Meet Chief Joseph R. Hill, who became the Chief of Police for the Horry County Police Department on September 23, 2016. Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Joe first entered the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Academy in June 1984 as a Reserve Officer while also serving in the U.S. Navy as a Cryptologist for Naval Intelligence. Afterward, he joined the Fairfax County Police Department in October 1988. During his time in the Metropolitan DC region, Joe was on duty on September 11, 2001, when America was attacked. The events of that day and the days that followed inspired Joe to work with the United States Department of State to teach Counter Terror operations and Investigations to our foreign allies across the globe. In 2016, Joe retired from Fairfax County to lead the Horry County Police Department.

Joe is a dedicated student of ethical leadership training and education for professionals in the field of Law Enforcement. With years of experience in Counter-Terrorism instruction with the U.S. State Department’s Anti-Terror Assistance Program (ATA), Joe has become an accomplished mentor to senior members of police agencies worldwide. He has also taught Police and Military commanders overseas, conducting counter-terror operations and promoting ethical leadership. Joe is an active member of several prestigious organizations, including the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Executives, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the South Carolina Chiefs Association. In addition to his many duties, Joe is also a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of the Grand Strand, demonstrating his commitment to giving back to his community.

Joe graduated with honors from the University of Richmond, receiving his undergraduate degree in HR and leadership and an Honor Graduate of the Graduate program at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Joe is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, session 256. Since Joe’s arrival as Chief of Police with the HCPD, Joe’s focus has been reducing crime and the fear of crime associated with gang and drug violence. Reducing violent crime requires close collaboration with federal, local and state partners to allocate specific resources towards identifying and removing repeat offenders from our community; this has been a cornerstone of Joe’s time as Chief of Police for the Horry County Police Department.