For state Highway Patrol Trooper Justin Robbins, checking seat belts and handing out speeding tickets in Clay County was just a start.
For his work stopping drug traffic and other highway felonies, mostly alone, the Columbus Exchange Club named Robbins its Trooper of the Year on Thursday.
Robbins, who applied with the Mississippi Highway Patrol in 2000, has been in the Starkville-based Troop G since 2007.
He became interested in becoming a trooper when he saw his cousin — also a state trooper — display the traits that define the group.
“I”m proud to be a Mississippi state trooper, and I wouldn”t want to do anything else,” he told the club at his award luncheon.
His captain, Randy Ginn, said Robbins had gone above-and-beyond the call of duty in Clay County, where he”s the “senior and only man.”
“It”s not an award for writing tickets or doing any of the things we do every day,” he continued. “He”s very courteous and does a good job of showing our motto (”courtesy, service and safety”) every day in the way he carries himself.”
The Trooper of the Year award is unique in that Robbins was chosen by his peers, Ginn also pointed out.
After giving a brief speech, Robbins took questions about his work, including one about his most memorable arrest last year.
Robbins replied that it was during a road block near highways 45 Alternate and 82.
While checking a car, which had two large men inside, he smelled marijuana. Then, after a quick search, he saw there was a felony amount in the car.
His partner was busy with another stop, so Robbins single-handedly arrested the men and found a stack of cash along with the marijuana.
He was also asked what his most memorable speeding excuse was, to which he replied: “The best one I ever heard was, ”What would Jesus do?””
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