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Dillon County approves jail and animal shelter transfers to sheriff's office; 911 transfer fails
Summary
Council voted to transfer control of the county jail and animal shelter to the sheriff's office; an ordinance to transfer the 911 system received no motion and died. Sheriff Jamie Hamilton said the jail transfer will take effect July 1, 2025.
The Dillon County Council voted June 25 to transfer custody of the county detention center and the county animal shelter to the Dillon County Sheriff's Office, while a separate proposal to transfer the county's 911 communications center failed for lack of a motion.
Kenny Cook Jr. moved to adopt Ordinance No. 25-07 on third reading to transfer custody and control of the Dillon County Detention Center from the sheriff's office to Dillon County; Brad Coward seconded. The motion passed 6-1, with Councilwoman Detrice Dawkins recorded as opposed.
Dennis Townsend moved to adopt Ordinance No. 25-09 to transfer custody of the county animal shelter to the sheriff's office; the motion, seconded by Brad Coward, passed unanimously.
Ordinance No. 25-08, which would have transferred custody and control of the Dillon County public safety communications center (the 911 system) from the county to the sheriff's office, received no motion and therefore did not advance.
Sheriff Jamie Hamilton addressed meeting attendees after the votes, thanking the public and saying he, the county administrator and the county attorney had been working on the transfers for months and had received confirmation from the SC Criminal Justice Academy. "The transfer will take effect on July 1, 2025," Hamilton said.
The meeting record does not detail the operational steps required after the transfers; administration and sheriff's office staff are expected to coordinate implementation.
