March 2, 2017
PIERRE, S.D. – Applications are now being accepted for the next trooper class of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Deadline to apply for entrance to Recruit Class 60 is March 24. Officials plan to hire a class of new recruits with training to begin later this year. Successful applicants are informed of where they will be stationed prior to accepting their appointment. Certified law enforcement officers are eligible for a hiring incentive.
It takes about a year from the initial application to graduation to become a state trooper. 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.
Currently undergoing training is the 21-member Recruit Class 59. Those new troopers started basic training Nov. 27, 2016. Their graduation ceremony is scheduled for July 21, 2017 in the state Capitol Rotunda.
“This extensive selection process and training program are designed to help us find the best men and women possible,” says Col. Craig Price, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol. “We want those who graduate from the Highway Patrol Recruit Academy to be prepared for any situation.”
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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