Familiar Face at Ashland Post Promoted to Sergeant, Transfers to Wooster
ASHLAND — A familiar face at the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Ashland Post is moving on to a new assignment after receiving a promotion.
Trooper Tanner R. Guinther was promoted to the rank of sergeant June 28 and recognized Thursday by Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones during a ceremony at the Patrol’s Training Academy in Columbus.
With the promotion, Guinther is transferring from the Ashland Post to the Wooster Post, where he will serve as assistant post commander.
While Ashland County will be losing an experienced trooper, the promotion marks another milestone in a career distinguished by criminal-patrol work and the recovery of stolen vehicles.
Guinther began his Patrol career in April 2016 as a member of the 160th Academy Class. He earned his commission that September and was initially assigned to the Van Wert Post. He transferred to the Ashland Post in 2017.
Throughout his career, Guinther has earned the Criminal Patrol Award four times and the Ace Award for excellence in auto-larceny enforcement. He was named Post Trooper of the Year in 2019 and earned the designation of master trooper in 2024.
Guinther received the Ace Award in February 2023 after recovering at least five stolen vehicles and making on-the-spot apprehensions during a single calendar year. The award recognizes troopers who look “beyond the plate” during traffic stops to identify criminal activity, recover stolen vehicles and remove illegal drugs from Ohio communities.
He was also among five Ashland Post troopers recognized in January 2022 with the Criminal Patrol Award for their work during 2021. The award is presented to officers who initiate at least 12 felony cases during a calendar year involving drugs, weapons or the seizure of currency connected to criminal activity.
At the time, then-Ashland Post Commander Lt. Bradley Bishop said the awards reflected the troopers’ dedication and service to the citizens they had sworn to protect.
“Their ability to look beyond the plate during each and every traffic stop has a direct impact on the safety of our community by removing illegal drugs and weapons from our roadways,” Bishop said.
Guinther earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in criminal justice and law enforcement from North Central State College in 2021.
Sergeant Guinther, congratulations on a well-earned promotion. Ashland County is glad to see you advance in your career, even if you are leaving what many here would call the best Patrol post in the state.
All joking aside, Ashland wishes Guinther the very best as he begins his new leadership role at the Wooster Post.
