Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office receives budget increase

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Berkeley County Council approved the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) fiscal year 2023-24 budget Monday, greenlighting a pay bump for BCSO employees.

According to BCSO, the increased budget was requested after a pay study revealed the need for a 5% cost of living adjustment, which will go into effect July 1.

All sworn employees, non-sworn employees, and administrative staff will receive pay increases. The starting pay for deputies will go from $46,571.22 to $50,063.63.

Sheriff Duane Lewis said that he hopes competitive pay will increase hiring and retention.

“With these improvements, my goal is to hire more deputies to serve and be more proactive in our community,” Sheriff Lewis said.

Berkeley County Supervisor, Johnny Cribb, said “at a time when recruitment and retention are major concerns in law enforcement, providing the Sheriff’s Office the resources they need to protect and serve our county is critical and will remain a high priority of County Council.”