It's Here! "America's Best Looking Cruiser Calendar Contest" is under way!

The annual AAST Best Looking Cruiser Calendar Contest has officially begun. This is the 9th year of this fun event. The voting has started today, August 8th, 2022 at 12:00PM EST. Voting will run until 5:00PM EST, August 25th, 2022. The top 13 vote getters will make the 2023 calendar with the top cruiser adorning the cover.

The site to view and vote is;   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QHXV8ZS

Once printed, the calendars will be available for sale at AAST for 10.00. All proceeds benefits the American Association of State Troopers Foundation.

We want to thank our marquee sponsors for their support of the contest and supporting Americas Troopers through sponsorship;

AT&T FirstNet - Tremco Police Products - Federal Signal Corporation - Sig Sauer - AXON

The Delaware State Police Community Outreach Unit has established a program to assist elementary school-aged children in need with the necessities for school. Troopers are asking for help with any donations to fill each child’s back-pack with school supplies.

Troopers assigned to the Statewide Community Outreach Unit have initiated this program and are working with organizations in their communities to collect and donate school supplies for children in need. Donations can be taken to all Delaware State Police Federal Credit Union locations or any Troop statewide by anyone wishing to help. Each location will have a box in their lobby for supplies to be dropped off. The donations will be collected now until Monday, August 30, 2021. A list of supplies needed for the students are listed below:

Backpacks

No. 2 pencils

Spiral notebooks

Washable Crayola crayons box of 24

Large pink erasers

Pencil cases

Colored pencils

Washable markers

Loose-leaf wide ruled paper

Highlighters

Composition books

3 ring binders

Plastic folders with pockets

Tissue boxes

Hand sanitizer

If you need to contact any of the Troopers in the Community Outreach Unit, their information by region is listed below:

Master Corporal Robert Colmery

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(New Castle County)

302-365-8466

Master Corporal Alfonso Jones

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(Kent and Southern New Castle County)

302-698-8520

Master Corporal Rickey Hargis

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(Eastern Sussex County)

302-752-3804

Master Corporal Lewis Briggs

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

(Western Sussex County)

302-232-3459

Please help the Delaware State Police give to the students who will need the essential supplies and materials for a successful school year. Thank you for your help.

08.03.2022

Resolution is inspired by Corey Iodice, a Connecticut tow truck operator for his family’s business, who was struck and killed in 2020 while assisting a driver

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced a bipartisan resolution to raise awareness of Slow Down, Move Over state laws to reduce struck-by-vehicle injuries and fatalities, and to recognize the important role law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, tow truck operators, and transportation workers play in road safety. 

“Our first responders and roadside assistance crews put their safety at risk every day to help people on America’s roads. Every state has laws directing drivers to reduce their speed or to move over if a vehicle is stopped on the side of the road, yet tragic collisions that injure and kill roadside assistance workers like Corey Iodice continue to happen. This resolution amplifies the simple yet effective way to keep workers safe on the roads: Slow Down and Move Over,” said Blumenthal.

“They call Indiana ‘The Crossroads of America,’ so as an Indiana Senator, I know how important Move Over Laws are in keeping our roadways safe. I’m a proud co-leader of the National Move Over Law Day Resolution, which would raise awareness for state laws like we have in Indiana which ensure that highway traffic slows down 10 MPH and moves over when passing stopped ambulances, police or fire vehicles, and other construction and survey automobiles. Ultimately, this initiative would save lives of both those traveling in vehicles and our police and first responders stopped on the road – tragedies which could be easily avoided. Creating safer roads is a step in the right direction towards building more prosperous communities everywhere, and I believe the resolution will help,” said Braun.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia have Slow Down, Move Over laws that direct motorists to reduce speed or change lanes for stopped emergency and maintenance vehicles. Despite these laws being in place, many motorists are unaware of them and roadside fatalities and injuries continue. On average, an emergency first responder is struck and killed every 4.65 days working on America's roadways, with 65 deaths occurring in 2021.

