The Training Officer for the Simpsonville Police Department is Lieutenant Colleen O’Neil.

She has been a certified Police Officer in SC since 1988 and was certified as a Police Instructor in 1991. There are also other Officers that hold Police Instructor certifications within the department: Chief Charles Reece, Sgt. Fred Foreman, Cpl. Aaron Edwards, Ptl. Paul Chambers, Cpl. Ernie Byrd and Ptl. Mike Thomas.

These Instructors are able to provide all required training courses and many advanced courses for the Officers. However, we sometimes send Officers to advanced training provided by the SC Criminal Justice Academy, other Law Enforcement Agencies, local Technical Colleges and sometimes Private Vendors. It is the goal of this Department and of the Training Division to provide skillful and knowledgeable Officers that are prepared to serve you.

Many people own firearms and have them in their home. Whether these firearms are used for hunting, target shooting or home defense it is extremely important to handle and store them safely.

Most firearm accidents occur in the home.  Please make sure that only responsible competent people have access to the ones stored in your home.  We realize that there is no one set of rules that can cover every situation.  However, if you will make it a practice to follow these guidelines, you can prevent most accidents:

• Always – No Matter What – Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
• Take a firearms safety class and teach responsible household members how to properly handle firearms.
• Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction even if you think it is unloaded. Always double check the chamber before cleaning.
• Keep your finger OFF of the Trigger unless you are prepared to fire the gun.
• "Unloaded" guns tend to go off - sometimes killing people.  Be sure all guns are unloaded and that you have double checked this before cleaning them.  Even if you are sure the gun is unloaded keep it pointed in a safe direction.
• Teach your children to get an adult if they find a gun – Even if they THINK it is a toy.
• NEVER EVER – leave a loaded gun unattended – not even for a minute - with an inexperienced person or a child.  Store guns in a secure location and unload them prior to storage.
• Read the manufacturers safety manual before operating the gun.  If you do not have a manual contact the manufacturer and request one.

Never handle unfamiliar firearms.  When purchasing a new gun read the manual before operating it.  If a gun is found contact your local police department - DO NOT HANDLE the gun.