Residents of Amherst, Campbell, Halifax and Prince Edward counties and the city of Staunton were among the 40 new Virginia State Police troopers who officially graduated this week.
During the 134th Basic Session, trainees’ 27-week tenure at the VSP Academy, they received instruction in more than 100 different subjects spanning hundreds of hours. Academy training includes such areas as crime scene investigation, survival Spanish, judicial procedures, self- defense, cultural diversity and firearms.
Trooper Austyn A. Weaver, 22, of Amherst County, currently serves as a specialist in the Virginia Army National Guard and is originally from Huntington Beach, Calif. His first patrol assignment will be in Henrico County.
Trooper Jacob B. Moore, 25, of Campbell County, is a sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and will begin his career with VSP in his home county of Campbell.
Campbell County and town of Rustburg resident, Trooper Andrew L. Smith, 26, will begin his VSP career in the Norfolk / Virginia Beach area.
Trooper Andrew P. Jordan, 22 is a resident of Nathalie in the County of Halifax and is a senior airman in the Virginia Air National Guard. He will be patrolling Buckingham County as his first duty area.
Farmville and Prince Edward County resident, Trooper Jessie L. Green, 24, will begin her VSP career in Chesterfield County.
Trooper Jonathan P. Mills, 24, of the town of Farmville in Prince Edward County, is no stranger to VSP as he worked as a dispatcher for four years, and his father is a sergeant with VSP. Trooper Mills served in the United States Marine Corps and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Liberty University. His first VSP patrol assignment will be in Hanover and Henrico counties.
Trooper Robert D. Moran, 23, of Staunton, serves as a second lieutenant in the Virginia Army National guard and has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Old Dominion University. He will start his VSP career in Hanover and Henrico counties.
These new troopers will report to their individual duty assignments the week of Aug. 16. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a field training officer learning a new patrol area.
As the need for highly-skilled and capable law enforcement officers increases, the department continues to seek qualified applicants for the positions of trooper. All interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Virginia State Police Recruitment Office at www.vatrooper.com.
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Chris Graham
