The Colleton County Sheriff's Office has added four new officers to the department, all of whom are recent graduates of the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy. Each of these new officers are already assigned to different divisions within the sheriff's office.
Courthouse Security
Tracy Horvath, 52, is now with security at the Colleton County Courthouse. The Pennsylvania native is a graduate of the Mansfield University of Pennsylvania and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice.
Horvath's career in law enforcement began with the Erie County Correctional Facility. She later worked for the Department of Justice and was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Estill, S.C. She retired in 2019 with 26 years of service. She officially joined the Colleton County Sheriff's Office in November of 2020.
"As Court Security, I will continue my due diligence by protecting and serving the public in all capacities," she said.
Road Patrol
Josiah Dixon, 23, of Charleston, said he chose to become a law enforcement officer to help impact the Lowcountry's youth. "…positive Law Enforcement interactions impacted me at a young age. I want to pass that along to other children looking for positive role models in their lives," he said. "Service to my community has driven me to serve my country in the Army and now as a Deputy."
Dixon is now working in the Road Patrol Division of the Colleton County Sheriff's Office.
Phillip Cole is a Walterboro native who still lives in Colleton. The 33-year-old is a graduate of Colleton County High School who started his law enforcement career as a reserve deputy in 2011 with the Colleton County Sheriff's Office. He was later hired by the local sheriff's office and spent two years there as a deputy. In 2013, he became a Deputy with the Dorchester County Sheriff's Office. While there, he served on the agency's SWAT Team and the Honor Guard.
"During my career with Dorchester County, my desire for making a difference in Colleton grew more each day," he said. "I knew I wanted to make a positive impact in children's lives, so, after an opportunity to do that arose, I returned to Colleton County Sheriff's Office, accepting a position as a school resource officer at Colleton County High School, and have held this title for two years." Cole, who was recently promoted Sergeant, is now leading Team One with the Road Patrol Division within the local agency.
Edisto Beach
Deputy Daniel "Dan" Gregory is a 59-year-old Ruffin resident who splits his time between the rural community and Edisto Beach. Gregory is a sheriff's deputy assigned to the Edisto Beach unit: the Colleton County Sheriff's Office routinely has two deputies to cover the Edisto Beach area.
Gregory is a former paramedic and deputy coroner with Colleton County.
"Sheriff Hill is primarily responsible for roping me into a long, rewarding career as a police officer, deputy, and Federal Agent," he said. "As of recent, I retired from federal law.
