A new year brings a new age of generation to law enforcement. In 2022, South Carolina lawmakers passed a new bill that lowers the minimum age for detention deputies from 21 to 18. This opens up career opportunities for younger generations to begin their career in law enforcement right after high school graduation. With new talent joining our ranks, we also celebrate a lifetime of service and dedication at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department.
New year, new wave of talent. Detention Deputy Brown joins LCSD at the age of 19
With aspirations to be a patrol deputy one day, 19-year-old Landon Brown, is the first teenager to be hired under the new legislation as a detention deputy at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. His hiring marks the start of a new era. It was actually a friend who told Brown about the change in the 2022 legislation and he knew he’d be perfect for the job. The age requirement change meant he could apply, and he was told it was a good environment to learn and build his skill set in before potentially moving to patrol deputy position.
After multiple business interviews right out of high school, Brown felt talked down to and as though the fit wasn’t quite right. At LCSD, Brown immediately felt at home.
“When I went to the interview with LCSD, [they] just kind of asked me who I was and what I like to do in life and how I thought I’d be a good correction officer regardless of my age and if I’d done it before. [They] just talked to me like [they] were talking to good friends and that was the first family moment I had,” Brown said.
Brown is set to soon enroll in the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy for its three-week Basic Detention course.
Lieutenant Novak’s career ladder – seeking and seizing new opportunities
It was at a young age that Lt. Doug Novak was interested in a career in law enforcement, as he had an uncle who was a sheriff in a small town in Nebraska. His parents lived in the Washington, D.C., area and moved to Lexington County in the 1990s. Novak soon followed them to the area when he was 27.
After working in state government for a couple of years, Novak started his career at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in December 1998. Novak began as a detention deputy for two years and graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. After the academy, he worked in the courthouse for a couple of years before his promotion to school resource officer (SRO). He then worked as a property crimes detective in the North Region for three years and was transferred to Major Crimes. Three years later, he was promoted to sergeant over evidence.
“There’s a lot of opportunities for movement in the department, and you have a lot of collateral duties. The training is great here, and it doesn’t hurt that the pay went up again this year,” Novak said.
Novak’s movement within the Sheriff’s Department did not stop after his time in evidence, as he was promoted to lieutenant, serving as the assistant commander of West Region. The support from his co-workers and the community are what have kept him at the Sheriff’s Department for more than two decades.
“The people I work with are pleasant, understanding and family-oriented, and the community is the same way,” Novak said.
As for the future, Novak plans to continue to learn as a lieutenant with the desire to move up to captain. Novak said former supervisors heavily influenced his career advancement at the Sheriff’s Department.
50 years of service, we celebrate Colonel Mel Seboe
At 50 years with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Seboe is the most decorated and longest-serving employee of the department ever. If you ask him, Seboe chalks his decorated life up to God and chance. But if you take a look at his time as a law enforcement officer over the years, it’s clear he’s played a role in his own success.
“I’ve been standing in the right line, at the right time, under the right circumstances and that has been my life,” he said.
Seboe’s willingness to adapt is just part of the reason he’s still wearing a uniform. Aside from his former duties on the bomb unit, he manages the department vehicles and carries the only .44 magnum revolver in the agency. With only 25 years needed in law enforcement to retire, one would think he’s more than ready to stop. But to Seboe, it’s not entirely a job.
“I still think it’s fun to come to work. I guess when they get tired of me or when I get tired of it, yeah, we’ll stop.” he said.
Over the years, he’s experienced upgrades to nearly every tool and technology deputies use. When someone complains of a computer glitch or GPS malfunction, one story from Seboe’s early days without working radios can humble them.
“You had to go to somebody’s place, either a public place or a friend’s place, to find a telephone to call back to headquarters and ask them, ‘Can you find somebody close enough that you can send me some help because I need help going on whatever that call was for,’” Seboe said.
A lifetime of dedication and service made stronger
Here at the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department we take pride in integrity, passion and community focus. As the year 2023 brings on change, we believe this will better our service to our community by welcoming a new generation to the field. Together we stand stronger.
If you have a passion for serving your community, then a career at Lexington County Sheriff’s Department is for you. Feel free to reach out to us through our contact us form if you have any questions about jobs or working for LCSD.