Twenty-Six New Troopers Join the Ranks of the SC Highway Patrol

For Immediate Release 
January 24, 2025 
Contact: Your local Highway Patrol Community Relations Officer, 803-896-8144

MEDIA: The following link includes the roster, press release, and individual trooper photos as well as award winners: Highway Patrol Graduating Classes.

COLUMBIA — The South Carolina Highway Patrol held a graduation ceremony today for 26 troopers. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette addressed the graduates with words of encouragement during her keynote address. 

SC Highway Patrol Class 127 includes 13 pre-certified officers and 13 who are new to the law enforcement profession. The addition of this graduating class brings the total number of troopers in South Carolina to 789.*

“It is not enough to simply congratulate these new troopers,” SCDPS Director Robert G. Woods IV said. “It is also necessary to thank them for joining the noble cause of the SC Highway Patrol and the Department of Public Safety. Without courageous men and women who step up to serve and protect our communities, we would not be able to continue our mission to save lives on South Carolina roads.” 

Troopers are assigned to areas based on a number of considerations, which include population density, the number of calls for service, and the number of licensed drivers/registered vehicles in an area. To see where the troopers from Class 127 are assigned, review the information in the link that includes their Troop assignments and photos: https://scdps.sc.gov/schp/classes. 

Colonel Christopher Williamson, Commander of the SC Highway Patrol, offered words of inspiration to the graduates as they set out on their new careers: 

“When you put on your badge at the start of every shift, you aren’t just clocking into a job. You aren’t just working to put food on the table. You are ensuring that the people of South Carolina can travel our roadways with safety and ease. That mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters are able to reunite at the end of each day.”

Special awards from Class 127 include:

Major Israel Brooks, Jr. Physical Fitness Award:  Presented to the trooper who excelled on the physical training test and each day during the early morning exercises. 

Class 127 Recipient: Jeffery D. Young

Captain Cecil Dilworth Marksmanship Award: Presented to the trooper who demonstrated the best marksmanship during firearms training.

Class 127 Recipient: Cory D. Hall

Colonel P.F. Thompson Outstanding Achievement Award: For the trooper who displays the character and dedication symbolic of former Highway Patrol Colonel P.F. Thompson, the longest-serving SC Highway Patrol commander.

Class 127 Recipient: Alex T. Burroughs

Photos from the ceremony can be found in the SCDPS online photo album. 

For those interested in joining SCHP, please check out the qualifications to apply at JoinSCHP.com.

*These numbers are from the latest report, and include the number of troopers in the field and in training. Additionally, this does not include any that were hired or resigned after January 6, 2025. 

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.