The Slow Down, Move Over resolution (S. Res. 734) is inspired by Corey Iodice, a tow truck operator for his family’s business, who was tragically struck and killed on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut in 2020 while assisting a driver. Earlier this year, Cindy Iodice, Corey’s sister, launched the Flagman Project, a non-profit organization to raise awareness and educate drivers on roadside dangers faced by first responders and highway workers in memory of her late brother.

“On behalf of the Iodice family, we strongly support this bipartisan effort led by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and U.S. Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) towards creation of a national move over day,” said Iodice. “It is because of the tragic yet avoidable death of our brother Corey, who was fatally struck and killed while assisting a disabled motorist in CT. that the Iodice family created FlagmanSafety.com, a national non-profit organization. Our primary mission is to save lives and prevent injuries of Traffic Incident Management Responders and the driving public. We fully stand with our U.S. Senators and others to raise awareness through education and accountability to the SDMO laws across the country.” 

The resolution is supported by a number of organizations, including the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA), American Automobile Association (AAA), American Association of State Troopers (AAST), American Driver & Traffic Safety Education Association (ADTSEA), Connecticut Department of Transportation, Eastern Transportation Coalition, Governor’s Highway Safety Association, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), National Safety Council, and National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC).

The text of the resolution is available for download here.

August 3, 2022

More than 90 California Highway Patrol (CHP) cadets will take part in one final physical task before graduating from the CHP Academy on Friday. As the sun begins to rise over the capital city on Wednesday morning, the cadets will embark on a five-mile run from the CHP Academy in West Sacramento to the California Peace Officers’ Memorial in Sacramento. The memorial honors the state’s more than 1,600 officers who sacrificed their lives while serving and protecting the people of California and underscores to the soon-to-be officers the dangers of their chosen profession. While at the memorial, cadets and officers will honor the fallen heroes with a moment of silence as a sign of respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice while in the line of duty. This tradition is a long-standing rite of passage for cadets completing six months of training at the CHP Academy.

It was a heartwarming Memorial Day story that worked out for everyone. Over the Memorial Day weekend, New York State Troopers came upon a vehicle disabled on the side of the road. After finding out the driver was a 91-year-old Korean War veteran with a carload of other veterans on their way home from the local American Legion post the troopers lent a helping hand.

“Yesterday two Troopers while on patrol on the Southern State Parkway westbound west of exit 27 when they observed a disabled vehicle and stopped to assist,” the New York State Police said today. “The Troopers interviewed the driver, a 91-year-old Korean War veteran who was driving back from the American Legion with two passengers, also veterans. The Troopers changed the tire and got the three Veterans back on their way safely.”

The troopers said it was their way of giving back on a weekend that was about honoring those who sacrificed for our nation.

“Troopers are always out there to help but with respect to this weekend we were able to help them, especially on this weekend and give back to these three men who served our great nation,” the NYSP said.

JULY 23, 2022

LINCROFT, NJ – The New Jersey State Police have graduated their latest class of state troopers to join the department in a ceremony held in Lincroft.

On Friday, New Jersey Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, and Colonel Patrick J. Callahan presented badges to New Jersey’s newest state troopers during the graduation ceremony at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, N.J.

“I am honored to address the 163rd New Jersey State Trooper graduating class and congratulate them on this momentous accomplishment. Today, they join the many men and women who have exemplified the State Police’s three defining words – honor, duty, and fidelity – for over 100 years,” said Governor Murphy. “I look forward to witnessing the great things this group will do while protecting and serving those in our state.”

“Congratulations to the 163rd class as they fulfill their duties and responsibilities to protect and serve the people of New Jersey,” said Lt. Governor Sheila Y. Oliver. “These 163 recruits have exhibited great determination and strength by graduating from one of the most rigorous training programs in the country to become a New Jersey State Trooper. I wish them the very best in their service.”

