The
Vermont Police Academy occupies a central role in law enforcement in the state. The academy is responsible for training or certifying the state’s
1300 officers, including state police, local police and sheriff’s department personnel.
But early
this year the academy was shaken by the suicide of one of its trainers and the sudden
departure of its director. Since then James Baker has been serving as interim director and trying to address morale and staffing issues at the academy. Baker, the retired head of the Vermont State Police, says its been the most difficult job of his career. We talk with him about the problems at the academy and the impact they’ve had on law enforcement in Vermont.
If you’ve got questions about the Vermont Police Academy, email us at vermontedition@vpr.net.
Also, Valley News reporter John Gregg looks at the connections between the CEO of the Vermont Telephone Company (VTEL) and Vermont politicians. VTEL was recently awarded a $116 million dollar federal grant to expand broadband coverage in rural areas of Vermont.
Finally, a group of Vermont Guard soldiers deployed to Afghanistan have a daily ritual in which they mark off the days until their return home. VPR’s Steve Zind visited them at Camp Phoenix in Kabul to witness the "Marking of the Line".