Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G is recruiting more force to the team

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Mississippi Highway Patrol is recruiting more force to its team. Troop G in Starkville held a meet and greet with potential officers Saturday morning.

“To answer any questions that they may have before deciding to you know potentially come over and change career paths and potentially become a part of the MHP department,” said sergeant Derrick Beckom.

Beckom works as the public affairs officer; he said Cadet Class 66 will operate as normal recruits, but on a quicker time frame.

“It will be the first prior law class that we’ve ever had.. so it will be a little shorter than the normal patrol school because these guys already have prior law, but the intensity won’t be any less,” said Beckom.

Dozens of candidates attended the meet and greet. The recruits are or have worked in local law enforcement already; so they kind of have a feel for what’s in store; and Beckom said he plans to accommodate them as much as possible.

“We’re hoping that each and everyone wherever they come from that we’ll be able to send them back to that location,” said Beckom.

The pandemic has affected everyone differently; however it’s not the reason that MHP is looking to add more officers to the staff.

“We kind of maintain being short at hand all the time. We’re allotted 650 troopers across this state, but at any given time we always have about 150 that can retire so that kind of keeps us behind the curve at all times,” said Beckom.

Beckom also said if anyone was interested in joining the Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G, fill out an application and submit it before January 21, 2022.