Berkeley County civil service commission moves to remove law‑enforcement bonus points and require physical agility testing for previously certified officers

The Berkeley County Deputy Sheriff Civil Service Commission on March 18 discussed a legal opinion concluding that the commission likely lacks statutory authority to award a flat five‑point bonus to applicants with prior law‑enforcement experience. Commissioners agreed to temporarily remove the five‑point law‑enforcement bonus from the rules pending development of a legally defensible, multi‑factor evaluation framework and to have Commissioner Wilson draft an addendum for a future meeting.

Commissioners also debated whether previously or currently certified law‑enforcement applicants should be exempt from the open‑entry physical agility test. Sheriff Rob Blair stated his position that all applicants should demonstrate the same physical fitness standards. Commissioner D. Scott Wilson moved, and Commissioner Stephen J. Vigh seconded, that previously certified law‑enforcement applicants be required to take the physical agility test; the motion passed unanimously.

The legal opinion (provided to the commission and dated March 2, 2026) was prepared by attorney Patrick G. Henry III and is part of the commission record. The memo concluded the current regulation granting an extra five points is likely vulnerable because it is undefined, could convert failing written scores to passing scores, and is not embedded in a broader, structured multi‑factor rubric. The commission discussed preserving military veteran preferences while removing the separate law‑enforcement bonus until a new framework can be adopted.

The commission left both items open for formalization: an addendum to remove the five‑point bonus and an addendum to confirm the physical‑agility testing requirement. No changes to the rules were finalized at the meeting; the minutes record that the items will be revisited once Commissioner Wilson prepares the addenda and the commission considers them.