Meet Georgia’s Newest State Troopers

The Gist: The newest batch of Georgia State Troopers completed their 32-week training journey, graduating in a ceremony featuring an address by Governor Brian Kemp. Four standout graduates received special honors, while the second annual Patrick Dupree Leadership Award marked a poignant moment for the occasion.

What Happened?: The Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth was a hive of pride and anticipation on September 8, as 37 new Troopers joined the ranks of the Georgia State Patrol. The 114th Trooper School graduation ceremony showcased remarks by key figures, including Governor Brian Kemp and Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, Lt. Colonel Billy Hitchens.

By The Numbers:

• 32 weeks of rigorous training
• 37 new Troopers
• 1,400-plus hours of diverse training, far surpassing the state-required 408 hours
• Four special proficiency honors awarded

Why It Matters: This is about more than uniforms and patrol cars. These Troopers go through intense training to protect and serve Georgia communities. They’re well above the state-required 408 hours of Basic Mandate Training by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council. These officers are proficient in everything from criminal law to Spanish.

Special Honors:

• Driving Proficiency: Douglas Hughes
• Firearms Proficiency: Aaron Guillaume
• Top Gun and Highest Academic Average: Jacob Stansell
  Stansell, who scored an academic average of 98.07, also received the CPL Chadwick LeCroy scholarship for higher education.

In Memoriam: The Patrick Dupree Leadership Award went to Trooper Robert Merrell. The award gains special prominence this year, marking the passing of Cadet Patrick Dupree, who died on the very date of this graduation last year during training.

What’s Next? The new Troopers will soon hit the roads and highways of Georgia, reporting to one of the 52 patrol posts around the state. Their journey, in the words of Class President Andy Benjamin, is “truly just beginning.”

The Troopers: Here are Georgia’s newest state troopers.

Trooper’s Name	Hometown	Assigned Post
Justus Alicea	Richmond County, GA	Post 25-Grovetown
Rachel Anderson	Houston County, GA	Post 15-Perry
Derrickal Bell	Mitchell County, GA	Post 48-Atlanta
Andy Benjamin Jr.	Evans County, GA	Post 16-Hazelhurst
James Byrne	Harris County, GA	Post 2-LaGrange
Jimmy Cenescar	Orange County, FL.	Post 9-Marietta
Levi Champion	Pickens County, GA	Post 3-Cartersville
Calvin Cobb	Tattnall County, GA	Post 18-Reidsville
Rebecca Crawford	Gwinnett County, GA	Post 6-Gainesville
Tyrique Fuller	Lee County, AL	Post 24-Newnan
Aaron Guillaume	Muscogee County, GA	Post -LaGrange
Karson Gunkle	Collier County, FL	Post 9-Marietta
Johnathan Hammond	Conecuh County, AL	Post 21-Sylvania
Russell Holman IV	Forsyth County, GA	Post 37-Cumming
Andrae’ Holmes	Bibb County, GA	Post 44-Forsyth
Douglas Hughes Jr.	Forsyth County, GA	Post 32-Athens
Devin Hunter	Stevens County, GA	Post 07-Toccoa
Greer Huss	Orange County, FL.	Post 27-Blue Ridge
Jonathon King	Catoosa County, GA	Post 5-Dalton
Alfred McCoy	Bibb County, GA	Post 15-Perry
Levi McMurtry	Columbia County, GA	Post 25-Grovetown
Robert Merrell Jr.	Dooly County, GA	Post 44-Forsyth
Gunner Metcalf	Buncombe County, NC	Post 23-Brunswick
David Nailor	Shasta County, CA	Pos 31-Valdosta
Ignacio Orozco	Okeechobee, FL	Post 43-Calhoun
James O’Shields	Gordon County, GA	Post 05-Dalton
Timothy Robinson	Rockdale County, GA	Post 46-Monroe
Seth Romine	Pickens County, GA	Post 05-Dalton
Reggie Shepherd	Cook County, IL	Post 48-Atlanta
Tyreke Sims	Brooks County, GA	Post 10-Americus
William Smith IV	Lamar County, GA	Post 52-Hartwell
Jacob Stansell	Bulloch County, GA	Post 45-Statesboro
Donald Terry	Worth County, GA	Post 40-Albany
Gregory Terry	Gwinnett County, GA	Post 51-Gwinnett
James Trivigno Jr.	Wayne County, NY	Post 24-Newnan
Jerry Verrill Jr.	Suffolk County, MA	Post 21-Sylvania
Walter Wyatt Jr.	Lamar County, GA	Post 1-Griffin