SLED provides manpower and technical assistance to other law enforcement agencies and conducts investigations on behalf of the state as directed by the Governor and Attorney General.
[5] Although SLED initially focused on enforcement of the liquor laws, within a short period of time the Division was also investigating cases of all sorts, including murder, lynching, and labor violence.
[8] That same year he also appointed the first African-American Agents, Joseph Wong and Cambridge Jenkins, Jr.[8] In 1974, Act 1240 of the General Assembly formally established SLED as an independent state agency.
[9] SLED has exclusive jurisdiction over a wide variety of law enforcement functions in South Carolina, including the operation of a statewide criminal justice information system, coordination of counter-terrorism efforts, and the investigation of arson and explosive devices.
Databases of fingerprints, criminal records, sex offenders[12] and investigative matters are linked to other states through connections with the FBI's National Crime Information Center.
The history of CJIS dates back to the 1930s, when the South Carolina Highway Patrol established the first state level Identification Bureau under the leadership of Wallace Leo Jenkins.
SLED Regulatory also oversees Governor appointed State Constables per SC Statute 23-1-60 for training, policies and procedures and receives quarterly reports of their actions taken as law enforcement officers.