Remembering Sam Simmons:: A Community Sheriff

By MONA R. SIMMONS

The book, Remembering Sam Simmons: A Community Sheriff, is about Samuel C. Simmons, a 29-year lawman with the Greenville County Sheriffs Office. It focuses on the years from 1997-2002, when Sam held high ranking positions such as Chief Deputy, before being elected Sheriff in 2000. Sam served as Sheriff from January 1, 2001, to September 4, 2002, when he died unexpectedly from clogged arteries and a heart attack.
The book includes interviews with numerous county leaders, such as Mr. Paul Wickensimer, Greenville County Clerk of Court; Ms. Lottie Gibson, Greenville County Councilwoman and civil rights advocate; and Belmont Fire Chief Anthony Segars, who is also a deputy coroner, and former president of the Greenville County Fire Chiefs Association.
It discusses his community leadership and involvement, from Operation Clean Sweep, to Chairman of the United Way Community Planning Council in Greenville County.
It is a love story of the deep and rare love between Sam and the author, his wife Mona.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 30, 2016
• ISBN: 9781514438138

MONA R. SIMMONS

Mona R. Simmons received her Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree from the University of South Carolina and the College of Charleston in 1986. She participated in a Boston University study abroad program in London, England, where she studied British politics and worked as an intern for a Member of Parliament. In 1987, she moved to Arlington, VA, where she worked as a senior analyst for a defense contractor. In 1994, she returned home to Greenville, SC, where she lives today. From 1997-2003, she worked as founder and Director of Greenville County Safe Communities, which focused on the prevention and reduction of crimes, injuries and deaths through community partnerships. The Safe Communities program won numerous awards from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Southeastern Crime Prevention Coalition. She worked extensively with the media, wrote news releases and op-ed articles and brochures, and was interviewed numerous times by television, newspaper and radio outlets. She organized the Safe Communities coalition into a large forum, and developed the Traffic Enforcement Task Force, comprised of all local law enforcement agencies, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Highway Patrol. She brought the Drug Recognition Expert program into South Carolina, where it is now taught by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. She developed a Victims Support Services committee, and organized a support group for loved ones of those killed by homicide or driving under the influence (DUI). She is the mother of one daughter, Connie.

Book preview

Copyright © 2016 by Mona R. Simmons, M.P.A.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. [Biblica]

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 01/30/2016

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

References

Conclusion

In Memory

It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness. Eleanor Roosevelt

To Rosa Eisenstadt, Connie Shen, and Emily Ellison

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Funded in part by a grant from the Metropolitan Arts Council, which receives funding from the City of Greenville, BMW Manufacturing Company, LLC, Michelin North America, Inc., SEW Eurodrive and the South Carolina Arts Commission with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the John and Susan Bennett Memorial Arts Fund of the Coastal Community Foundation of SC.

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Photo Courtesy of Doug Jordan

Sam had risen through the ranks, starting as a radio dispatcher at age nineteen. The men and women of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office liked and respected Sam.

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Photo courtesy of Doug Jordan

Former Sheriff Johnny Mack Brown was instrumental in supporting Sam for Sheriff, and helping him get elected.

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Photo courtesy of Doug Jordan

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Interview with the Honorable Merl Code, Municipal Court Judge, City of Greenville

I first met Sam, it seems, at a Greenville TECH Forum; enjoyed listening to him. He was a people person. Had respect for others, supporting the legal system, or those who worked as subordinates. I do remember that Sam instituted community patrol and made a difference endearing officers to citizens, (such as at the) West Greenville Center.

To be a good leader, you must listen. He made people feel comfortable talking to him and telling him what he needed to know. No citizens were intimidated by him. They respected him.

Didn’t do a lot of work with Sam, as I am a Court Judge in the City of Greenville. Served on committees with him, such as the Community Planning Council.

I was watching the news when I learned of Sam’s death. I had just seen him a few days ago. I felt saddened by the loss of life. That type of life. Sam was committed to public service and law enforcement.

Sam effectively brought neighborhoods in collaboration with law enforcement. He established a rapport with citizens in neighborhoods for the benefit of the whole community.

When I asked Judge Code how he would encapsulate Sam’s legacy, he responded with one word: trust. The citizens trusted and respected him.

Interview with Paul Wickensimer. Greenville County Clerk of Court

What always impressed me about Sam is that he always seemed to be in control, somebody that was professional, a person that was confident, but not cocky. I also felt like that he was a seasoned law enforcement person that came up through the ranks and had a vast amount of experience in law enforcement, not only on the street, but in administration.

He was a man of his word, a person I had confidence in. He was very approachable. If he told me something, I didn’t question his statement or integrity.

My interaction with him was more from the County Council level, or when elected officials got together. He attended meetings to discuss budget requests, programs, reports from the Sheriff’s Office. He always did a good job answering law enforcement questions that would come up in the public safety realm of County Council.

I never had a question about his ability during his time as Sheriff and while he held various leadership positions in the Sheriff’s Office. I always felt like he was very capable and he did a great job. I can’t tell you why I’ve always thought this, but I always looked at Sam as a cop’s cop: well-seasoned, came up through the ranks, had the respect of County Council, elected officials, people that he worked with, and the community.

I remember getting a call that night that Sam had been in a wreck. I later got another call that he had died and I was in shock. I was devastated.

I felt badly that he was so prepared and so engaged in the community in the role of Sheriff, and it was hurtful to me to see his time as Sheriff was so short, before he had time to fulfill his potential. On the other hand, I know that for whatever reason, it was the Lord’s will to take him, and I can’t question that. It happened for a reason. The Lord does not make mistakes.

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Interview with Mrs. Lottie Gibson, Greenville County Councilwoman and civil rights activist

I remember Sam very vividly. Privileged to be with him several times. I observed his demeanor and work habits. He was a dedicated law enforcement officer: calm in his approach; and sincere in his efforts to be fair and professional.

During a planning meeting, he expressed the need for more preventive treatment rather than punishment.

He had interest in youth and always took into consideration their circumstances.

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Sam and I met one early Spring Day in 1997. I had recently been hired by Mr. Perry Eichor, Director of Greenville County Community Services, now known as the Department of Public Safety, to coordinate a traffic safety program for EMS. Soon after I started work, the late Captain Norman Sorrow, who worked as a consultant to the Department of Community Services, told me to see Captain Sam Simmons, at the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, just off I-385. Within a short time, Sam and I met at his office about traffic safety. Sam clearly considered traffic safety to be very important.

His office at the time was on the first floor, near the Warrants Division of the Law Enforcement Center. When we met, he looked at me with a steady gaze, and I found this intriguing man to be neatly dressed, with olive colored khakis and a business shirt with tie. We talked about traffic safety in Greenville County, and law enforcement and community strategies for addressing the traffic collision crisis we faced.

We were soon meeting regularly, and I remember his coming to the Administrative section of the Detention Center, where my office was located, and we talked about efforts to stop red light running. We went to lunch one day, and he told me I looked exotic. As he was driving me back to the Greenville County Detention Center from lunch, he quickly reached his hand toward my leg several times, before drawing it back just as fast. I just smiled and said thanks for the lunch and went back to work. After a few more outings, we started talking on the phone and seeing each other more. After that, we never looked back and went forward professionally and personally in our efforts to make Greenville a safe community together. He called me every night at 9:30, and I liked that consistency and reliability.