South Carolina May Prohibit Untrained Police Recruits from Patrolling Alone

Legislation in the South Carolina house of representatives could prohibit law enforcement agencies from sending officers who have not attended the academy out on patrol alone.

Currently, officers with no prior training can patrol by themselves in their first year on the job. This policy has been around for decades because of the long wait times for academy training and the need for officers in some small towns.

The proposal is in response to the killing of a recruit who was patrolling near Florence International Airport last month. It would only allow an officer without the certification earned through 12 weeks of academy training to patrol or arrest someone if they are with a certified officer, WSOC reports.

Officer Jackson Winkeler was untrained, but he pulled over a car and was shot and killed. The  suspect James Bell facing murder and armed robbery charges.