STATE OF
VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE
POLICE
Vermont State Police announces retirement of Criminal
Division commander, promotion of new leader
WATERBURY,
Vermont (Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025) — Maj. Dan Trudeau, a 22-year veteran of the
Vermont State Police and the commander of its Criminal Division for the past
six years, will retire at the end of January.
Col. Matthew T.
Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police, promoted Capt. Shawn Loan as
Trudeau’s successor. As a major, Loan will assume sole command of the Criminal
Division upon Trudeau’s retirement.
“Maj. Trudeau
is an exceptional state trooper and an even better human being,” Col. Birmingham
said. “His tireless work serving the state of Vermont for the past nearly
quarter century reflects the commitment that he and all Vermont State Police
members have to ensuring justice for victims and accountability for offenders. Those
of us whose careers have overlapped with his are fortunate to call him a
colleague and a friend.”
“Dan is leaving
the Criminal Division in excellent hands under the leadership of Maj. Loan,”
Col. Birmingham continued. “Shawn brings a wealth of experience to his new
role, including as a detective with the Narcotics Investigation Unit, the
commander of the Vermont Intelligence Center, and most recently as Special
Investigations commander, overseeing multiple units within VSP. He has earned
the respect and trust of his colleagues and the people of Vermont throughout
his career. I’m excited to work with him in his new role.”
Maj. Loan
joined the Vermont State Police in 2007 and was assigned as a trooper to the Derby
Barracks following his graduation from the Vermont Police Academy. In 2011 he became
a detective trooper with the Narcotics Investigation Unit before being promoted
three years later to detective sergeant. He was promoted again in spring 2018
to lieutenant and commander of the VIC. In spring 2023, he earned a promotion
to captain as Special Investigations commander. In that role, he oversaw the
operations of the VIC, NIU, the Vermont Drug Task Force, and the Vermont State
Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit.
The Vermont
State Police has three divisions: Field Force, which covers all uniform police
services; Support Services, which oversees recruitment, training, technology
and internal affairs; and the Criminal Division, which investigates major
crimes including homicides, drugs and other specialized matters.
The Criminal
Division encompasses the Major Crime Unit, the Bureau of Criminal Investigations
and Special Investigations. MCU investigates Vermont’s most serious offenses,
especially homicides and suspicious missing-persons cases, along with
officer-involved shootings. BCI handles other serious matters, such as death
investigations, sexual assaults, crimes against children, embezzlements,
robberies and other felony-level cases.
Maj. Trudeau
led the Criminal Division since December 2018. His service with the Vermont
State Police began in January 2003, when he became a trooper assigned to the
Brattleboro Barracks. He was promoted to detective trooper in 2007 before being
transferred to the Narcotics Investigation Unit the following year. In 2010,
Trudeau was promoted to detective sergeant, and five years later to detective
lieutenant at the Rockingham Barracks. He earned his next promotion in 2016, to
captain, as commander of the Bureau of Criminal Investigations. In 2017 he
transferred to commander of the Major Crime Unit. His last day will be Friday,
Jan. 24.
Upon assuming
sole leadership of the division, Maj. Loan can be reached at Headquarters in
Waterbury at 802-241-5360 or shawn.loan@vermont.gov.
To find out more about the Criminal Division, visit https://vsp.vermont.gov/divisions/criminal.
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