The Director of Public Safety serves as the College's chief public safety officer and senior law enforcement executive. This position provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for law enforcement, emergency management, business continuity, Clery compliance, risk reduction, security technology, emergency communications, and physical security across all College campuses and locations. The Director fosters a student-centered, service-oriented culture while ensuring the safety and security of students, employees, visitors, property, and institutional operations.
Key responsibilities include:
Provide executive leadership and oversight for all public safety operations, including law enforcement services, emergency communications, physical security, investigations, crime prevention, special event security, and protection of College personnel and property.
Lead the recruitment, development, supervision, and accountability of sworn and non-sworn public safety personnel while promoting professionalism, ethical conduct, customer service, community engagement, and operational excellence.
Develop and administer departmental budgets, purchasing activities, contracts, equipment programs, staffing plans, performance metrics, policies, procedures, and strategic initiatives in compliance with College and state requirements.
Direct law enforcement and public safety operations, including patrol services, investigations, emergency response, evidence management, traffic and parking safety, crime prevention initiatives, and campus safety programs.
Provide leadership for emergency management, disaster preparedness, business continuity, crisis response, and institutional resilience planning. Coordinate the College's preparedness, response, recovery, and continuity efforts for severe weather, active threats, public health emergencies, technology disruptions, and other critical incidents.
Serve as the College's lead authority for Clery compliance and related public safety reporting requirements. Oversee crime statistics collection, emergency notifications, timely warnings, annual reporting, compliance monitoring, risk assessments, and law enforcement reporting requirements.
Direct the planning, implementation, maintenance, and lifecycle management of campus security technologies, including video surveillance, access control systems, emergency notification platforms, intrusion detection systems, dispatch systems, emergency phones, and related infrastructure.
Build and maintain collaborative relationships with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, emergency management organizations, community partners, and College stakeholders. Coordinate joint planning, training, mutual aid agreements, and emergency response activities.
Advise executive leadership on public safety, security, emergency management, institutional risk, regulatory compliance, and emerging threats. Prepare executive briefings, strategic plans, performance reports, and recommendations that support informed decision-making.
Collaborate with Facilities, Information Technology, Construction and Engineering, and other departments to incorporate security, emergency access, life safety, and crime prevention principles into campus planning, construction, renovation, and capital improvement projects.
Perform other duties as assigned.
This position requires a bachelor's degree and experience supervising law enforcement personnel within a public law enforcement agency. Certification by the South Carolina Department of Public Safety in accordance with Section 23-23-40 of the South Carolina Code of Laws is also required.
Master's degree in criminal justice, public administration, emergency management, security management, or a related field.
Progressive command-level leadership experience in law enforcement, public safety, campus safety, or emergency management operations.
Experience leading public safety operations within a higher education or multi-campus environment.
Knowledge of Clery Act requirements, emergency management principles, business continuity planning, risk management, and public safety compliance programs.
Experience overseeing security technology systems, emergency communications, physical security infrastructure, and public safety operations.
Experience developing budgets, managing contracts, overseeing purchasing activities, and administering complex organizational resources.
Demonstrated ability to lead organizational change, develop strategic initiatives, and manage complex public safety programs.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership, public officials, law enforcement agencies, and community stakeholders.
Knowledge of federal and state laws, regulations, and professional standards related to public safety, law enforcement, emergency management, and higher education environments
This position is designated as essential personnel and includes emergency call-back responsibilities. The successful candidate must be available to respond to emergencies and remain on campus for extended periods during hurricanes, severe weather events, and other disasters. The position may require rotational support across campuses, irregular work hours, and availability outside normal business operations to support critical public safety functions.
