Oklahoma – The Oklahoma Highway Patrol announced the retirements of Troopers Charles Criddle and Derek Lowder, both of whom concluded their careers serving with Troop ES, the division responsible for security for the Governor and his family.
Trooper Criddle began his law enforcement career in 1996 as a reserve officer in Valley Brook before joining the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety in 1998 as a Troop R Capital Patrolman.
He later completed the CLEET Academy and, in 2004, attended the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Transition Academy. After serving at the Turner Turnpike for 16 years, he transferred to Troop ES in 2020, retiring in April 2025 after 27 years of service. Criddle also served a decade on the agency’s Underwater Search and Recovery Team.
Trooper Lowder joined the Highway Patrol in 1998 through the 50th Academy class. He was first assigned to Troop H in Beckham County before transferring to the Turner Turnpike in 2001, where he served for more than two decades.
In 2014, he began part-time work with the Officer Assistance Program, later moving to Executive Security in 2022. Lowder retired in June 2025 with more than 27 years of service.
The Highway Patrol praised both troopers for their professionalism and dedication to public safety, noting their long careers of service to the state.
