GREENVILLE – The Ohio State Highway Patrol is located on the grounds of the 2025 Great Darke County Fair just inside Gate 2, the fair’s main gate to meet fairgoers with an emphasis on recruiting new Patrol Officers.
“We’re looking for qualified professionals in our area from all walks of life,” said Sgt. Eric Devers of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. “The Patrol has a lot to offer, but people have a lot to give us back. “We are trying to meld what they bring to the table, that intrinsic value, and try to meld that to what it is to be a Trooper.”
“We have an upcoming class starting in January,” Sgt. Devers continued. “We’re hoping to get 80 qualified applicants into that class. “I would encourage anyone interested to stop by here at the Great Darke County Fair. We would love to be able to talk to you. If you’re not from the area or can’t stop to talk with us, please visit one of your local posts. Simply walk in and ask to speak to a Trooper. We would love to sit down and talk to you about what it looks like to be an Ohio Highway Patrol Trooper.”
Sgt. Devers speaks fondly of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, an organization he has spent the past 12 years serving.
“It is a huge blessing, it’s a big responsibility but it’s a huge honor to be able to put on this uniform every day to represent not only the Highway Patrol but obviously when you have this patch on, that says the Ohio State Highway Patrol, I’m representing the people of Ohio and everybody that travels and to take on that responsibility, that’s a big deal,” Sgt. Devers stated. “It is something I look forward to every day.”
“The job can be tough from day to day with some of the things we see, but we are well compensated and we have great opportunities within the Patrol,” Sgt. Devers added. “I tell a lot of people, if you’re bored with the Patrol, it’s probably your fault because you’re not putting your feelers out there looking at all the different specialty positions, all the different opportunities the Patrol has to offer its people.”
Sgt. Devers is proud of the excellent training that goes into becoming an Ohio State Highway Patrol.
“We have great men and women, great Troops at the Academy that do try to embody what it is to be a Trooper,” he said. “They work hard to have the best of what we believe to be some of the best training on the market, as far as technology we use, the methods that we use, the amount of time and effort that our instructors at the academy put into the applicants, so that we get into the academy. I believe we have top-notch training.”
