Laura Young
news@greenepublishing.com
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Senior Trooper Craig Lents started his work in law enforcement at the Florida Department of Transportation (FDT) in the Office of Motor Carrier Compliance in 2005. In July of 2011, the Office of Motor Carrier Compliance officially transitioned from FDT to the FHP as a result of Senate Bill 2160, and Lents has continued his work there ever since. Now, Lents belongs to Troop I of the Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE), and primarily services Madison, Taylor and Jefferson Counties, as he lives in the area.
Before his career in law enforcement, Lents worked for a highway weigh station before joining the Army, where he served for three years. His military work brought him overseas to Germany, where many of his family lived and served in law enforcement careers. Lents had always had an interest in working for law enforcement himself, and says that over the years, his varied careers had a way of leading him to his job in the field. "When I finished in the Army, I came back and started working for a weigh station again," says Lents. "Over the years, opportunities opened up for me, and I ended up at the job I always wanted. You never know where life is going to take you."
Lents enjoys providing good service to the trucking industry and commercial vehicles, and understands the importance of his job. While he doesn't relish pulling someone over to enforce regulations, it is an aspect of his job that he knows can help save lives, and he handles his duty with empathy. "Most of the truckers are good people, just trying to make a living like all of us," says Lents. "You try to be as fair as you can be, and keep everyone safe."
A challenging aspect of the job is keeping up to date with not just state laws, but federal regulations as well. "It's always changing," says Lents. "We need to stay on top of new policies so that we know what we are enforcing." That, and the constant development of equipment keep troopers on their toes. "It's still fun. You are always learning, you're never bored. There is a great leadership team within FHP, and additionally within CVE."
When he isn't working, Lents enjoys antiquing and going to antique tractor shows. In his spare time, he can commonly be found staying busy, keeping up with maintenance on the property he lives on with his wife of nearly 31 years. Their three children are grown and have moved out; their eldest son lives in Germany with family, their daughter lives nearby and works in Live Oak, and their youngest son lives in Maryland and is currently serving in the Navy.
Lents has spent a total of 28 years working for the State of Florida. The highways of North Florida are safer for the presence of a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper like Craig Lents. Thank you for your service!