Nashville, Tennessee --- The Tennessee Department of Safety is proud to announce the addition of 43 Troopers to the Highway Patrol. Graduation ceremonies were held this morning for Trooper Cadet Class 1207 at Two Rivers Baptist Church located, at 2800 McGavock Drive in Nashville.

Members of Cadet Class 1207 have spent the past 19 weeks undergoing extensive law enforcement training at the THP Training Center. The more than 850 hours of classroom training is divided into 12 major categories that include criminal and constitutional law, patrol procedures, professional ethical conduct and firearms. The new graduates will now advance to a minimum of eight weeks of field training.

Commissioner Dave Mitchell welcomed the new Troopers during the ceremony.

“Men and women who serve in law enforcement are passionately devoted to a profession that is more of a calling than a vocation,” Commissioner Mitchell said. “These new Tennessee State Troopers will go where others fear to go, putting the safety of the community first.”

More than half of the Cadets in Class 1207 have previous law enforcement experience, and 20 were members of the military. This is the first class to attend the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. CDP serves as a training facility that prepares state and local emergency responders to deal with chemical, biological and nuclear terrorist acts and handle incidents dealing with hazardous materials.

During training, all the Cadets also took time to participate in a blood drive for the American Red Cross, as well as a community outreach program established with the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Several members of the class visited children at the hospital and handed out Trooper hats and badges.

“I am proud of each of these 43 new Troopers. Each one of them represents what the Tennessee Highway Patrol stands for: professionalism, integrity and pride,” stated Colonel Mike Walker, who also gave the keynote address. “I hope you carry forward this community-minded approach as you go out and serve the public.”

During the ceremony, Trooper Steven Becker was presented with the Calvin Jenks Memorial Award for Excellence after being named the top Cadet in the class. This is the first time the award has been presented since being renamed in honor of the late Trooper Jenks, who was killed in the line of duty in January.  Trooper Becker was selected as top Cadet by THP instructors for his leadership, work ethic and academics. He is assigned to Houston County, which is in the Nashville, District 3.

Friday’s exercise included a processional of graduates, THP Honor Guard and the Oath of Office by Commissioner Mitchell. A list of the new Troopers and the counties to which they are assigned is also available online. Individual photographs of each Trooper are available upon request.

The Tennessee Department of Safety's mission is (www.tn.gov/safety) to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.