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SLED officials brief Forsman criminal justice subcommittee on CWP system, monitoring and constable program
Summary
SLED's Office of Regulatory Services told a House subcommittee it oversees concealed-weapons permits, private security and electronic monitoring certification, citing more than 492,000 active CWP permits and recent system updates to speed processing; members pressed SLED on complaint intake, revocations and liability.
COLUMBIA, S.C. ' Major Douglas Mazique and other officials from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division's (SLED) Office of Regulatory Services briefed the Forsman criminal justice subcommittee on the unit's licensing, enforcement and outreach work and described recent updates to the online concealed-weapons permit (CWP) system.
The presentation, given during the subcommittee's study of SLED, covered the office's responsibilities for CWP permitting and instructor certification, private security and private investigators, the state constable program and the certification and annual audit of electronic monitoring companies. "We take pride in our departments and our community relations department," Major Mazique said, summarizing the office's regulatory and investigative roles.
Why it matters: SLED's regulatory unit oversees a broad set of private and quasi-public actors whose licensing and oversight affect public safety and the consumer experience for permit applicants. Members pressed SLED on whether regulations are up to date, how complaints are processed and how revocations are handled.
Key facts from the presentation: Mazique told the committee that, as of the day before the briefing, SLED recorded "over 492,000" active CWP permits. He said SLED issued about 69,000 permits in calendar 2025 and 17,000 so far this year. For 2025 the office reported roughly 1,400 revocations and, year-to-date, about 445 revocations; denials last year were described as "over 1,056" and 125 year-to-date this year. Lieutenant Kevin Preston said the unit conducted more than 1,000 background investigations, more than 300 inspections and more than 25 criminal investigations in 2025.
On complaint intake and documentation, Preston said SLED accepts phone calls but generally asks complainants to submit written statements to create a record: "We usually ask them to put it in writing," he told the committee. Mazique and Preston said audits look for in-state, brick-and-mortar operations when certifying electronic monitoring companies and that some registrants operating from P.O. boxes have been flagged during audits.
Authority and programs: Preston cited the office's authorizing statute as "40 18 30" when describing security guard qualifications, referenced Article 9, Chapter 73 of S.C. regulations for private investigators and pointed to South Carolina code "17 15 37 a" in describing the electronic monitoring subsection's responsibilities. He said the state constable program operates under executive orders and that the SLED chief advises the governor on appointments and standards.
On arrest powers and liability, Mazique told members that licensed security officers "have the same authority as a deputy sheriff" under state statute for arrests but that transport authority is not included; when misconduct does not rise to a criminal matter, Mazique said civil liability generally falls to the employing company.
System updates and outreach: Captain Kukila Wallace described an updated CWP online system intended to be more user-friendly and to reduce internal processing times. She said SLED is working to consolidate records for constables, security guards and private investigators on a single system, to cross-train employees to decrease processing times and to expand community outreach through career fairs and school visits.
Member questions and follow-up: Members asked whether renewals can be completed online (Mazique: "Yes, you can"), how SLED meets regularly with licensees and industry associations (Preston: the unit maintains an open-door process, attends conferences and offers briefings) and who bears liability for security officer misconduct (Mazique: the employer). The committee asked staff to collect additional information on which regulations are due for update.
Votes at a glance: At the start of the meeting the subcommittee approved the March 24, 2026 minutes on a roll-call vote. Staff recorded Representatives Bailey, Gillum and Chairman Chris Wooten as voting "Aye," Representatives Garvin and Johnson as not present; the motion to approve the minutes was entered as approved by the committee.
The subcommittee concluded after questions and adjourned. Staff said they would follow up with SLED on outstanding regulatory-history items and schedule any additional meetings as needed.
