STATE OF
VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY
STATE POLICE
ADVISORY COMMISSION
State Police Advisory Commission releases synopsis of
misconduct investigations involving Vermont State Police troopers
WATERBURY,
Vermont (Wednesday, July 22, 2026) — The Vermont Department of Public Safety
and the State Police Advisory Commission today are releasing the latest semiannual
detailed summary of internal investigations involving members of the Vermont
State Police.
The release of
these synopses provides greater transparency, public awareness, and oversight
to the activities of the Vermont State Police, while balancing requirements regarding
internal investigations and the need to have internal investigations completed
before public dissemination.
A report attached
to this statement contains synopses of the four investigations that came
before SPAC from July 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025. All the investigations arose
as the result of a concern raised internally by members of the Vermont State
Police. One of the incidents was determined to be founded, while the other
three led to the departure from VSP of the trooper involved before final
adjudication.
Synopses in the
IA summary do not include identifying information about the VSP members
involved, which is confidential as a matter of law.
About SPAC
The State Police Advisory
Commission was created by statute in 1979 and is comprised of seven members
appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Vermont Senate.
Among the duties of SPAC is to provide civilian oversight of the Vermont State
Police and to advise and counsel the Commissioner of Public Safety in his/her
overall responsibilities for the management, supervision and control of the
Vermont State Police.
In addition, SPAC is
statutorily empowered to provide advice and counsel to the Commissioner of
Public Safety to ensure appropriate action is taken with respect to allegations
of misconduct by Vermont State Police officers. To assist the Commissioner of Public
Safety and SPAC, Vermont law also requires DPS to maintain an Office of
Internal Investigations (IA), whose sole responsibility is to investigate
allegations of misconduct by members of the Vermont State Police. The IA
Office, staffed with a Vermont State Police commander, reports directly to the
Commissioner.
The current SPAC members are
highly respected professionals and represent a cross-section of Vermont. They
are Chairman Glenn Boyde and members Allison Crowley, John Filipek, June
Heston, Shirley Jefferson, Gary Margolis, and Seth Shamp.
SPAC meetings generally are
held bi-monthly and are open to the public (except when SPAC is in executive
session). Meeting dates can be found on the DPS website by clicking
the SPAC link under “Committees and
Boards.”
About the IA Process
The Department of Public
Safety IA Office receives allegations of misconduct or improper conduct by a
Vermont state trooper in two ways. First, the public may lodge a complaint by
telephone, through the Vermont State Police website, via email, or in person.
These allegations are called “citizen complaints.” In addition, each VSP member
is obligated to promptly report any evidence or allegation of misconduct or
improper conduct involving a state trooper. These reports are referred to as
“employee complaints.”
Not all complaints rise to the
level of requiring a formal internal affairs investigation. These are typically
handled by the station or unit commander. For instance, a complaint about a
trooper speeding on the highway normally would be handled by the station or
unit commander. More serious allegations, as determined by the Commissioner,
are opened as formal internal affairs investigations. In the case of an
allegation of misconduct that consists of criminal conduct, the internal
investigation typically is stayed pending the conclusion of a criminal
investigation and/or prosecution by appropriate prosecutorial authorities. Once
an internal affairs investigation is complete, the Commissioner determines what
disciplinary action, if any, is appropriate and should be imposed. The entire
case is then reviewed by the State Police Advisory Commission to ensure
appropriate action has been taken.
Vermont law requires that all
internal investigations “shall be confidential” except in limited
circumstances. Accordingly, specific details beyond the synopses of these
investigations cannot be made public.
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