COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) held a ceremony today in Columbia to recognize law enforcement agencies and officers for their 2018 achievements in statewide DUI enforcement.
Awards were presented to officers and agencies in several categories during the ceremony.
The following is a complete list of winners:
Officer of the Year (five categories based on size of agency):
- 1-10 officers: Officer Blake Gainous, Chapin Police Department, 18 DUI arrests
- 11-25 officers: Sergeant Jason L. Boggess, Port Royal Police Department, 19 DUI arrests
- 26-50 officers: Lance Corporal Justin Reichard, Hartsville Police Department, 52 DUI arrests
- 51-100 officers: Master Patrolman Kyle Gilbert, University of South Carolina Police Department, 52 DUI arrests
- 101 or more officers: Patrolman First Class Chad Allen Gantt, North Charleston Police Department, 133 DUI arrests
Rookie of the Year: Class I Patrol Officer Bethany Jeanne Hopkins, Bluffton Police Department, 29 DUI arrests (graduated from SC Criminal Justice Academy in March 2018)
Highway Patrol Trooper of the Year: Trooper Whitney P. McMahon, Troop 2, Post B, 67 DUI arrests
Highway Patrol Troop of the Year: Troop 5 (Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Marion, Marlboro and Williamsburg counties), 2,392 DUI arrests
State Transport Police District of the Year: Region Three (Oconee, Pickens, Anderson, Greenville, and Spartanburg counties)
South Carolina Law Enforcement Network of the Year: 15th Circuit (Horry and Georgetown counties)
Agency of the Year (five categories based on size of agency):
- 1-10 officers: Chapin Police Department, 33 DUI arrests
- 11-25 officers: Surfside Beach Police Department, 121 DUI arrests
- 26-50 officers: Bluffton Police Department, 264 DUI arrests
- 51-100 officers: Mauldin Police Department, 137 DUI arrests
- 101 or more officers: Mount Pleasant Police Department, 293 DUI arrests
2018 Law Enforcement DUI Challenge Network Winners:
- First Place: 15th Circuit Law Enforcement Network
- Second Place: 6th Circuit Law Enforcement Network
- Third Place: 16th Circuit Law Enforcement Network
The following special presentations were also awarded:
MADD Drug Recognition Expert of the Year: Trooper First Class James C. Welsh, SCHP Troop 1
MADD Barry Barnette DUI Prosecutor of the Year: Ira Grossman, Town of Mount Pleasant
Photos from the ceremony will be posted to the agency Flickr account (www.flickr.com/photos/SCDPS) and Facebook page.
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, Immigration Enforcement Unit and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.