Columbia - The South Carolina Department of Public Safety has promoted Adam Heitzenrater to Captain of Upstate Enforcement and Special Operations for the State Transport Police.

A division of the Department of Public Safety, STP oversees state and federal regulations regarding commercial motor vehicle traffic in South Carolina.

Heitzenrater will oversee Upstate field enforcement in Regions 2, 3, and 4. This includes Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick, Abbeville, Greenwood, Saluda, Newberry, Laurens, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, York, Chester, Fairfield, Cherokee, Union, Lancaster and Chesterfield counties.

“Capt. Heitzenrater may be from the Lowcountry, but he has spent his entire law enforcement career in the Upstate and will continue to be an asset there as Captain,” said STP Col. Dean Dill. “He has done an outstanding job overseeing enforcement in our Upstate regions and, most recently, overseeing special operations there. We look forward to his continued success with STP.”

Heitzenrater started his law enforcement career with the Greenwood Police Department in 2001 and joined STP in 2006. He was promoted in April 2013 to Corporal in Region 2, which includes Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick, Greenwood, Abbeville, Laurens, Newberry and Saluda counties. In April 2019, he was promoted to Sergeant in Region 3, which includes Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens and Oconee counties. Most recently, he was promoted to Lieutenant at STP Headquarters in Blythewood in January 2021. In his spare time, Heitzenrater is involved in the South Carolina Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics.

Heitzenrater earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Lander University and his Master’s Degree in Transportation Safety Administration from Clemson University. He is the son of Ronald and Cathy Heitzenrater, of Greenwood, and currently resides in Greenwood with his wife, Leslie, and their daughter, Hannah.

Photos available on the DPS Flickr album.

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, 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.