SC Department of Public Safety

#FeatureFriday: 'Go for it': SC trooper of many trades learns it's never too late to discover your passion Written by: SCDPS intern Caroline White and SCDPS Staff Writer Teddy Kulmala. ---- Trooper First Class Andrew Allen is a man of many hats — from working as a roofer, to saving lives as a firefighter, to nurturing souls as a minister. Closing in on 50 years old, he never thought he’d get to wear the gray campaign hat of his dream job as a South Carolina state trooper. Allen’s diverse career first began at age 14 as a junior firefighter, which he pursued into adulthood. In college, he met his now-wife, and joined her father’s roofing company in 1992. Six years later, he received his call to ministry, pastoring at three churches over the years. He eventually stepped back from the ministry to spend more time with his family and returned to his roots as a firefighter, where his longing to be a South Carolina state trooper began to bloom. “When I was on scenes as a firefighter, you could see a difference between different law enforcement agencies on scene.” He said, “The way troopers carried themselves and the way they interacted with people spoke volumes to me.” Although joining the South Carolina Highway Patrol had always been a thought in the back of his mind, Allen almost didn’t pursue his passion. After graduating from The Citadel in 1995, Allen married his now-wife. Four years later, they welcomed their first child, a son, into the world. Soon after, they had two more children. For Allen, his family always came first, even if it meant setting his passion aside for a while. Read the full story here - https://lnkd.in/eB9tEH9m If you’re ready to pursue your passion, learn more about a career with the South Carolina Highway Patrol at www.joinschp.com.

Are you an experienced visual storyteller looking for a fulfilling place to share your talents? If so, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety wants to hear from you!   In this role as lead agency photographer and videographer, you will use your skills to capture a diverse range of agency events, portraits, and human-interest features. Additionally, you’ll help our team shape important safety messages through PSAs and other engaging social media content.   Ready to join #TeamDPS and the Office of Public Affairs? Apply today!   https://lnkd.in/gC8ep9Hk

SCDPS Intern Round-Up Written by SCDPS Staff Member Micaela Riley ---- After a more than four-year hiatus, the South Carolina Department of Public Safety has revitalized the agency’s internship program to provide students with hands-on experience within state government and law enforcement. This paid internship program offers students real-world work experience in areas across the agency. Most recently in the Office of Public Affairs, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, and the South Carolina Highway Patrol. Read more about their experiences here - https://lnkd.in/e-yYUuiM Are you a student at a South Carolina college or university who is interested in an internship at the Department of Public Safety? If so, be sure to keep an eye on https://lnkd.in/gaVKYGfp for openings that are posted.

From Trooper to Highway Safety Director: A rewarding career at DPS all began as a chance encounter at a drugstore Written by SCDPS Staff Member, Micaela Riley ----  Why would someone return to the same high-pressure job after retiring? For Phil Riley, it was his passion for highway safety and contributing to the greater good.     “People in the highway safety arena aren’t in it to get rich. They’re in it to make a difference,” said Riley, Director of the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs. “I know we’re saving lives at DPS, whether you’re a commissioned officer on the front lines or back at headquarters in an administrative role. That’s very rewarding.” Born in Sumter and raised in Cayce, Riley‘s path to the SC Department of Public Safety began at a Revco drugstore, where he worked as a teenager in 1981. His coworker, John Branham, applied for the SC Highway Patrol, and their friendship and conversations about the agency sparked Riley’s own interest in becoming a state trooper. After Branham became a trooper, he took Riley on a couple of ride-alongs, and that solidified his decision to also join the Patrol. Riley applied and began Patrol School in the fall of 1985.   Looking back on his time as a trooper, Riley noted some of the major changes to the Patrol through the years.   “Back in the late 80s, you didn’t have a radio on your shoulder. There were no department-issued bulletproof vests, body-worn cameras, Tasers, or pepper spray,” Riley said. “We carried revolvers back then, not semi-automatics. If you ran into a bad situation with a violator and needed assistance, you had to make it back to your car to call for backup. You really had to rely on your physical conditioning, defensive tactics training, and the ability to de-escalate a situation.”   One of the most revolutionary changes was the agency’s shift to data-driven enforcement in recent years, Riley said. This allows supervisors to better allocate and maximize resources.   “Back then, the trooper pretty much decided where to focus his enforcement, and crash statistics weren’t a big part of the equation,” Riley said. “We were writing a lot of tickets, but I’m not sure we were focusing as much as we could have on crash and fatality reduction. Nowadays, it’s more strategic and prescriptive. Troopers have electronic maps at their fingertips and concentrate on high-crash corridor locations, which greatly reduces the number of collisions and fatalities.”   Read the full story here - https://lnkd.in/emWUiJ_7

If you know a stellar #HumanResources professional who's ready to join #TeamDPS, please consider sharing this posting with them directly or with your network!

