan Rawl will “never be forgotten,” says Richland County…
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. COLUMBIA, S.C. – Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott was one of four honorees inducted into the Fort Jackson Hall of Fame during ceremonies and a luncheon hosted by Maj. Gen. John P. Johnson, commanding general of Fort…
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott [pictured above] was the featured guest of EXPERIENCE MATTERS, a new CRTV television program hosted by Drew Berquist of the OpsLens Media Group. In a pre-recorded interview segment,…
By W. Thomas Smith Jr. FORT JACKSON, S.C. – This week, 117 SWAT-trained law enforcement officers from 21 separate police departments and sheriff’s offices across S.C. are participating in the third annual S.C. SWAT Summit, a joint training effort facilitated by the…
Five questions for RCSD’s Elder Abuse Awareness Team director W. Thomas Smith Jr. By Chris Carter Writer, editor, and military analyst W. Thomas Smith Jr. [pictured above] has long-been recognized as an expert in infantry combat, special operations, and counterterrorism. But his…
The man behind the mic By W. Thomas Smith Jr. IF YOU ARE A FAN OF GAMECOCK BASKETBALL, especially if you have regularly attended University of South Carolina home games at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, you’ve no doubt heard the mellifluous…
By SHERIFF LEON LOTT The world has changed. Nowhere is this more evident than in this modern culture which has given rise to mass-shootings like the recent horrific attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. As is always predictable,…
ARMY VETERAN OVERSEES MEDIA FOR ONE OF S.C.’s LARGEST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES By W. Thomas Smith Jr. COLUMBIA, S.C. – Newly promoted Captain Maria Yturria, Richland County Sheriff’s Dept. (RCSD), has been named director of the RCSD’s office of public information. She…
