The 2012 SCSCRA Convention was held in Lexington, SC. The theme for the convention was Cruise-A-Palooza, three days of fun, food, friends, and continuing education classes!

Sheriff James Metts and Deputy Brian Hinz, along with his K-9 partner, were there to welcome us Wednesday morning. Immediately following, we had our mandatory meeting with Court Administration. Then we were off and running!

Our continuing education seminars focused on dealing with work stress, both in and out of the courthouse.
Inside the courtroom:
-- Courtroom safety (complete with stun guns, stun belts, handcuffs, and more!)
-- Software updates, improving real-time recognition-- ER and digital audio recording from a national perspective-- A half-day health and wellness fair (for help in getting through "those days.")

Outside the courtroom:
-- Concealed Weapons Permit class and personal safety
-- Long-term financial planning
-- Managing digital storage and retrieval
-- Punctuation and grammar reviews
-- 10-minute massages
-- relaxation-on-the go instruction

For this year's charity, we chose to donate protective vests for the K-9 units in Lexington and Richland Counties. Many of you will remember that Richland County lost Fargo, one of its K-9 deputies, in the line of duty last December. We took up a collection at the convention in honor of him. (Follow the link to his story: www.wistv.com/story/16358115/k9-deputy-fargo-memorial-service-announced.)

Thursday night, we sat sail aboard the Southern Patriot! We cruised for an evening of dinner, music, dancing, and enjoyed the sunset view of the famed Purple Martins flocking to their favorite nesting spot on a tiny island in Lake Murray.

We left feeling safer, healthier, and more excited about our profession!

2012 SCSCRA Convention
Lexington, SC

August 22 - 24, 2012