A house RESOLUTION

TO CONGRATULATE AND HONOR AIKEN COUNTY SHERIFF MICHAEL E. HUNT, SR., FOR FORTY-TWO YEARS OF DISTINGUISHED SERVICE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TO EXPRESS DEEP GRATITUDE FOR THAT SACRIFICIAL SERVICE.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to salute the exceptional service of Aiken County Sheriff Michael E. Hunt, Sr., who for many years consistently has proven to be a worthy role model to every law enforcement officer in this great State; and

Whereas, his law enforcement career spans more than four decades. Encouraged by his father and others to dedicate his life to serving the community, the young Mike Hunt began his public safety career as a firefighter in Richmond County, Georgia. He next became a corrections officer at the Aiken County Detention Center and then a public safety officer with the North Augusta Department of Public Safety. In 1985, he joined the Aiken Department of Public Safety; and

Whereas, prior to joining the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, Michael Hunt headed up the Special Services Bureau as a lieutenant with the Aiken Department of Public Safety, where in 2001 he received the Strom Thurmond Award for Excellence in Law Enforcement; and

Whereas, Michael E. Hunt, Sr., became the eighteenth sheriff of Aiken County in May 2003 during a special election. A year later, he ran unopposed to win his first full term, an accomplishment not seen in Aiken County for more than forty years. To date, he has served as Aiken County sheriff for twenty-one years; and

Whereas, since taking office, he has restructured the agency, and putting more deputies on the street has resulted in a drastically improved response to citizens' calls for service. In addition, Sheriff Hunt demonstrated his "hands-on" management style during the January 2005 train derailment and chemical spill in Graniteville. Governor Mark Sanford, recognizing the sheriff's extraordinary leadership, presented him with the Order of the Silver Crescent, which awards exemplary community contributions and achievements. In 2006, Sheriff Hunt was voted South Carolina's Sheriff of the Year by the members of the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association. He was elected president of the organization in 2016; and

Whereas, additional accolades received by Sheriff Hunt demonstrating his leadership and the respect of his peers include the Palmetto Patriot Award in 2011, bestowed by the Lieutenant Governor's Office for his commitment to public service within South Carolina and the community, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022; and

Whereas, this 1979 graduate of Langley-Bath-Clearwater High School also graduated from the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in 1983; and

Whereas, grateful for his impressive work on behalf of the citizens of the Palmetto State, the House takes great pleasure in applauding Aiken County Sheriff Michael E. Hunt, Sr., and in wishing him much continued success in all his future endeavors. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, congratulate and honor Aiken County Sheriff Michael E. Hunt, Sr., for forty-two years of distinguished service in law enforcement and express deep gratitude for that sacrificial service.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Sheriff Michael E. Hunt, Sr.

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