For Gill Knox, a life dedicated to public safety was always on the forefront of his mind. Now, having spent half of his life with the Department of Public Safety, his next step in a career that’s taken him from the roadside to the polygraph room to managing South Carolina’s Law Enforcement Network, is now taking him to the courtroom.
“I have been so blessed to have such an amazing career,” said Knox, who retired May 16 as the Law Enforcement Support Services Manager for the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs. He will stay in the criminal justice system, though, as a magistrate in Chester County after being appointed by Governor Henry McMaster. But saying goodbye to a 27-year career will be difficult.
“There are a lot of mentors in the building who have helped me not only as an employee, but as a person,” he said. “I can’t repay them enough for all they’ve done for me.”
Although none of Knox’s family members worked in law enforcement, he recalled being in the car when his father was pulled over by a trooper and received a ticket for speeding.
“I remember my daddy being scared that he got pulled over, and I was like, ‘Wow, my daddy is intimidated by the highway man!’” Knox said. “That trooper made an impact on my daddy’s driving habits and life, and it made an impact on mine as well. That’s what made me want to be a trooper.”
Knox went on to pursue that dream in 1999, when he graduated Basic Class 73, and was assigned to Troop 4 in Chester County, where he was raised.
“I didn’t realize it at the time, but being able to serve as a trooper in my hometown community was the highlight,” Knox said. “I love where I come from, and I couldn’t be more proud of that.”
Knox remained in Chester County until 2011, when he accepted a promotion as a law enforcement liaison with the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs in the Upstate, a position he held for two years. He went on to attend polygraph school and became a polygraph examiner for the Highway Patrol. In 2023, he took over as the manager for the Law Enforcement Network until his retirement.
“My time with DPS gave me an opportunity to see all kinds of different people, especially as a polygraph examiner,” he said. “I interviewed people from all walks of life. That helped the most, seeing and talking with people of all backgrounds.”
Although Knox’s time with DPS has come to a close, a new door has opened for his next chapter. He will start as a Chester County magistrate on June 18, after the state-mandated 30-day break for retirees. Magistrates are county-level judges who handle civil cases, traffic court and warrants. Since Knox was a trooper, magistrate court was something that had always piqued his interest.
“The legacy I want to have on my community is that I treat everyone fairly,” Knox said. “I started out in Chester in 1999 as a trooper and I was able to work in my hometown community. Being able to finish in my hometown is a full-circle moment.”
Knox will miss the relationships and bonds he has made at DPS and SCHP, and promises to stay in touch with everyone he’s met along the way. After nearly 2,700 polygraphs conducted and hundreds of LEN meetings, he knows the impact he’s made.
“A lot of people have different callings,” Knox said. “My grandfather once told me that you’ll know in 30 days of starting a job whether it’s in you or not. I didn’t understand at first. After 28 years, I guess it was in me.”
