CHILLICOTHE — Two Ohio State Highway Patrol officers assigned to the Chillicothe Post have been promoted, the agency announced in official news releases dated Aug. 24, 2026.
Trooper Tyler L. Boetcher was promoted to sergeant on July 26 and will remain at the Chillicothe Post as assistant post commander. Sergeant Christopher J. Finley was promoted to lieutenant the same day and transferred from the Chillicothe Post to the Office of Personnel’s Professional Standards Unit.
Both men were recognized Monday, Aug. 24, by Col. Charles A. Jones, Patrol superintendent, during a ceremony at the Patrol’s Training Academy in Columbus. The Patrol identified both officers as Ross County residents in a separate announcement about recent promotions.
The Chillicothe Post, also listed by the Patrol as the Ross County Patrol Post, is at 201 Hospital Road in Chillicothe. The post serves Ross County and is part of the Patrol’s Jackson District.
Boetcher stays in Chillicothe as assistant post commander
According to Patrol, Boetcher joined the agency in September 2015 as a member of the 159th Academy Class. He earned his commission in March 2016 and was first assigned to the Lebanon Post.
As a trooper, he was named Post Trooper of the Year once. The Patrol said he earned the Criminal Patrol Award 10 times, the Ace Award for excellence in auto larceny five times, and both the Blue Max Award and the Traffic Safety Award once each. He received the master trooper designation in 2026.
Local reporting in 2024 also identified Boetcher as Chillicothe Post Trooper of the Year that year. That earlier account said he had also served with the Jackson District Criminal Patrol Section and is a Teays Valley High School graduate from Pickaway County.
Finley transfers to Professional Standards
Finley joined the Patrol in March 2015 as a member of the 158th Academy Class. He earned his commission in September 2015 and was assigned to the Gallipolis Post. As a trooper, he also served at the Chillicothe Post.
The Patrol said he earned the Criminal Patrol Award three times and the Ace Award for excellence in auto larceny once. In 2018, he was named Post Trooper of the Year. He was promoted to sergeant in 2022 and assigned to Capitol Operations as assistant commander before returning to the Chillicothe Post as a sergeant.
Finley graduated in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Southern New Hampshire University. He earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Daymar College in 2015.
The Office of Personnel oversees administrative investigations, professional standards, testing and assessment, and staffing, according to the Patrol’s official description of the office. The Professional Standards section reviews administrative investigations, advises commanders on work rules and labor agreements, and handles related personnel matters.
What the promotions mean locally
Boetcher’s new assignment keeps a promoted supervisor at the Chillicothe Post. Finley’s move takes a Chillicothe-based sergeant into a statewide personnel role in Columbus.
The Patrol described both promotions as part of a broader group of Ross County residents advancing into leadership jobs across the agency, including post command, training, and professional standards.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is an internationally accredited agency. Its stated mission is to provide unbiased, professional public safety services through inclusion, collaboration and innovation.
