When Troop 6 Commander Dennis Boniecki joined the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 1998, the plan was to stick around for just a few years. Twenty-eight years later, it seems that life had other plans.
“This was God’s purpose for me in life,” said Boniecki, who retires August 15. “This is the only thing I ever wanted to do.”
Born and raised in New Jersey, Boniecki was attending Rutgers University and working part time for Continental Airlines when he decided to pursue his dream of working for a state law enforcement agency. He started applying to state police and highway patrol agencies in other states.
When Boniecki moved to South Carolina to join the Highway Patrol, troopers only learned their assignments on the day of graduation. Boniecki put Greenville, Richland, and Horry counties on his “wish list,” but instead was assigned to Beaufort. It worked out in his favor, though: A fellow trooper was dating a woman who introduced Boniecki to her roommate — a woman who later become his wife.
“She was born and raised in Beaufort,” he said. “I’ve sort of become a beach bum. I’ve enjoyed living down there.”
It was also after moving to Beaufort that Boniecki made one of the most meaningful connections in his career, when he met Anne Woods, the widow of fallen patrolman Corporal Richard Woods, who was killed in the line of duty in 1969.
“I had no family when I got to Beaufort. She was like a mother to me,” he said. “She was still so involved with the patrol so many years after his death. I would go over to her house and sit and talk with her. It was kind of like being with family, and it made the patrol feel like a family.”
Boniecki’s initial plan was to put in a few years with the Highway Patrol and then pursue a job in federal law enforcement. Then he realized he was right where he wanted to be.
“I started looking at federal agencies, and none of them actually appealed to me,” he said. “When I sat down and thought about it, I realized I actually enjoyed what I was doing, and decided to stick with it.”
Boniecki spent all but three years of his 28-year career in Troop 6, working his way through the ranks and achieving the rank of Troop 6 captain in 2022. Over the years, he adopted a leadership philosophy of: “Work hard, don’t complain, and take care of your people.”
“This job isn’t like most other jobs,” he said. “It’s not ‘Punch in at 9 and leave at 5.’ You develop some close friendships and serious bonds along the way.”
Reflecting on the career that caught him by surprise, Boniecki keeps going back to the opportunities to assist the Secret Service. The day-to-day hustle of traffic stops and collisions is punctuated by dignitary visits to the Lowcountry. He has met every U.S. president and all but one vice president dating back to Bill Clinton. He’s also escorted pro golfers during PGA tournaments.
“I tell the trainees when they graduate from Patrol School: You’ll get an opportunity to do a lot of things that most people dream of,” he said. “You get to meet people from all walks of life. Most people don’t see the full spectrum of society, and this job offers you an opportunity to do that, which is unique.”
As he prepares to leave the agency where he has lived, loved and served for 28 years, Boniecki shared his hopes for the men and women of the Highway Patrol. “I hope they carry on the traditions of this organization, and I hope they stay safe.”
