J-School professor earns reserve deputy sheriff badge

by Anna Groos

Many professors have interesting side jobs, but perhaps none are as intriguing as that of Dr. Paul Lieber. During the last five months he completed more than 300 hours of training and a final exam to become a reserve deputy with the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Lieber was one of nine volunteer, reserve deputies to receive his badge, uniform, and, yes, gun, on Aug. 29.

Reserve deputy sheriffs are volunteers, but they must meet the same essential qualifications as full-time, paid deputies. After passing the preliminary tests, which include a background check, polygraph and physical fitness test, reservists undergo rigorous physical training. They learn evasive maneuvers, survival tactics, and the proper use of firearms, pepper spray, and handcuffs. According to Lieber, being pepper-sprayed in the face, while painful, wasn’t as challenging as the final exam reservists had to pass.

“The Criminal Justice Academy is, shall we say, very thorough,” said Lieber. “Only after five hundred pages of criminal law, endless moral support, and dozens of study sessions later was I prepared to pass a very difficult exam. Not to mention the gallons of caffeine consumed in the process.”

Lieber must log at least 20 hours each month with the Sheriff's Department. While many reservists choose to ride in patrol units, Lieber hopes to spend most of his time in the crime lab. The advertising and public relations professor has worked on defense and counterterrorism contracts in recent years, and it was his interest in forensics and intelligence that inspired him to become part of the reserve deputy program.

“I’ve worked in intelligence, and I saw this program as a way to get involved and contribute locally. The training was very rigorous, but, boy, I can handcuff with the best of them,” Lieber said.

The reserve deputy program was created by Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott in 2001, with the purpose of training civilians to serve in a backup capacity to patrol units. The program attracts individuals of diverse professional backgrounds—among Lieber’s peers are military officers, a realtor, and a high school football coach. More information about the program is available at http://www.rcsd.net/prog/reserves.htm.

Anna Groos is a graduate student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications working on her Masters of Mass Communications degree. A 2004 graduate of Wake Forest University, she worked for several years as an outreach counselor for Child Care Resources, Inc., a non-profit organization in Charlotte.