FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 3, 2004

CONTACT: Capt. K.L. McClary, 803-896-8162

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

 

COLUMBIA - The South Carolina Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol has made changes in its Community Relations Officers program, which will affect how the media contact CROs.

 

Beginning today, there will be a new protocol for contacting the Highway Patrol for information regarding collisions and general traffic questions. The state will be divided into regions (see below). The CRO that you should contact during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) is listed below. The media will be notified when another CRO will be taking media call during office hours.

 

The primary change for the media will be in contacting the CROs on nights and weekends. CROs will rotate call after 5 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends. A schedule, including pager numbers, is attached. Please post this in an area accessible to all reporters.  

 

L/Cpl. Josef Robinson or L/Cpl. Dwight Green: Troop One Media Market: Richland, Sumter, Clarendon, Calhoun, Lexington, Orangeburg, Barnwell, Aiken and Saluda, Lee and Kershaw

L/Cpl. Dan Marsceau or L/Cpl. Steve Sluder: Troop Three Media Market: Oconee, Pickens, Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Laurens, Abbeville, Greenwood, McCormick and Edgefield.

L/Cpl. Bryan McDougald: Troop Four Media Market: York, Lancaster, Chester, Chesterfield, Cherokee, Union, Fairfield, and Newberry.

Vacant: (call Sgt. Tony Love until filled) Troop Five Media Market: Marlboro, Dillon, Marion, Horry, Florence, Darlington, Williamsburg, Georgetown.

L/Cpl. Paul Brouthers: Troop Six Media Market: Berkeley, Dorchester, Colleton, Charleston, Jasper, Beaufort, Hampton, Allendale, Bamberg.

 

Media black-out times (periods when CROs will not be available for media calls) will take effect September 6 beginning at 11 p.m. each day and ending the following day at 6 a.m.  The CROs will be notified by a supervisor in the event of a major collision or other item of news interest during these blackout times and the CROs will in turn contact the media.

 

DPS Spokesman Sid Gaulden will continue to field all non-routine traffic calls, including DPS policy/budget issues.

 

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