GCSO FIRST IN SOUTH CAROLINA TO DEPLOY BIOMETRIC MONITORING

The Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office has become the first agency in South Carolina to deploy OverWatch™, a real-time biometric monitoring system designed to enhance safety and reduce risk of overdose death in correctional environments. Overdose deaths in detention are a nationwide crisis, with a 400 percent increase in local jails from 2000 to 2018, propelled in part by the explosion of opioid use, especially fentanyl. Even when detention centers have in-house medical staff, emergency room visits before and during incarceration, and abatement programs - as the Georgetown County Detention Center does - people die. More tools are needed to recognize, track, and treat overdoses.

Sheriff Carter Weaver has taken a new step to reduce in-custody deaths and safeguard the health of individuals in detention. OverWatch™ continuously monitors key biometric indicators such as heart rate, respiration, oxygen levels, stress, and skin temperature. When abnormal readings are detected, staff receive immediate alerts, allowing intervention before a medical crisis develops.

“Every life entrusted to our care matters,” said Sheriff Weaver. “By implementing OverWatch™, we are strengthening accountability, protecting detainees, and giving our staff the tools they need to respond quickly when every second counts.”

By being the first in South Carolina to adopt this technology, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office sets a new standard for innovation, public safety, and duty of care that other agencies across the state and nation can follow.