Are you an analytical, detail-oriented human resources professional? Do you get excited about developing career paths and shaping organizational structure? Then consider applying for a position as an HR Consultant with the SC Department of Public Safety! In this role, you will be responsible for reviewing and analyzing job classification and compensation actions for the agency, while also assisting with writing position descriptions and tracking employment data across our law enforcement and support divisions. If you're ready to join #TeamDPS, then apply today! https://lnkd.in/eqhPN7ij #humanresources #hr #consultant

#NationalPoliceWomanDay: How this former nurse and corrections officer found her purpose as an STP officer  ----- Written by: SCDPS Staff Member, Teddy Kulmala One thing Officer First Class Latonya Loredo hears frequently from the truck drivers she pulls over: “You’re the first female officer I’ve ever seen.” A two-year veteran of the SC State Transport Police, Loredo is hardly the first female officer in the division. But she is the first woman to win STP’s Officer of the Year Award, barely a year after also winning the Rookie of the Year for her class. “I didn’t realize the magnitude of such an honor when I won,” she said of being the first woman in STP’s 31-year history to take its top honor. “It hit me later. But it feels good. I was up against some great officers.” Loredo’s path to becoming Officer of the Year began in the nursing field, where she was a certified nursing assistant for 10 years. “After 10 years, I realized I didn’t want to be a nurse,” she said. “I’m going to try something different.” She then applied for the South Carolina Department of Corrections, becoming a corrections officer and working her way up to the rank of Sergeant over three years. Despite the stress of overseeing dozens of inmates at any given time on her own, Loredo enjoyed working in corrections. But, she didn’t like feeling “enclosed.” While browsing state law enforcement positions, she found herself gravitating toward SCDPS and specifically, the State Transport Police. Read the full story here - https://lnkd.in/e6rJkE75

SCDPS mourned the death of State Transport Police Officer Mark S. Reynolds as he was laid to rest yesterday in Florence. The funeral services were held at the Florence Center and graveside services were held at Elim Baptist Church Cemetery. Officer First Class Reynolds died on September 4 after he experienced a medical emergency that occurred during training earlier that day. He was the first State Transport Police officer to lose his life while serving the state of South Carolina. Reynolds dedicated much of his life to serving his community. He joined the State Transport Police in 2022, after serving as a firefighter for more than a decade. Officers, troopers, firefighters, and other first responders from agencies across South Carolina came to pay their respects to Reynolds and his family.

Angela Sparks, CALEA Accreditation Manager, and Donna Albert, CALEA Program Assistant, were recognized recently for their hard work in securing SCDPS’ ninth re-accreditation. Well deserved! Thank you for your dedication to this agency! To learn more about the agency’s CALEA accreditation, visit: https://lnkd.in/eCd9Nywy

The SC Department of Public Safety congratulates these newly-promoted Highway Patrol troopers and telecommunications operators: Trooper promotions Pictured from left to right: Corporal A.L. Blair, Troop 8, Area Coordinated Enforcement (ACE) Unit; First Sergeant M.A. Franks, Troop 3, Post C (Greenville); Corporal S.M. Durrenberger, Troop 4, Post A (Cherokee and Union); First Sergeant W.S. Boyette, Troop 5, Post D (Horry); Corporal S.P. Knotts, Troop 6, Post A (Berkeley and Charleston); Sergeant D.M. Thomas, Troop 6, Post A (Berkeley and Charleston); Corporal S.K. Grove, Troop 7, Post A (Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, and Hampton); Sergeant E.T. Haden, Troop 3, Post D (Spartanburg); Colonel C.N. Williamson, SCHP Commander; First Sergeant M.W. Thompson, Troop 8, Area Coordinated Enforcement (ACE) Unit; Lieutenant T.J. Luther, Troop 9, MAIT; Corporal A.M. Prince, Troop 2, Post C (Edgefield, McCormick, and Saluda); Corporal N.T. Pye, Troop 10, Community Relations, Recruitment, and FOIA (CRRF) Unit; Administrative Sergeant L.N. Poston, Troop 5, Headquarters; Corporal K.F. Small, Troop 5, Post A (Darlington and Marlboro); and Corporal B.J. Lewis, Troop 1, Post C (Lexington). Telecommunications Operator promotions Pictured from left to right: Capt. D.A. McMurry, TCC Commander; Shelley Jones, Assistant Telecommunications Supervisor, Blythewood TCC; Anitra Clark-Peterson, Assistant Telecommunications Supervisor, Florence TCC; Andria Dickey, Assistant Telecommunications Supervisor, Blythewood TCC; Laveetra Grant, Telecommunications Supervisor, Charleston TCC; and Colonel C.N. Williamson, SCHP Commander. Congratulations! Are you interested in learning more about a career with SCHP? Visit www.joinschp.com