SC Highway Patrol names first female captain

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety promoted Tara Laffin to the rank of captain on Friday and placed her in command of the South Carolina Highway Patrol’s training unit.

A native of New York, Laffin has been with the South Carolina Highway Patrol for 22 years, and becomes the agency’s first female captain, the Department of Public Safety said in a news release.

Laffin joined the SCHP in Dillon county and has served in various capacities in Lexington, Kershaw and Richland counties. Her most recent assignment was in Lexington at the Emergency Management unit which is responsible for planning the state’s traffic response to emergencies and large-scale disasters.

A graduate of Lander University in Greenwood, Laffin also is a graduate of the FBI Command College, SC Certified Public Manager Program, SC Master Instructor and FEMA Train-the-trainer.

Laffin replaces Capt. E.J. Talbot, who is retiring after 27 years with the SCHP, as commander of the training unit.

This story was originally published May 5, 2017 at 4:27 PM with the headline "SC Highway Patrol names first female captain."