Coroner's Office Receives National Grant

Observer Reports

The Anderson County Coroner’s Office has been chosen for a $101,460 grant for use to seek accreditation from the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IACME).

The grant is from U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (OJP).

“Put simply, death has unavoidable impacts on the living, so it is critical that the community has full confidence that the Office of the Coroner follows established professional standards in an equitable, consistent way” said Anderson County Coroner Greg Shore. “By obtaining and maintaining accreditation from the IACME, we can offer a methodology which assures all interested parties that investigations are conducted without regard to a decedent’s station in life or personal circumstance.”

Recent increases in the work rate of the Coroner's Office have outpaced the community's rate of population growth, and the office has seen a big increase in the number of accidental death determinations.  Such conditions highlight the need for the most accurate and defensible standards that the office can obtain.

“We oftentimes see cases where a death occurs due to circumstances that indicate potential negligence or responsibility by others” said Deputy Coroner Don McCown. “For families seeking criminal or civil redress in these matters, it is imperative that the coroner’s actions and findings are able withstand legal scrutiny and challenge. Having IACME accreditation will go a long way towards helping us serve the public in these matters.”

The number of accidental death investigations jumped 170 percent in the past five years in Anderson County.