FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Contact: Tony Mangan, Department of Public Safety, 605-773-6196

Highway Patrol Accepting Applications for Next Trooper Class

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota’s Highway Patrol has begun the search for its next group of state troopers.

Applications are being accepted now through July 8 and officials plan to hire a class of 15-20 new recruits.  Successful applicants are informed of where they will be stationed prior to accepting their appointment.  Certified law enforcement officers are eligible for a $3,000 hiring bonus.    

Once selected, recruits who are not currently certified as a law enforcement officer in South Dakota or another state must first attend the 13-week South Dakota Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pierre. The second part of the training is the 10-week South Dakota Highway Patrol Recruit Academy followed by a 10-week field training program. It takes about a year from the initial application to graduation to become a state trooper.

“The Highway Patrol’s selection process and training program is extensive, and it should be” says Col. Craig Price, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.  “We use this selection process to find the best men and women possible. Those who graduate from the Highway Patrol Recruit Academy are prepared for any situation.”

Again this year, the Highway Patrol also will hold statewide seminars for women who are considering applying for the Highway Patrol. Information on those seminars will be announced later.

The trooper application can be found at http://bhr.sd.gov/workforus/law/hp/default.aspx . For more information on requirements and the application process, contact Lt. Randi Erickson, director of Training and Professional Standards Division, at 605-773-2231.

The Highway Patrol is part of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.

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