ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Leroy Ravenell was officially sworn in for his fourth term as sheriff of Orangeburg County on Monday, making him the longest-standing sheriff in the county's history with 14 years of service.
The ceremony took place in front of a crowd of community members who gathered to witness the occasion.
"Honestly, I just want to protect the village that nurtured me and raised me from when I was little, and I feel like that’s my way of giving back," said Clifton Yates, a deputy sheriff, who was sworn in for the first time. "An accident I was involved in 2021, and the first person that actually arrived was Sheriff Ravenell, and he took care of the scene. He made sure everybody was safe, he called for EMS for everybody, and I wanted to make that kind of change for everybody else that I encountered."
Ravenell, who has spent much of his career addressing crime in the county, noted the collaborative efforts between his office and other entities to reduce crime rates.
“Crime is all over this country, I know because I serve on committees representing the State of South Carolina all over this country, so you know everybody has crime, but I think we are working things and crime is going down in certain cases,” Ravenell said.
Ravenell, however, acknowledged there is still work to be done.
“Through every election, I think the people spoke volumes of our work, but you know then I look at the other side also that during election time, even this past election, everybody didn’t vote for Leroy Ravenell. So, we also have to try to satisfy those people because my job, just like the slides say, my motto is to be firm, fair, and consistent, and that is what I try to do,” Ravenell said.
Ravenell was first elected sheriff in 2011.
