New Troopers

(ATLANTA)—Thirty-five new Georgia State Troopers graduated the 88th Georgia State Patrol Trooper School Thursday at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth.

The graduation ceremony marked the completion of 31 weeks of rigid law enforcement training that included three months of on-the-road field training under the guidance of veteran field training officers. The new troopers have been assigned to vacancies at the Georgia State Patrol's 48 post locations across the state, according to Colonel Mark McDonough, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

"These troopers have received the best training available," Colonel McDonough said. "They have undergone grueling physical, academic and field training to prepare them well for a career in the dangerous profession of law enforcement."

Colonel McDonough noted that this is the 88th Georgia State Patrol Trooper School to graduate and the new troopers compose the last graduating class before the Department of Public Safety celebrates its 75th Anniversary next March. The first troopers in Georgia began patrols in September, 1937.

The current class has received specialized training on impaired driving enforcement in addition to special training on pursuit driving, firearms and drug interdiction techniques.

The new troopers and their duty assignments are:

• Jeremy Allison - GSP Gainesville
• Rodny Barolette - GSP Atlanta
• Matthew Baxley - GSP Washington
• Michael Best - GSP Dalton
• Ty Brooks - GSP Brunswick
• Michael Brown - GSP Cartersville
• Christopher Cochran - GSP Blue Ridge
• John Daniel - GSP Cartersville
• Christopher Davison - GSP Newnan
• Jonathan Folendore - GSP Gainesville
• Joseph Gass - GSP Dalton
• Darius Goss - GSP Cumming
• Justin Henderson - GSP Cartersville
• Rusty Holcombe - GSP Villa Rica
• Christopher Hosey - GSP Valdosta
• William Ivey - GSP Jekyll Island
• Nicklaus Jenkins - GSP Athens
• David Lacey, Jr. - GSP Athens
• Jason McClung - GSP Newnan
• Jonathan Munger - GSP Gainesville
• Andrew Phillips - GSP Cumming
• Travis Sanders - GSP Gainesville
• Robert Scott - GSP Jekyll Island
• Dewey Scott, Jr. - GSP Athens
• Coy Seymour - GSP Monroe
• Gregory Spruiell - GSP Atlanta
• Jonathan Stamey - GSP Gainesville
• Stephen Strickland - GSP Villa Rica
• Jack Stripling - GSP Cuthbert
• Jeffrey Swanner - GSP Villa Rica
• Scott Tarpley - GSP Forest Park
• William Thomas - GSP Gainesville
• Joseph Tucker - GSP Athens
• Brandon Watts - GSP Forest Park
• Jared Williams - GSP Athens