State Transport Police Graduates 9, including Summerville Man

S.C. Department of Public Safety press release

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety State Transport Police graduated nine new officers last week. These officers have trained at the Criminal Justice Academy for 20 weeks. This is the first time that STP and Highway Patrol recruits have trained side-by-side for the majority of their training period.  The State Transport Police is a division of SCDPS.

STP is divided into seven statewide districts, and the new officers will be assigned among those districts. STP has 113 officers statewide.

The State Transport Police is primarily responsible for enforcing state and federal laws governing commercial motor vehicles. The major objectives are to protect the motoring public by (1) preventing collisions; (2) removing unsafe drivers and vehicles from our roads; (3) protecting our environment from hazardous materials being transported on our roadways; and (4) preventing the premature deterioration of our roads and bridges through the STP Size and Weight Enforcement Program.

“I cannot emphasize enough how important I believe it is that law enforcement begins to see each other as one entity – not just the State Transport Police working with commercial motor vehicles or SCHP investigating collisions or local law enforcement officers handling domestic disputes. The boundaries intersect and crisscross. We must work together to be truly successful,” SCDPS Director Leroy Smith told graduates in a December 14 ceremony.

State Transport Police Col. Leroy Taylor said, “Our graduates have spent months learning the basics of law enforcement but also concentrating on specialized training for commercial motor vehicle enforcement and inspections. Their outstanding training is vital to helping truck traffic move safely through our state and preventing collisions,” Taylor said.

SCDPS includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Immigration Enforcement Unit and the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs. The agency’s mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving South Carolina residents and visitors. Visit us at www.scdps.gov