SCDPS Announces New Commander for Highway Patrol Insurance Enforcement Unit

For Immediate Release
December 18, 2023
Contact: Kyle McGahee, Office of Public Affairs, 803-896-8747

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety has promoted Stephen M. Craven to serve as Commander of Troop Ten’s Insurance Enforcement Unit (IEU) for the South Carolina Highway Patrol. The IEU works closely with the Department of Motor Vehicles to identify and prohibit uninsured drivers on South Carolina highways.

Captain Craven has served in insurance enforcement since 2017, during which time he progressed to the rank of Lieutenant / Executive Officer of the IEU in 2021. He was named Commander of the IEU to succeed Captain Donald E. Dickerson, who will retire at the end of December after nearly 46 years with the SC Highway Patrol, the longest continuous service in Highway Patrol’s history.

“I am pleased to announce that Captain Craven, a 24-year veteran of the Highway Patrol, will take command of the Insurance Enforcement Unit,” said South Carolina Highway Patrol Commander, Colonel Christopher N. Williamson. “With his proven leadership qualifications, he has been instrumental in developing and implementing positive change in Insurance Enforcement operations. I know he will continue to do great work in this new role.”

Since joining the Highway Patrol in 1999, Craven spent the majority of his time as a trooper in Troop One, which includes Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Richland, and Sumter counties. He graduated from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command in September 2015.

A native of Sumter, Captain Craven is married to Susan Craven. He, his wife, and their son currently reside in Sumter. He and his family are members of the Alice Drive Baptist Church in Sumter. Before becoming a state trooper, Craven served honorably in the United States Marine Corps for four years and achieved the rank of Corporal. Captain Craven is a 1994 graduate of Hillcrest High School in Dalzell, South Carolina.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.