Greenville County Schools renamed its School Security Center in honor of Sgt. William Conley Jumper, Jr., a Greenville County Sheriff's deputy who was killed in the line of duty.
The school system held a ceremony on Monday morning to unveil the new name and sign at the security center. Many were present, including members of Jumper’s family, elected officials and employees with the school system and the Sheriff’s Office.
Jumper died five years ago on Oct. 20, 2020, while conducting a traffic stop. He served in the Sheriff's Office for 28 years, including 10 years in the School Enforcement Division. For eight of those years, Jumper was the only K-9 handler for the school system — serving alongside his four-legged partner, Vinnie.
“[Jumper] was larger than life, both literally and figuratively,” said Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis. “He was admired by all those who knew him and, amazingly, trusted by those who didn’t.”
Cat Jumper, Sgt. William Jumper’s daughter, spoke at the unveiling event. She told the story of when she first heard the news of her father’s passing. She was sitting in her dorm room at Wofford College when she got the call.
“I felt as though a part of me had been torn away,” she said. “Each passing moment since has been a reminder of his absence, a void that can never be repaired, but instead filled with cherished memories.”
She added: “Despite this incredible loss, I have found immense comfort in knowing that his legacy and the Jumper name have not been forgotten in Greenville County.
Cat Jumper now carries on this legacy, serving as a deputy with the Sheriff’s Office just as her father once did.
Greenville County Schools Superintendent W. Burke Royster describes Jumper as a man with great intellect, humor and ability to connect with others. He hopes that everyone who walks through the Security Center will be reminded of his legacy and the sacrifice he made for his community.
“We should always be mindful of that sacrifice,” Royster said. “He, along with Vinnie, worked [to make] a lasting, positive generational impact on students and employees. He was a model of a law enforcement officer — highly effective and well respected.”
The Sgt. William Conley Jumper Jr. School Security Center is located at 2 Space Drive in Taylors. For more information on Greenville County Schools, visit their website.
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