FINDLAY, Ohio — This year, the Ohio State Highway Patrol is celebrating 90 years of serving the Buckeye State.
In commemoration of the milestone, the Findlay post opened its doors for a community open house. Members of the community, elected officials and former troopers visited the Findlay post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Wednesday.
One retiree was Richard 'Butch' Collins, a former Findlay post and district commander, who ended his 27-year career with the patrol as Colonel of the entire agency.
Collins said he is proud of how the Ohio State Highway Patrol stands apart from other law enforcement agencies, citing the organization's consistent discipline and demeanor across the state.
"The kind of organizations that we are [is] the kind of professional public service that we take a lot of pride in," Collins said.
Along with demonstrating the patrol's duties today, they also showed pieces of their history to the community. This included equipment from bygone eras and historic photos.
The Findlay post on Main Street, where the event was held, is actually one of the oldest buildings in the agency: it was built two years after their inception in 1935.
"There's a lot of history here, and that's why retirees like to come out and seeing these types of things, because the building does represent a lot of history," Lt. Evan Slates, the current Findlay Post commander said. "We take a lot of pride in maintaining the building and making sure that the legacy of the highway patrol continues on."
The highway patrol is currently in a recruitment drive, looking to bolster its numbers of potential troopers.
Collins lauded the six months of training troopers in Ohio receive.
"If you've been in the military, it's like going back to the military for a short period of time. But I think that you'll find the training is the best in the country," he said.
Slates encouraged those interested in becoming an OSHP trooper to reach out to the organization.
"If they want to do a ride along, or see what law enforcement is about, we're here for that. Not necessarily for just the state patrol alone, but other agencies as well. We want people to know what it's like to be a state trooper. And if it is for them, we're here to help," he said.