Police Services

Beach Wheelchair Program

The Town of Surfside Beach takes pride in its clean and family-friendly public beach. So that everyone, regardless of physical ability, can enjoy them the Police Department maintains a fleet of beach-capable wheelchairs for public use. There is no cost to use a beach wheelchair. In order to borrow a beach wheelchair, persons must meet on one of the following criteria:

  • Be a resident of the Town of Surfside Beach, or
  • Be a non-resident property owner in the Town of Surfside Beach, or
  • Be a visitor staying in the Town of Surfside Beach

If you are interested in using one of our beach wheelchairs, please contact the Police Department during business hours, Monday through Sunday, between 8 am and 5 pm by calling 843-913-6368. Interested users must bring a photo identification card with them to the Police Department when picking up a wheelchair.

Citizen's Police Academy

The Surfside Beach Police Department (SBPD) held its first Citizen's Police Academy (CPA) in 2013 and the program has continued to grow since then. Currently, the department holds 2 sessions annually; one in the spring and one in the fall. Class sessions are usually 7 to 8 weeks long, taking place one night each week for 2 hours.

The SBPD CPA is a unique and up-close look within the Surfside Beach Police Department. The SBPD CPA is also a showcase program in the Police Chief's community-centered approach to law enforcement. Often called "community policing", Chief Kenneth Hofmann's goal is to create strong ties with the public and businesses to create a cooperative relationship beneficial to everyone. If you are interested in the SBPD CPA, check this site often for the dates of the next session.

Download a CPA application (PDF).

Precious Metal Licensing

The State of South Carolina requires persons and businesses engaged in the purchase of precious metals from the public for profit to obtain a precious metals permit before doing business. Precious metals permits are issued by the law enforcement agency having jurisdiction where the business is located or service is provided.

Businesses located in the corporate limits of Surfside Beach must first obtain a valid business license from the Town's business and licensing department. Once a valid business license has been issued by the Town, interested businesses may contact the Police Department to seek issuance of the permit.

If you are interested in the precious metals permit process in the Town of Surfside Beach, you can contact Captain Arron Miller by calling 843-913-6345.

You may download and print an application for a precious metals license for the Town of Surfside Beach (PDF).

View the state statute for precious metals.

Police Department Tours & Presentations

The Surfside Beach Police Department is committed to the goal of establishing and maintaining a transparent law enforcement agency. We are your police department. There is no better way to see your police department than with a public tour. The department frequently hosts tours of the agency for civic groups, school groups, and other entities interested in the department or law enforcement in general. The department and its staff also appear at numerous speaking engagements throughout the year.

If you are interested in a tour or a speaking appearance, please contact Captain Arron Miller at 843-913-6345.