10 Point Plan

Greg Kitchens’ Ten Point Plan to Transform The CCSO into the Finest Agency in the State.

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My plan to transform the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office into the finest law enforcement agency in our State is founded on leadership, common sense, and strong connections with the communities we serve. These are large concepts and must remain our core values throughout my tenure as your Sheriff.

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It was not easy, but I felt a need to break down some of the ways we will reach and maintain our goals and become the agency where our dedicated public servants are proud to go to work and you, the citizens, are rightfully proud of your Sheriff’s Office. I narrowed it down to these ten points, but there are many other good ideas in the works already.

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1. Leadership Transformation: Sound leadership is essential at every level, not just at the top. The current Sheriff’s Office is typical of most agencies in that low morale and weak leadership seem to be the norm (even though they clearly have scores of good people working there). This is in vast contrast to what I learned and experienced in The United States Marine Corps - a service known and respected worldwide for excellence in leadership and teamwork. To be promoted to any rank in my Sheriff’s Office one must first demonstrate  leadership potential, integrity, and competency. All promotions will be followed by leadership training appropriate to the rank (surprisingly, leadership training rarely happens in most law enforcement agencies). My leaders will be expected to take care of our deputies and develop teamwork so we can serve the public well and safely. Lazy, toxic, and self-serving rank holders will not last long in my Sheriff’s Office. A positive, proactive mindset and and good training will make the difference. This is a proven fact and I am excited about getting started.

2. Fully staffed (to the point of having to turn away qualified applicants): Once we establish sound leadership practices throughout the ranks and build a reputation for agency excellence, top-quality people will want to join our ranks. Winners always want to be a part of the BEST teams. An understaffed agency can do little more than follow crime around and make out reports about it. This is completely unacceptable. While even our smallest police departments within Charleston County struggle to recruit and keep people, nearby agencies such as the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office and the Summerville PD are fully staffed. These agencies actually pay less than many nearby understaffed agencies yet good people want to work there anyway because they are well-led. Leadership matters. Excellence, teamwork, and professionalism are the only acceptable standards in my book. Higher standards bring in better people in larger numbers. The rank and file deputies perform better when they know the man at the top cares about them and wants them to go out and make a difference.

3. Team with communities and work to find solutions: When we partner with community leaders and charities throughout the county we understand our resources better and can find solutions to bring up the quality of life for all of our citizens. I will not have our Deputies merely driving around and answering calls. Spending time getting to know our citizens and helping with their concerns whenever possible needs to become part of their routines. Our citizens will also get to know them and we all become stronger. 

4. Team with other LE Agencies to find and arrest criminals: There are seven cities with Police Departments inside Charleston County and as many smaller police agencies working for colleges, the airport, and various other entities. There are also State and Federal agencies and very often none of these agencies adequately communicate to fight crime. As Sheriff, I will host regular meetings for representatives of all these agencies so that we can chart and identify trends in crime and talk through solutions. This is a crime reduction method that has worked brilliantly for much larger crime-infested cities in the past. I do not intend to wait until crime is out of hand to implement high levels of communication and cooperation between agencies in order to reduce crime throughout Charleston County. The time is now.

5. Fix the Jail!: The Al Cannon Detention Center can be made much better. We must break the toxic environment of the jail and replace it with positive leadership and direction. The drug problem is so bad in the jail that multiple people have overdosed and died there. THIS WILL STOP. I intend to have a better counseling program to refer those released on bond to various local agencies that may help them to get their lives in better order, as well as to make sure they understand the bond process and the court system they are facing. Leadership and training are paramount to fixing the jail problem and providing our Detention Officers with a place they are proud to work. Lastly, we must get Federal help available to identify those arrested who are illegally in the United States. This is a program your current Sheriff banned from the jail immediately upon taking office in order to appease the ACLU that helped to get her elected.

6. Build a Sound Volunteer Plan: I have already begun planning for a Cold Case Squad with qualified retired volunteers. We have many retired detectives from multiple prestigious agencies who have tons of experience they would like to use just to help out. We have a reserve deputy program that can be expanded if properly managed. We have concerned citizens who can counsel our youth detainees with proper vetting and help reduce recidivism. Perhaps we can develop a volunteer program to increase school safety as well. MANY good opportunities with the right vision and leadership.

7. Fight Frauds and Scams Locally: Americans were scammed or cheated out of billions of dollars last year and the percentages are climbing. I intend to hire a few tech-savvy civilians to follow and track the various frauds and scams plaguing our citizens. Our elderly citizens are particular vulnerable and the more information we can disseminate the less likely we are to fall victim. I intend to have daily alerts and a scam hotline set up to help : “Alexa, play the Charleston County Sheriff’s Scam Tip of the Day”.

8. Fight the illegal drug epidemic on every front: We had 239 drug overdose deaths last year (2023) just inside Charleston County. Count in the drug related violence and shattered lives connected to illegal drug trafficking and abuse and the damage is truly immeasurable. I have long believed that the drug problem cannot be solved by just a law enforcement effort but only through addressing it head-on from every angle. We need to educate, reform, treat, and encourage through our schools, charities, government programs, and families. We also need to arrest, jail and prosecute drug criminals at every level from the users to the kingpins. As your Sheriff, I intend to work with everyone and use all our resources to combat this epidemic on all fronts and as a team. 

9. Training: My Deputies will know and protect your constitutional rights. They will be skilled in the use of their weapons, vehicles, and equipment. They will focus on solutions to the problems that degrade our quality of life. Solid and innovative training will be a huge part of bringing this Sheriff’s Office into a high state of excellence and readiness.

10. Human Trafficking: This is a complex and horrible network that our society and law enforcement are just beginning to understand. Our deputies must be well trained to recognize and respond to the victims and to properly identify and build cases against traffickers. We must also work on understanding and accessing the range of resources available for the victims and the role of technology in investigations. We must look for innovative ways to make a difference.