State Highway Patrol Trooper Joshua C. Craft has been selected as the 2015 trooper of the Year at the Ironton Post.

Trooper Craft was selected by his peers and supervisors at the Ironton Post for his hard work and dedication to public safety. From the post nomination Trooper Craft was eligible for the Jackson District Trooper of the Year.

Craft was selected as the Jackson District Trooper of the year which encompasses ten counties and six highway patrol posts in southeastern Ohio. Craft will now be considered for the State Trooper of the Year, which will be announced later in 2016.

The selection of Craft, 34, is in recognition of outstanding service during 2015 at the Ironton Post.

Fellow officers and supervisors stationed at the Ironton Post, chose Craft based upon his leadership abilities, professional ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude, and cooperation with supervisors, peers, and the public. Craft excels in removing impaired drivers from the roadways.

Craft has extensive experience and training in removing impaired drivers. Craft is a certified drug recognition expert that is skilled to assess violators who are under the influence of narcotics. Trooper Craft shares his knowledge in OVI enforcement with his co-workers as well as officers from other agencies.

Craft is also engaged in removing drugs, stolen vehicles, and felons from the roadways. Craft keeps up with the ever changing trends that involve the criminal element. His knowledge and drive to keep abreast of new trends makes him and others around him successful.

Craft joined the highway patrol in April of 2011 and was assigned to the Ironton Post upon his graduation from the academy. While assigned to the Ironton Post, Craft has received the Division’s Criminal Patrol award in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Craft has also been recognized for his OVI enforcement efforts in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Craft received the Division’s ACE Award in 2014 when he recovered over five stolen vehicles that led to successful prosecutions. Craft has served six years in the United States Air Force and is currently serving with the Air National Guard. Craft is originally from Portsmouth and is a 1999 graduate of Portsmouth East High School.

Craft still resides in Scioto County with his wife, Christina and two daughters, Bryna and Sophia.