2005-66
NEWS RELEASE:   December 28, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM:   The Kansas Highway Patrol
CONTACT:   LT John Eichkorn 785-296-6800

Lieutenant Symns Retires From the Patrol

Colonel William Seck, Superintendent of the Kansas Highway Patrol, has announced that Lt. Robert A. Symns has retired from the Patrol, after serving the citizens of Kansas for 27 years. Symns retired on Dec. 17, 2005.

Symns joined the Patrol on June 18, 1978 as a trooper performing road patrol duties in the Great Bend area. In February 1984, he transferred to patrol the Wichita area. Symns became a pilot with the Patrol in July 1984 and remained in Wichita. He was promoted to sergeant in 1992 and was assigned as an aircraft supervisor in Hays. In 1995, Symns became a zone supervisor in addition to his aircraft supervisor duties. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1998 and continued to serve as a zone and aircraft supervisor in Hays. As a member of the Patrol, Symns was a cannabis eradication and detection instructor for the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Patrol. He also was a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Operation Pipeline and criminal interdiction/drug recognition instructor for the Patrol. Symns was the assistant troop evidence property officer in Hays for the past 10 years.

Symns is a graduate of Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Kan. He has a degree in administration of justice from Hutchinson Community College, and attended the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center for basic law enforcement training. Prior to joining the Patrol, Symns was a deputy sheriff for the Reno County Sheriff's Office. He received the Reno County Sheriff's Office Meritorious Award for saving a prisoner's life in April 1976. He is a member of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association, Law Enforcement Thermographers Association and Celebration Community Church in Hays.

The Patrol wishes the best to Bob in his retirement!