The board that oversees the state's Criminal Justice Academy voted unanimously last week to mandate the screening for all aspiring officers. Starting Jan. 1, all law enforcement agencies' potential new hires must bring proof of the testing to enroll for training.
"In the environment we're policing in today, with the scrutiny of law enforcement, obviously this is more important than ever," said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel, chairman of the Law Enforcement Training Council.
Psychological screening is already a standard part of the hiring process for the 59 agencies in South Carolina that are either state or nationally accredited, said the academy's director, Jackie Swindler. But there are nearly 300 law enforcement agencies statewide.
Lawmakers provided $550,400 for the tests in the budget that took effect July 1, as the council requested.
That will be used to reimburse agencies, up to $300 per screening, Swindler said.
