Dawson named law enforcement captain over SCDNR coastal region

March 07, 2024

The S.C. Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division has promoted Dennetta Dawson to captain over Region 4, overseeing units along the entire coast.

Dawson was pinned during a law enforcement committee meeting this week and becomes the first woman to lead a region at SCDNR.

"I am honored to serve the citizens of South Carolina and partner with a community of men and women who strive to protect the natural resources of our state," Dawson said.

Dawson began her law-enforcement career in 1997 as a conservation officer in McCormick County. She was transferred to Charleston County, where she worked in recreational and commercial fisheries enforcement for several years.

She then joined the Education Division as a staff sergeant. Her love for boating has always been present, as displayed in her 16-year participation in the Boating Safety Action Force (B-SAF) team, specializing in boating enforcement and detecting boating under the Influence. She was then promoted to lieutenant of the Education and Outreach Section. Now she returns to Region 4 as captain.

She succeeds Michael Paul Thomas, who earlier this year was promoted to major over the SCDNR investigations division.

Region 4 encompasses the state’s coastal waters and nine counties, including Charleston, Beaufort, Colleton, Dorchester, Berkeley, Hampton, Jasper, Georgetown, and Horry.

Dawson received a bachelor’s degree from Charleston Southern University and a master’s degree from The Citadel. In 2023, she completed the Command Officers Development Course from the Southern Police Institute of Louisville, Kentucky.