BENNETTSVILLE—A group of Marlboro County High School students took their first steps toward a career in law enforcement as they started a law enforcement class led by the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office.
The students enrolled in the class will have the option to begin employment at the Marlboro County Detention Center when they graduate.
Students were able to sign up for the law enforcement class before Thanksgiving break and they will be able to intern at the Marlboro County Detention Center to see the workings of the system. Once they graduate from high school, they can become employees of the sheriff’s office in the detention center.
“This is big,” said MCHS principal David Johnson. “Anytime you can bring in an initiative that’s going to help improve the high school and the county and give kids proactive things to do and look forward to, I’m all for it. Our kids deserve the best and bringing more and more initiatives in is what we want here at Marlboro County High School. It gives them a chance to see they don’t have to wait, they can get all the training they need right now and when they leave here as an 18, 19 year old they can be ready for the workforce and be successful.”
Acting sheriff Larry McNeil said the MCSO is opening the door to give the students an opportunity for a new career.
“In my years as an administrator, I’ve done a lot of interviews and you hear a lot of young people say this is something I’ve always wanted to do. This opens the door to see if this is exactly what they want to do,” McNeil said. “It’s a good opportunity, it starts a career for them.”
Marlboro County joins North Charleston as one of the school districts in South Carolina that offers classes on law enforcement careers.