FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2002
CONTACT: SID GAULDEN, 803-896-8755

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety today presented Cpl. Mark K. Bullard with the Highway Patrol’s ACE Team Trooper of the Year award at the annual Employee Recognition Ceremony.

Bullard has been with the Highway Patrol for 15 years. He joined the ACE Team, which specializes in drug interdiction, in January 2000 and was promoted to corporal of Region One in October 2001. Region One includes Aiken, Calhoun, Edgefield, Kershaw, Lexington, McCormick, Newberry, Richland and Sumter Counties. Bullard has been to several drug interdiction schools, including the elite Desert Snow last year.

"Cpl. Bullard is truly an asset to the ACE Team," said DPS Director B. Boykin Rose. "Because of his dedicated efforts, numerous drug couriers have been apprehended and incarcerated and drugs have been kept off our streets and out of our neighborhoods."

Bullard took on the role of team leader for the Region One ACE Team last year, compiling all statistics for that region, producing schedules, checking reports and tracking disposed cases. In addition to voluntarily assuming these supervisory duties, he also made 75 drug possession cases, 14 possession with intent to distribute cases, three trafficking cases, recovered four stolen vehicles and four stolen pistols, and apprehended three fugitives.

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JB/39/2002

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