CLEMSON, SC – The South Carolina Highway Patrol is looking to recruit more troopers to join them. And they’re not just waiting around for resumes to come in.

With a shiny, new patrol motorcycle parked just inside the main gate at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, Highway Patrol greeted hundreds of Clemson and USC baseball fans ahead of their big Sunday rivalry game.

“We try to come up with a little different way of doing things and a different way of attracting interest,” Cpl. Bill Rhyne said about their efforts.

Their goal is to find the right people to join the first of 3 classes this year, in April, to become a South Carolina Trooper. They knew at the game, hundreds of people from around the state could be there.

“We are looking for the most qualified out there,” Cpl. Rhyne said. “It is the greatest rivalry in baseball. So we are looking at doing things a little different, other than hiring events.”

Highway Patrol told us last year, they’ve been struggling to recruit in recent years.

“Obviously the events going on around the nation has affected some of our applicants applying.  We recently did a pay increase for starting salary, and that has helped.  It’s almost doubled our number of applicants we get per week,” Colonel Mike Oliver said in December, on their Trooper shortage.

They’ve been finding unconventional ways, like the baseball game, to spark an interest across the state. They plan on looking for more opportunities to reach a goal of having around 900 troopers total by the end of this year.

“When you start looking at the fatality rate that we deal with in South Carolina, last year we lost 973 people on our roadways,” Cpl. Rhyne added. “What better way to contribute than to come out here, do the job and be involved to help save lives?”

Applicants no longer have to be a South Carolina resident to become a Trooper. Recruiters are going out of state to find the best of the best to join the patrol.

To be a Trooper, you have to be 21 years old without a criminal history. You’ll need a high school diploma and a valid drivers license.

You can apply online. Find our more by clicking here.