The Richland County Sheriff's Department has grown from one female deputy sheriff in 1973 to 91 in 2009. Faith Nolan Divesek was the very first female deputy sheriff hired by Sheriff Frank Powell in 1973. Her contributions then have impacted how law enforcement serves today. She is now retired.

Faith Nolan Divesek is originally from New Jersey but came to South Carolina looking for an opportunity in education and quickly found herself heading in the direction of law enforcement. The Richland County Council announced that it had approved a position for a female deputy sheriff and wanted someone with a psychology background. Sheriff Frank Powell and the County Council envisioned the role of the female deputy to change the perception on rape victims. The effort was to make the community aware that law enforcement took rape seriously and encouraged women to come forward and report the crime to someone of their own gender.

Faith was interested in the position and went to the Richland County Sheriff 's Department that was then located at 1400 Huger Street. She interviewed with Sheriff Frank Powell and was offered the position as a deputy sheriff. Faith was an investigator working in the newly formed Rape Unit. Her official title was investigator and her call sign was #24. As an investigator in 1973, she did not wear a standard uniform but regular attire and was known as the resident "expert" on rape.

Women began to come forward, sometimes years after a rape had occurred to confide in Nolan because they never felt comfortable speaking to a male deputy about their assaults. Faith Nolan recalls there were no rape crisis hot lines back then and that she received several calls through the switchboard from victims of rape quite often. She provided intervention for women all over Richland County that were in need of services.

One of the most significant contributions was that Faith played an instrumental role in organizing the protocol for all rape victims when they were seen at the hospital. She introduced the protocol to Richland Memorial Hospital which began utilizing the procedures and then Baptist Medical Center who soon picked up on the protocol. The protocol that was used then is still being utilized today along with upgrades from new and modernized technology.

Faith was interested in women's issues, fairness, equal treatment and being taken seriously as a "real" victim when it was time for court. She realized that women were not being treated fairly during court procedures, often being treated as if they were on trial and not the perpetrator.

Faith was often called upon to be the guest speaker at various functions since she was the first female deputy sheriff. Currently, the Richland County Sheriff's Department has a total of 91 female deputy sheriffs.

Faith Nolan took an interest in women being treated properly and remembers her experience as a deputy sheriff being a "new experience" she says she learned by actually doing the job. She made decisions about how the rape unit was run by putting things in place as different issues arose.

Recently, Faith Nolan Divisek introduced herself to Sheriff Leon Lott at a social gathering. Lott was amazed about her journey as the first female deputy sheriff and wants to share her story. Faith is 71 years old and is a retired public school principal living here in Columbia, South Carolina; traveling when she can and enjoying life.