Staff Sergeant Derrick Beckom receives Trooper of the Year Award

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Some of the Patrolmen of Mississippi Highway Patrol Troop G made a pit stop in Columbus to help honor one of their own.

The Columbus Exchange Club presented its Trooper of the Year Award to Staff Sergeant Derrick Beckom.

A Eupora native, Beckom is in his 20th year with MHP and currently serves as Troop G’s Public Affairs Officer.

Beckom was selected for the award by his fellow troopers for his dedication and leadership. They also singled out his actions in preventing a person from jumping from the Tombigbee Bridge in Clay County last June.

Staff Sergeant Beckom was quick to praise the professionalism of Troop G and said it could have been any of them receiving this award.

“We go through all the normal things just like everybody else, but we’ve got to always remain professional when we’re out there on the job, and not take our issues to work with us, because we’re serving the public, and, you know, they expect, you know, professionalism from us, so you know that’s what we’ve got to give them, no matter what we’re going through,” said Beckom.

Beckom dedicated the award to his brother who has been undergoing cancer treatment.

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