A trooper with the Iowa State Patrol, armed with a portable defibrillator, reportedly helped save the life of a RAGBRAI rider Thursday just outside Charles City.

The Iowa State Patrol said in a social media post that the bicycle rider went into cardiac arrest just as the rider was entering Charles City, the overnight stop on Thursday’s leg of the cross-state ride.

The Iowa State Patrol said Trooper Darren Flaherty assisted other first responders by using an automatic external defibrillator (AED) that he – like all state troopers – carries in his patrol car.

The cyclist, who was not identified in the online post, was taken to a local hospital and was currently doing well, the official said.

An official said it happened around noon Thursday near the Highway 14/Highway 218 exit east of town. Scanner traffic at 12:45 p.m. reported officials were dealing with a cardiac incident.

A similar event happened three years ago, on the 2019 RAGBRAI, when Trooper Bob Conrad used the AED carried in his squad car to help resuscitate a Washington state man who collapsed on the route about 15 miles northwest of Centerville.

Firefighters riding as a group in that RAGBRAI saw the man go down and quickly began performing CPR, according to a report published at the time by the Des Moines Register. Sgt. Nathan Ludwig of the State Patrol said Conrad was able to activate his AED and successfully got a pulse on the man, who was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Centerville then airlifted to a hospital in Des Moines.

“He was alert and talking by the time he was flown north for treatment,” Ludwig was quoted as saying.

According to the American Heart Association, an AED “is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can potentially stop an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest.”

The AED monitors the heart rhythm and can determine when a shock is needed to stop ventricular fibrillation, a rapid and unsynchronized heart rhythm that is the cause of most sudden cardiac arrests, the Heart Association says.

“AEDs are safe to use by anyone. Some studies have shown that 90 percent of the time AEDs are able to detect a rhythm that should be defibrillated. This data suggests that AEDs are highly effective in detecting when (or when not) to deliver a shock,” the Heart Association says.

On Thursday, cyclists were heading from Wednesday’s overnight stop in Mason City to Charles City for the next overnight. The route from Mason City to Charles City was 47.9 miles, the shortest leg of the seven-day trip, which had followed the longest leg, a 103.5-mile “century ride” from Emmetsburg to Mason City.

On Friday, the riders and all the support crews and all of their gear left Charles City for West Union, a 63-mile trip, followed by the final leg on Saturday, 65.4 miles from West Union to Lansing and the end of the 49th Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.

New York, Jul 2

A missing golden retriever named Lilah, discovered deep inside a culvert pipe in upstate New York, could not be lured out by her owner with peanut butter dog treats or cheese.

In the end, State Trooper Jimmy Rasaphone decided to crawl about 15 feet (5 metres) into the pipe under a rural road to rescue Lilah, despite the extremely tight fit.

He crouched down and literally disappeared into the hole with a lead that had a choker on it," said Lilah's owner, Rudy Fuehrer, who called 911 for help on Sunday morning. He was able somehow to manipulate his arms and get the choker around the dog's head."

The trooper and retriever both emerged soaking wet, but safe.

The 13-year-old dog had been missing since Friday afternoon. Fuehrer was walking his two other dogs  both Lilah's offspring  a few hundred feet down the road from his house Sunday when he heard a plaintive yelp.

I said, Oh my God, that's Lilah!' he recalled on Tuesday.

Fuehrer, who lives near Binghamton, tried the get the weary and confused dog out but eventually called 911.

Rasaphone and his partner showed up within minutes. Rasaphone said he'd go into the pipe since he was the smallest of the three of them.

Fuehrer estimates the pipe's diameter was under 2 feet (60 centimetres). He was able to pull Lilah out after Rasaphone emerged.

Fuehrer said he was grateful Rasaphone had the compassion and initiative to go nose-to-nose with his dog in a drainage pipe.

And he said Lilah is recovering nicely and out walking.

Needless to say, I took her out on a leash," he said, "because I didn't want any more escapades.

