Sheriff’s office reports gang-unit gains, proposes new apprehension unit; SRO grant would add officers at three middle schools

Horry County law-enforcement leaders told the Public Safety Committee on Aug. 12 that the county’s newly expanded gang unit is identifying suspects and removing firearms from the community and that they plan to request additional budget support for a proposed apprehension unit.

The chief presenting the update compared 2024 activity — when the department had a single dedicated detective — to current 2025 casework and cited arrests and fugitive arrests as indicators of progress. The chief highlighted firearm seizures tied to violent crime and said the work has resulted in "getting a lot of guns off the street." The chief said the department will propose a "future of apprehension" unit in the coming budget to augment the gang unit’s investigative capacity.

The chief also reported submission of a School Resource Officer (SRO) grant that would continue full funding for SROs at seven high schools and add officers at three middle schools: North Myrtle Beach Middle School, Blackwater Middle School and Saint James Middle School. Officers are already being placed at the schools and acclimating, the chief said; committee members discussed whether the county should set aside local funds if the grant is not permanent.

Behavioral-services staff said they are partnering with the SRO program to add mental-health supports and juvenile-prevention services in schools; members referenced regional treatment capacity, including a newly mentioned Leatherman Mental Health Center in Florence, and emphasized ongoing needs for local resources.

What happens next: The sheriff’s office will include the proposed apprehension unit in the upcoming budget proposal and staff will monitor SRO grant outcomes and discuss longer-term funding options if federal/state grant support ends.