As the SC Department of Public Safety continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the department dedicated a time capsule that will remain sealed until 2043 – the agency’s 50th anniversary.
Included in the time capsule, which was dedicated during the annual Fall Service Awards on November 8, is an album containing hundreds of photos from throughout 2023, uniform patches and coins from each of the law enforcement divisions, historical artifacts, features, and a special edition newsletter comparing the agency in the 1990s to the current day. With it being unclear as to what technology will look like in another 20 years, the agency opted for a more analog approach to showcasing these moments in time to ensure they could be viewed and appreciated in the future.
“When you look at the history of the Department of Public Safety, what is striking is how far this agency has come in its first 30 years,” SCDPS Director Robert Woods, IV, said of the time capsule’s dedication. “We carefully curated a selection of artifacts for this time capsule that represent the past and the present, while also honoring those who got us here. Our hope is that those who are working at the Department of Public Safety when this is opened for the 50th anniversary will have a similar appreciation of our progress and this time stamp.”
Perhaps the most poignant item in the time capsule is a badge belonging to the late Patrolman John Davenport Cunningham, the third (of now 51) South Carolina troopers killed in the line of duty. His donated badge, along with an article honoring his service, will be safely stored with the other items in the waterproof and crush-proof Pelican case, where it will remain untouched for the next two decades. The case, which has signage to indicate when to open it, will be stored at the DPS Central Evidence Facility where it will remain logged and maintained as part of the annual audit of inventory.
“When I located the badge in my jewelry box where I had placed it years ago for safekeeping, I knew where it should be donated, and that my mother would agree,” said Frances Gipson, who donated the badge, and whose mother was married to Cunningham. “It means a lot right now to know that J.D. gave his life for his job. I know if my mother were here, she would be very pleased about what they are doing with this time capsule.”
Also included are letters written by Woods and each of the three law enforcement division commanders to their future counterparts. Each letter contains either sentimental recollections from the years prior, or words of wisdom looking to the future.