July 26, 2022

A long line of police cars, with lights flashing, escorted a Massachusetts State Police canine to a Rhode Island pet crematorium Tuesday night after the dog was shot and killed in the line of duty

FITCHBURG, Mass. (WPRI) — The Massachusetts State Police is mourning the loss of a K-9 who was shot and killed by an armed fugitive Tuesday afternoon.

Col. Christopher Mason said K-9 Frankie was killed as troopers tried to apprehend a suspect who had barricaded himself inside a Fitchburg home.

The suspect, identified by Mason as 38-year-old Matthew Mack, was wanted on several firearms offenses and as an accessory to a shooting that happened last week.

Negotiators tried to coax Mack out of the home peacefully for several hours before deciding to enter the residence.

Mason said Frankie was shot when he and his handler Sergeant David Stucenski entered the home and approached where Mack was hiding. Stucenski and the other troopers who were with them in the residence were not injured.

Frankie was carried out of the home and rushed to the Wachusett Animal Hospital by ambulance, where he was later pronounced dead.

Mack ended up fatally shooting himself a few hours after killing Frankie, according to Mason.

Mason said Frankie was a Belgian Malinois who would have turned 11 next month. He served the Massachusetts State Police for nine years prior to his death.

Frankie, according to Mason, was “highly decorated,” having won a number of prestigious awards alongside Stucenski.

“Frankie is the first Massachusetts State Police canine killed in the line of duty,” Mason said. “His sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

Mason said Frankie “had every trait we seek in a good law enforcement officer, canine or human: intelligence, immense courage, and dedication to protecting the public.”

“He was as loyal a partner as any trooper ever had,” he continued. “He was, as much as any human of the member of the department, one of us and part of us.”

Condolences began pouring in from law enforcement agencies across the region within hours of Frankie’s death.

The State Police Association of Massachusetts said in a statement that Frankie’s service “was nothing short of incredible.”

“As K-9 Frankie did hundreds of times before, he placed himself between our members and a dangerous subject,” the statement reads. “In this incident, the suspect opened fire on K-9 Frankie and his handler, and without hesitation, K-9 Frankie charged the gunman, disarming him and saving his handler’s life.”

Frankie was the first dog to be transported by ambulance since Gov. Charlie Baker signed “Nero’s Law” earlier this year, which allows first responders to treat and transport K-9s injured in the line of duty.

The law was enacted four years after Yarmouth Police Sergeant Sean Gannon was shot and killed while serving a warrant in Barnstable. His K-9 partner Nero was also shot and gravely injured, though first responders couldn’t treat nor transport him to a nearby veterinary hospital at the time. (Nero has since recovered from his injuries and still lives with the Gannon family.)

Mason said whenever a Massachusetts State Police K-9 passes away, the handlers call it “free time.”

“It means that these brave dogs who work so hard to protect the rest of us have earned their eternal peace,” he explained. “Free time and Godspeed, Frankie.”

Frankie’s body was transported with full honors to Final Gift Pet Memorial Center in Cranston Tuesday night. More than 80 cruisers from departments across the state made the drive to the pet crematorium to pay tribute to Frankie.

July 13, 2022

NEW JERSEY - Alan Laws took home four gold medals at the U.S. Police and Fire Championships in June

It's recruitment season for the New Jersey State Police. Like many law enforcement agencies, there are challenges attracting new recruits these days.

Anyone who does step up could be met by a trooper at the Academy with a unique title. Let's just say he doesn't have any trouble running after potential suspects. I found that out the hard way.

"I started competing at track and field at five years old," said Trooper Alan Laws as we were warming up on the Bauer Track and Field Complex at Rutgers University.

"I feel like me being in top physical shape has helped me in all the elements as far as whether it's shift work, whether it's every day patrolling, getting in and out of the car every day whether it's having to chase somebody down," he said.

"Has anyone ever gotten away from you?" I asked

"They haven't even tried," he said.

There's a very good reason not to try and run away from Laws and yet, it was at this point, that I decided it would be a good idea to try and keep up with him for a medium-speed sprint around the track.

