Standards Unit | Harrison County Sheriff

Professional Standards Unit

The Professional Standards Unit is part of the Sheriff’s Office Administration. It works directly under the Sheriff and Chief Deputy to make sure our staff is professional, qualified, and following the rules.

What We Do:

Internal Investigations: We look into complaints or concerns about deputies or employees to make sure policies and procedures are being followed.
Background Checks: Before anyone is hired, we conduct thorough background checks to ensure we bring in the right people.
Inspections: We regularly check that staff are doing their jobs correctly and equipment is being properly maintained.

Why it Matters

The unit helps keep high standards within the Sheriff’s Office. If there are allegations of misconduct, PSU investigates and reports directly to the Sheriff and Chief Deputy. We also handle both citizen complaints and employee commendations, making sure the Sheriff is aware of the good work employees are doing, as well as any problems that need to be addressed.

The forms with which to make an employee commendation or file a citizen complaint can be downloaded by selecting the links below. These forms are forwarded to the Sheriff who then assigns the commendation/complaint to a Supervisor or the Professional Standards Unit for follow-up.

Download Commendation Form

Download Complaint Form

Captain Chad Elmore

Lieutenant Chad Elmore was born and raised in Gulfport, Mississippi and a graduate of Gulfport High School. He attended Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College then on to the University of Southern Mississippi majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in psychology.

Lieutenant Elmore began his career in law enforcement in 2009 as a Reserve Officer with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources Marine Patrol. He joined the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office in 2013 as a patrol deputy, conducting criminal patrol throughout Harrison County. In 2014 Lieutenant Elmore was the assigned Tactical Flight Officer for the Harrison County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit that was utilized for aerial surveillance and search and rescue operations. In 2016 Lieutenant Elmore became the supervisor over the Harrison County Sheriff’s Marine Unit and still assists the unit today. Lieutenant Elmore was then promoted in 2019 to Investigator with the Harrison County Sheriff’s Narcotics Division and in 2022 was assigned to the Homeland Security Investigations, Gulf Coast HIDTA as a Task Force Agent.

In 2023, Lieutenant Elmore transferred to the Administrative Division where he serves as the Lieutenant over the Professional Standards Unit. The division is part of the Administrative Division and operates under the supervision and direction of the sheriff and his chief deputy. The unit is responsible for conducting internal administrative investigations, applicant background development, and department staff inspections.

Email Lieutenant Elmore