Constables must take this course each year to renew their constable commission. It consists of three hours of legal update, two hours of civil liability and four hours of firearms training and qualification. Constables must score 75 percent or above on the written examination and qualify with their choice of weapons. Books included

Private Investigator Online Certificate Program

TTC's Private Investigator Certificate Program consists of four courses of approximately seven weeks duration each, all online. Upon completion, participants should have the skills to be effective investigators. The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) issues time credits to students who complete this program toward the three-year internship required before investigators can receive business licenses.

Note: A SLED criminal background check is required before employment as a private investigator.

Tuition Support: Tuition for the entire program, including books and materials, costs approximately $1,000 per student. If eligible, you can apply for WIA funds through Trident One-Stop Career Center.

The first two courses, Private Investigation Introduction and Criminal Justice Introduction, will be offered in Fall 2008.

Online access instructions:

1. On the day the course begins, go to http://conedonline.tridenttech.edu/.
2. Click on log in for continuing education students.
3. Follow the directions. 

This course includes an overview of the interpretive function of the court, the growth of common law, the structure and organization of the courts, court processes and procedures involved in criminal and civil cases, and the question of reform for the administration of justice. Topics include special issues involving ethics in investigations and court with specific attention to court testimony and procedure and evidence chain of custody. The role of private investigators in divorce and custody cases in family, general sessions and common pleas court is emphasized.

This course emphasizes the fundamentals of interviewing witnesses and interrogating suspects. Special emphasis is on taking detailed notes and preparing written statements for use in depositions/court. Different methods of conducting crime scene searches and investigating various civil and criminal cases are studied. Other topics include case scenarios and investigative plans. Rules and procedure in the service of process are also included.