We started at the 200-meter mark -- the first of a series of runs we were supposed to do. I wanted to give viewers of FOX 5 a real taste of what it's like to run with him.

It only lasted about 15 steps. My 41-year-old hamstring gave out in the most embarrassing possible way. He glided to the finish without breaking stride.

I should have known better because this New Jersey State Trooper is the fastest law enforcement officer in the entire country.

The 32-year-old recently competed at the United States Police and Fire Championships in San Diego and left little doubt.

"I've got four gold medals," he said. "For 400 meter, 400 hurdles, 4 x 400 relay and 4 x100 meter relay."

That particular track meet brings together law enforcement and fire department officials from agencies throughout the US to complete. He cleaned up.

Laws had a successful track career at Pleasantville High School in New Jersey and Delaware State University before deciding to join the NJSP in 2017.

"For starters, it takes a lot of discipline. And that's pretty much what's going on a lot of the time when you're in that academy for 20 to 24 weeks, or whatever the case may be," he said.

The discipline and elite physical fitness, helped him after joining the force - first on patrol, then on a tactical unit and now training new recruits.

"A lot of people feel that once you put the badge on, or whatever, you got to become robotic, because of the fact that you have a standard set of procedures or there's a guideline as to what you have to do to follow the rules of law enforcement. but you can stick to those rules and continue to be yourself. and I feel like that's what's made me successful as a trooper."

So now, in addition to his day job of keeping his community safe, Laws also trains and competes professionally several weekends a year.

He's hoping his story will inspire others to serve.

I asked him about recruitment season now underway for NJSP.

"Not for everyone," he said. "But those who are willing to go out there and take on such a task to being a trooper and take on the qualities of honor, duty and fidelity right now NJTrooper.com applications are open."

New Jersey State Police started accepting applications earlier this month.  The campaign lasts just a few weeks, until August 2.  If you're interested you can find more information is at NJTrooper.com

Anyone who joins may end up meeting Trooper Laws.  He's often at the Academy helping with the physical fitness part of the training. If there's anyone qualified to do it, it's him.

So when's his next race?

"It should be within the next two weeks."

Two women state troopers in the area are thankful they can work in a job that was unavailable and perhaps even unfathomable in the minds of many people just a couple of generations ago.

July marks the 50th anniversary of women joining the ranks of state police.

“I think it’s a huge milestone,” said Andrea Jacobs, a state trooper at Milton. “I can’t imagine not having women in state police. It’s great to be part of it.”

Jacobs, who enlisted as a state trooper in 2014, is the daughter of a state policeman.

She said she was looking for a career in public service and in work that could help people.

She served as a member of a patrol unit for three years and a criminal investigator for five years before transitioning to her present job as community service officer.

State Trooper Lauren Lesher, stationed with Troop F Montoursville, said she’s thankful for the first women who joined the state police ranks.

“I take much pride in their courage and drive to fight through the adversity that came with their decision,” she said. “Without them paving the road, I would not be able to be where I am today.”

After graduating from the state police academy in 2016, she began her career in patrol at Troop F Lamar. She later transferred to Montoursville to become the community service officer/public information officer as well as the animal cruelty liaison for Troop F.

Although times have changed for women in the workplace over the years, both agreed that not everyone is completely comfortable with the idea of women in law enforcement.

“It was certainly a bit different. Not because of the people I work with, but there are still people in the public who view you differently as a female,” she said. “It is definitely noticeable between the different generations. I found in patrol that I was often referred to as ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie’ while my male partner was referred to as ‘sir.'”

Jacobs said she hasn’t escaped being referred to by those words either.

“Out of our class, there was only, I believe, nine females in a class of 100, so that definitely set the mood of what to expect,” she said. “I was stationed at Coudersport and was the first female there in about 20 years. I got comments from the community such as ‘Oh … you are a girl trooper.'”

She said she feels that women belong in law enforcement. She also noted that women bring a different perspective to the job.

