A career in law enforcement is something Corporal Stacy Craig always wanted to pursue. After committing 30 years of his life to service, Craig looks back on his career with humility and fondness — at least until the next chapter.
Born and raised in St. Matthews, Craig was introduced to the law enforcement profession at a young age by his uncle, who worked in law enforcement in Pennsylvania.
“He would come down from Pennsylvania every year in the summer, and with him being in law enforcement, naturally, he would always talk about it,” Craig said. “He was the one who got me thinking about pursuing it as a career.”
Craig began his career at the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office in November 1995. The sheriff knew of Craig’s ambitions to become a trooper and supported him. Eight months later, Craig found the opportunity he’d been waiting for and joined the Highway Patrol as a trooper. He first was assigned to Spartanburg, and then to the Columbia area to be closer to his family.
“I always wanted to be a state trooper,” Craig said. “The patrol was what always interested me the most, and I was happy to be a part of the team.”
Craig spent 17 years with the Highway Patrol, until transferring to State Transport Police in 2013. A division of the Department of Public Safety, STP is responsible for enforcing both federal regulations and state laws pertaining to commercial motor vehicles, as well as state traffic laws for non-commercial drivers.
“At that time, I just needed a change in my life,” Craig said. “I knew I wanted to stay with the Department of Public Safety, and STP was a good option for me.”
Twelve and a half year later and Craig is still with STP. He cherishes the camaraderie with his team, and says the most rewarding part of the job is the people he works with. He touched on a special moment he shares with them each year.
“The first year after I came to STP, we won the Colonel’s Softball Tournament,” Craig said of the annual SC Highway Patrol tournament that raises money for Special Olympics. “‘We’ve won it four or five times since then, and it’s always a good thing to have fun with everybody out there while raising money for a good cause.”
While Corporal Craig officially retired from STP at the end of April, he says his career is only on a temporary hold. He had originally planned to retire at the end of 2025, but the decision to retire now came after Craig and his wife, who is also a DPS officer, visited to the Public Employee Benefits Authority. After a review of his service time, Craig found out that he could retire earlier than expected.
“My plan is to come back, but I do have to sit out a year until I can get rehired,” Craig said of his retirement. “I figured I would start the clock now so I can come back sooner.”
Craig plans to return as a master officer conducting traffic stops, CMV safety inspections, and removing unsafe drivers and vehicles from the roadways. In the meantime, he is looking forward to continuing to run obstacle races with his wife, and helping a friend with his farm.
“I’ll miss being able to meet people out on the road, educate them and enforce the law,” Craig said. “I’ve enjoyed my time at DPS, and I can’t wait to come back.”
