18-year-old joins S.C. sheriff’s office as youngest detention deputy hire in its history
Last year, a bill was signed into law to lower the minimum age for detention deputies from 21 to 18
By Sarah Calams
Police1
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — An 18-year-old has joined the Spartanburg County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office, making him the youngest detention deputy hired in agency history.
Last year, a bill was signed into law to lower the minimum age for detention deputies from 21 to 18, WSPA.com reported. Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Tony Soddu said it was a welcome change: “It allows them to work in a controlled atmosphere to kind of see what we do day to day.”
Soddu said the agency’s latest recruit, 18-year-old Dylan Patterson, is “pioneering the program” for the department. “He said within three to five years he would like to be a patrol deputy. This is going to give him a good feel to some people we encounter, how we work, how to wear the uniform, how to carry himself and how to deal with people on a day-to-day basis.”
Per department policy, Patterson – and any other detention deputies under the age of 21 – must be accompanied by certified officers who are over 21 at all times.
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