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Metts was the youngest sheriff ever elected in the nation in 1972, when he first took the oath of office as sheriff of Lexington County. He has served as sheriff since Dec. 15, 1972, when he was 25. Metts has the second longest tenure in office for a sheriff currently serving citizens in South Carolina. He has the longest tenure in office for a Republican who currently holds an elected office in South Carolina. Metts earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, a master’s degree in criminal justice and a doctorate in education, all from the University of South Carolina. He also is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, National Sheriff’s Institute and National Corrections Academy. In February 2002, Metts graduated from the prestigious Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, an intensive three-week management seminar at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In August 2002, Metts enrolled as the first South Carolina sheriff ever accepted in the South Carolina Executive Institute. He graduated from the prestigious executive management program in March 2003. Metts has established a reputation as an innovative law enforcement administrator and leader in the field of criminal justice, both in South Carolina and the nation. He teaches classes for law enforcement professionals as well as criminal justice students at the collegiate level. In 1998, Gov. David Beasley awarded Metts the Order of the Palmetto the highest civilian honor that a governor can bestow in South Carolina. In 1982, the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association named Metts “Sheriff of the Year.” That same year, the University of South Carolina named him “Distinguished Alumnus.” In 1980, the Southern Association of Criminal Justice Educators named Metts “Practitioner of the Year.” Metts currently teaches graduate-level criminal justice classes at the University of South Carolina and Charleston Southern University. Metts was the first sheriff in South Carolina to hire school resource officers, victims’ assistance officers and certified female law enforcement officers. He also was the first sheriff in the state to implement mandatory drug screening and psychological testing of prospective deputies. In South Carolina, Metts was the first sheriff to assign a team of deputies to conduct traffic enforcement patrols and special patrols to stop motorists who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In 1992, the National Safety Council awarded Metts the J. Stannard Baker Traffic Safety Award the nation’s highest honor for contributions to highway safety. Metts led the effort to create the Lexington County Criminal Domestic Violence Court, the first court in South Carolina to be dedicated to handling criminal domestic violence cases. The court includes an intensive treatment program for abusers and their families. Metts hired two detectives to investigate domestic violence cases as well as a lawyer to prosecute such cases in court. A study that the University of South Carolina completed in January 2003 shows the Lexington County Criminal Domestic Violence Court serves as a national model for curbing domestic violence. The U.S. Department of Justice financed the study. Throughout his career, Metts has promoted the well being of children by raising money for the Ronald McDonald House, the American Cancer Society, the Leukemia Society and other organizations that serve children. He led the effort to build the Nancy K. Perry Children’s Shelter, which houses abused and neglected children in Lexington County. Metts supported construction of the Lexington County Children’s Center, which provides psychological treatment for children who have been physically and sexually abused and assists law enforcement in gathering forensic evidence in abuse cases. As a professional law enforcement administrator, Metts has served as a role model for children by participating in school programs to promote reading and by working with Boy Scout troops across Lexington County. Metts, who is an Eagle Scout, received the Silver Beaver Award the highest civilian honor bestowed by the Boy Scouts of America. Metts started the first Boy Scouts of America Explorer Post at the Sheriff’s Department, providing an opportunity for hundreds of teen-agers to receive first-hand experience about a career in law enforcement. Over the years, he has hired many former explorer scouts to work as full-time deputies. As sheriff, Metts earned national recognition in 1985, when he led the largest manhunt in South Carolina history. He coordinated a law enforcement task force that included three state agencies and the FBI in the search for serial killer Larry Gene Bell, who kidnapped and later killed two girls in Lexington and Richland counties. Bell was captured after a two-month manhunt. Bell later was convicted of murder and received a death sentence, which was carried out in 1996. The case was the subject of a made-for-television movie, “Nightmare in Columbia County,” which first aired in 1991. It also was featured in the book “Mindhunter,” which was written by former FBI agent John Douglas who pioneered psychological profiling in the United States. Metts is married to the former Carol Richardson. They have three daughters, three granddaughters and three grandsons. Metts and his wife attend Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Lexington. Metts has taught Sunday school at the church and served several terms on the Church Council, including stints as chairman, secretary and treasurer.
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