“Being a female helps me out in some instances with people talking to me,” she said. “They often feel more comfortable talking to a woman.”

Over the years, she’s learned through her job that everyone is different.

“You have to be mindful that not everyone has had the same experiences as you,” she said.

Lesher said, “I’ve learned that everyone has bad moments, but that doesn’t always mean they are a bad person.”

LITTLE ROCK – Today I am going to tell the story of an Arkansas State Trooper who put his own safety at risk to serve and protect a driver through a good deed that a Weather Channel reporter videotaped and posted online.

The trooper’s action was business as usual for state troopers and police officers. But as the Weather Channel photographer said, you don’t often have the chance to photograph the good work of police officers for others to see.

The trooper that Charles Peek saw in action is Richard Surrette, who patrols in Northwest Arkansas. One day in mid-May, Trooper Surette went to the aid of a driver who was stranded at Mile Marker 78 on Interstate 49 near Rogers.

When Trooper Surrette arrived, Jim Dacus was standing beside his car preparing to change his tire. Troopers are not required to assist with flat tires. They direct traffic and generally ensure the tire changer is safe. But Trooper Surrette says he has changed hundreds of tires. So he changed the tire.

Trooper Surrette, whose father also was in law enforcement, started his career as a Benton County deputy, where he rose to the rank of corporal.

The driver with the flat tire, Jim Dacus, is a 75-year-old veteran who grew up in Wynne and served as an Air Force intelligence officer during the Vietnam War.

By the time Charles Peek happened upon the scene, the tire was changed, but he taped Trooper Surrette talking to Mr. Dacus through the driver’s window, and filmed their smiles and handshake.

Mr. Peek posted the film to his Twitter page with these words: “MUST SEE! I saw Trooper Surrette changing the tire for this motorist. He finished just as I got turned around to video. Police are doing many good things but not often ‘caught’ on video. Thank you, Trooper Surrette!”

State Police Director Colonel Bill Bryant recently spoke to a law enforcement group in Seattle, where Arkansas State Trooper Spencer Morris was honored as a Trooper of the Year. Colonel Bryant noted that 500 Arkansas State Troopers patrol more than 16 thousand miles of state highways every day, and they frequently stop to serve the citizens, whether it’s changing a flat tire or listening for a minute to someone’s concern. They  are part of the fabric that holds local communities together. They are among the best trained law enforcement officers in the country, dedicated and always ready to serve. They set aside risks each day to make their state a safer and better place to call home.

Trooper Morris, by the way, was honored for pursuing a stolen car even after the suspect fired a weapon and shot the trooper in the chest. Fortunately, Trooper Morris was wearing a bulletproof vest.

Even though Trooper Surrette’s assistance was a routine tire change, he knows first-hand that even routine tasks can end badly. Years ago, as a Benton County deputy, he investigated a fatal accident at the same intersection where he helped Mr. Dacus. The victim that night was struck and killed by a car as he changed a flat tire.

Officers protect us because that is what they love to do. They will tell you they are just doing their job. Thank you Richard Surrette, Spencer Morris, and all your co-officers at all levels of law enforcement who care for us by simply doing your job.

July 4

ELKHART CO., Ind. (ADAMS) –Monday, July 4, 2022, a routine air patrol took a serious turn for Indiana State Police pilot, Sgt. Eric Streeval and Tactical Flight Officer, John Riggers, a corporal with the Capitol Police assigned to the Indiana State Police Special Operations Section.

While flying air patrol in Indianapolis, IN, they received a call around 9:15 p.m. that the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office needed assistance locating a missing child in rural Elkhart County. Streeval and Riggers immediately flew to northern Indiana to help search from the air.

They arrived in the search area just after 11:00 p.m. after stopping to refuel in South Bend, IN.

They began to search a corn field that was identified as an area of interest. After searching for about 45 minutes Streeval and Riggers decided to expand the search area and shortly thereafter identified what they believed to be the missing child east of the search parties. They stayed in the area of the missing child, giving directions to the search parties on the ground.

