Aiken public safety officer was inspired by brothers' examples

AIKEN --- Aiken Public Safety Lt. David Turno followed a family tradition when he began his career in law enforcement 23 years ago.

The tradition didn't begin with his father, but with his older brother.

"My brother Donald started out (at Aiken Public Safety) as a cadet," he said. "He was the one to kind of get us into that mind-set."

His brother eventually was hired on with the department and, after retiring, is now a reserve deputy with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office. Another brother is a trooper with the South Carolina Highway Patrol, and his stepbrother is a deputy with the Edgefield County Sheriff's Office.

After graduation from high school, Lt. Turno followed his brothers' examples. While working on an associate's degree in criminal justice at the University of South Carolina Aiken, he entered the cadet program

"Once I got into it, it was something I wanted to do," the 42-year-old Aiken native said.

Lt. Turno is over the department's special services division, which includes public information, warrant services, traffic officers and the police athletic league.

Every day brings something different, which is one of the aspects that has appealed to Lt. Turno during his more than two decades with public safety.

"You're not behind a desk. You're not in an office. You're outside," he said. "I get to interact with people."

Lt. Turno said his division is responsible for all the extra duties that law enforcement takes care of, including patrolling special events and security for presidential candidates when they come to town.

As a public safety officer, Lt. Turno is trained as a firefighter and police officer. He said it's the law enforcement that he enjoys.

"It gives you a different perspective," he said. "It's always something different. It never really gets mundane. You're helping in different ways."

Reach Michelle Guffey at (803) 648-1395, ext. 110, or michelle.guffey@augustachronicle.com.