Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security officials formally recognized six recent promotions in a special ceremony Tuesday at the Tennessee Highway Patrol Training Center in Nashville. Commissioner Bill Gibbons, Deputy Commissioner Larry Godwin, Tennessee Highway Patrol Colonel Tracy Trott, and Assistant Commissioner David Purkey were on-hand to congratulate the recipients.   

Danny W. Talley has been promoted to the rank of major, supervising the agency’s Administrative Bureau. The promotion for Mr. Talley, who held the rank of Captain and commander of the Fall Branch District, was effective July 1. Prior to serving as Fall Branch District Captain, Mr. Talley led the THP’s Criminal Investigations Division as Captain. Throughout his career with the highway patrol, Mr. Talley has served several special assignments, including the THP Wolfpack Criminal Interdiction Team, THP Strike Team, U.S. Customs Strike Force, and Presidential Inauguration Detail. He’s also served as a K-9 handler, riot control unit and criminal interdiction unit supervisor, and a firearms instructor. Mr. Talley became a state trooper in 1987. He started his career in law enforcement as a police officer in Big Stone Gap, Va. Mr. Talley is a graduate of Walters State Community College with an associate’s degree in criminal justice. He is currently enrolled at East Tennessee State University earning a bachelor’s degree. Mr. Talley is also a graduate of the Virginia Law Enforcement Training Academy, the THP Recruit Training Academy, Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command, Tennessee Law Enforcement Executive Development, and the FBI National Academy.

Mark Proctor has been promoted to captain overseeing the agency’s Capitol Security and Executive Protection Units. Captain Proctor has been assigned to the Governor’s Security Detail since 2001. During that time, he advanced to the ranks of sergeant and lieutenant with the Executive and Protective Services unit. Most recently, as lieutenant, Mr. Proctor has been responsible for the supervision of the security teams for the Governor and First Lady. Mr.  Proctor graduated from the Tennessee Highway Patrol Academy in 1997 and was first stationed as a road trooper in Dyer County. He also worked as a road trooper in Dickson, Humphreys and Cheatham counties. Originally from Humphreys County, Mr. Proctor is a graduate of McEwen High School, Austin Peay State University, and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

R.C. Christian has promoted to Captain of the THP Cookeville District.  He is a 23-year veteran of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, beginning his career in 1989 in the Nashville District as a Road Trooper assigned to Williamson and Wilson Counties. In 1998 Mr. Christian was transferred to the Cookeville District. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2002 and supervised the daily operations in Van Buren and Bledsoe Counties. In 2006, Mr. Christian was promoted to Lieutenant and served as the Special Programs supervisor for the district. Those duties included supervision of several programs, including D.A.R.E., New Entrant, Pupil Transportation, ACES, and Safety Education. Mr. Christian is a 2006 graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He has also completed numerous training courses throughout his career, including Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement, Incident/Unified Command School, Advanced Traffic Reconstruction, and is a certified police instructor.

Stephen M. Street has been promoted to Captain of the agency’s Fall Branch District. Mr. Street previously served as the District’s Administrative Lieutenant and replaces Danny Talley, who was recently advanced to the rank of Major. A native of Carter County, Mr. Street has also held positions as Special Programs Lieutenant and Troop Lieutenant in Sullivan County, as well as Patrol Sergeant in both Carter and Sullivan Counties.  Mr. Street has accumulated several accolades during his career, earning Trooper of the Year honors in Troop B and Troop C in the Fall Branch District in 1998 and 2000, respectively. He also brings extensive specialized training to his new role as Captain of the 13-county Fall Branch District. The East Tennessee State University alumnus has instructed field training officers, taught management training for supervisors, and was a Drug Abuse Resistance Educator (D.A.R.E.) instructor. Mr. Street is also skilled as a child restraint device technician, advanced accident investigation and as a radar instructor. He graduated from the THP Cadet Class as President of Class 296, and entered his first assignment as a Road Trooper in the Chattanooga District in 1996. He began his career in law enforcement as a dispatcher for the Carter County Sheriff’s Department, before advancing to jailer and then Deputy Sheriff for the agency. Mr. Street later served as a D.A.R.E. Officer for Carter County.

Charlie Caplinger has been promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the THP’s Nashville District, serving as a Road Sergeant in Robertson County. Mr. Caplinger has served as a Trooper in this district since he was commissioned in 2002. The Smithville, Tenn. native started his THP career in Robertson County as a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer. He was transferred to Wilson County as a road trooper in 2004. Mr. Caplinger remained in Wilson County until 2008 when he was transferred to the ACES (Alternative Commercial Enforcement Strategies) program under the Special Programs section. Mr. Caplinger serves on the Nashville district STRIKE team and has numerous commercial motor vehicle certifications including Level 1, Haz-Mat, Cargo Tanker, and Compliance Review. He has attended Northwestern University School of Police Personnel and was named Trooper of the year in 2010.

James Cotter has been promoted to Training Advisor for the Office of Homeland Security. He has served the Department as Regional Advisor since 2008. Mr. Cotter has over 20 years of law enforcement experience. He started his law enforcement career in Tennessee in 1996 with the Metro Nashville Airport Police where he became a member of the Bomb Squad and SWAT Team and was a Field Training Officer (FTO). In 2000, Mr. Cotter took a position with the Brentwood police department where he became a Certified Criminal Intelligence Analyst, Crime Scene Investigator, and one of the first Tennessee Terrorism Liaison Officers (TLO). He worked with the ATF in the areas of explosives and extremist groups, and became a regular guest instructor on the subject of post blast investigation at the National Center for Explosive Testing and Research (NCETR) at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Al.  Mr. Cotter is a graduate of the Department of Justice’s Hazardous Devices School (HDS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Technician school, the National White Collar Crime Center’s Basic and Advanced Terrorism Intelligence Analysts Course, the Institute of Police Technology and Management, and graduate of LEAD TN. Mr. Cotter is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps as a Sergeant with numerous deployments to the Middle East, Africa, and South and Central America. Some of his awards include the Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal and Presidential Unit Citation.