After about a half-hour of the search, parties reached the child. The child was found to be in good health even though they were missing for several hours in high heat. The child was returned home.

Riggers said, “I felt like there was an angel looking after that child that directed us to the right location.”

Riggers has been a Tactical Flight Officer for approximately one year. Streeval has been a pilot for the Indiana State Police for 19 years.

The Indiana State Police Aviation Section has two Bell 407 helicopters, a Bell 206L helicopter and two Cessna airplanes housed at the Greenwood Airport. The fleet is equipped with specialized equipment for search and rescue, traffic enforcement, criminal surveillance, and disaster assessment. It can be anywhere in Indiana in about an hour to assist first responders on the ground.

Jul 1, 2022

WAUKON, Iowa —

The home of a fallen Iowa State Trooper is officially paid in full thanks to the help of a nonprofit group.

Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Thursday that it has fully paid off the mortgage of Trooper Ted Benda's family.

The trooper was responding to a service call on Oct. 14, 2021, when he swerved to avoid hitting a deer. He died from his injuries.

Benda had served in state law enforcement for over 16 years.

Tunnel to Towers has paid off the mortgages on 22 homes belonging to fallen first responders in 16 states.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police on Friday, July 1, will mark the 75^th anniversary of the agency’s creation, a watershed moment that arose from tragedy and laid the groundwork for a proud legacy of dedicated service across generations.

State leaders established the Vermont State Police on July 1, 1947, in the aftermath of the disappearance of Paula Jean Welden, an 18-year-old Bennington College student who vanished the year before. When local officials were unsuccessful in pursuing the case, they called in state police investigators from Connecticut and New York — because Vermont had no similar agency. The case, which remains unsolved, rallied Vermonters and their political leadership to finally launch the Vermont State Police after many years of hesitation and debate.

“Three quarters of a century removed from those formative days, the Vermont State Police stands as a leader in public safety and law enforcement, working every day to serve all the people of the Green Mountain State: residents and visitors, survivors of crime, family members, stranded motorists, lost hikers — all who reach out for our assistance,” the director of the state police, Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, wrote in a letter to the agency’s current sworn and civilian members.

“Our organization and our people stand on the shoulders of those who served before us and built the Vermont State Police into the premier organization it is today,” Birmingham continued. “During the past 75 years, VSP has expanded and evolved into one of the country’s most professional, progressive, and well-respected police agencies.”

In 1947, Vermont turned to former U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Merritt Edson as the first commissioner of the newly formed Department of Public Safety, the parent agency of the Vermont State Police. His military background led him to fashion a rank structure and model the state police’s uniforms after those of the Marines. On Day 1, the state police employed 55 troopers and seven civilians.

Today, the Vermont State Police employs about 290 sworn troopers and 90 civilians, who operate out of headquarters in Waterbury and 10 field stations from just south of the Canadian border to just north of the Massachusetts state line. VSP has an authorized strength of 333 troopers and currently is hiring.

“It is my honor to say thank you, to each and every member of the state police, sworn and civilian, for your service to Vermont,” wrote Gov. Philip B. Scott in a letter to VSP’s membership. “You come to work every day, never knowing what you might face, but always prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of others. I appreciate your willingness to place service above self with a commitment to your core values of courage, honor and integrity.”

The Vermont State Police is marking the momentous occasion by unveiling commemorative license plates for each cruiser and badges for state troopers. These items will be displayed throughout the 75^th anniversary year during 2022-23.

In his letter, Col. Birmingham wrote that VSP’s anniversary celebration arrives at the end of the “unprecedented and transformative past several years, when a global pandemic changed everything, and the country engaged in a difficult but much-needed conversation about what policing should be. I assure you, the Vermont State Police will be better and stronger for it.”

He added: “One thing has remained constant over these 75 years: Your work ethic is second to none, and you conduct yourselves with dignity, honor, and a sense of service.”