RCSD Stories

June 1st, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. The July 4 event honors fallen Soldier and RCSD Deputy Ryan Rawl Registration is open for the 14th-annual RYAN RAWL MEMORIAL WORKOUT to be held Saturday, July 4, on the grounds of the S.C. State House in Columbia. Hosted and facilitated by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD), the Independence Day event begins at 8:00 a.m. sharp and as in previous years will feature station-to-station runn

May 15th, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Late June-early July fitness event will celebrate America’s 250th birthday The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) is celebrating America’s 250th birthday with RCSD’s 250-LBS BENCH PRESS CHALLENGE: Either for one-repetition or multiple reps: The six-day event beginning June 28 and ending July 3. At a minimum, the participant must complete one repetition of 250 lbs. on the bench press. Multiple repetitions are encouraged with numb

May 12th, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Sheriff Lott: “We will never forget those we’ve lost, nor their loved ones” S.C. Senate President Thomas Alexander and Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott prior to a memorial service in front of the law enforcement memorial on S.C. State House grounds, May 6, 2026 Throngs of law enforcement officers (including sheriffs and police chiefs), state legislators, S.C. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette, Attorney General Alan Wilson, and a class o

April 3rd, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Three real incidents show how South Carolina deputies made split-second decisions to save lives — moments the public rarely sees Master Deputy Geoffrey Kendall, Corporal Avery Arrington and Master Deputy Monica Parker of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, whose quick actions in separate incidents helped save lives. In my near-10 years with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) in Columbia, South Carolina, I’ve learned a

March 23rd, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Media Personality Curtis Wilson honored with Order of the Palmetto Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) Deputy Curtis Wilson, an anchor and law-enforcement analyst for On Patrol: LIVE and news anchor for ABC Columbia (WOLO-TV), recently received the Order of the Palmetto, South Carolina’s highest award, during a special ceremony hosted by S.C. Representative Kambrell Garvin. Presented February 19, the award recognized Wilson’s l

March 16th, 2026 By: W. Thomas Smith Jr. Award is the namesake of 2021 National Sheriff of the Year Leon Lott Pictured (L-R) Sheriff Bill Waybourn and Sheriff Leon Lott The S.C. Black Belt Hall of Fame (SCBBHOF) presented Tarrant County (Texas) Sheriff Bill E. Waybourn with the prestigious LEON LOTT – FIRST THROUGH THE DOOR AWARD during an awards dinner held in Arlington, Texas, Friday evening March 6, 2026. The award, named after Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott, is part of