Indiana State Police Sgt. Michael Wood announced today that Probationary Trooper Ben Burris officially completed his 14-week field training program early today and was issued his new Dodge Charger. Trooper Burris will now work solo and will primarily be assigned to patrol Greene County.

Trooper Burris is one of two probationary troopers that were assigned to the Bloomington District after they graduated with a class of 36 new troopers from the Indiana State Police 80th Recruit Academy. All completed 25 weeks of rigorous training including over 1,100 hours of academic and hands-on training in criminal and traffic law, crash investigation, emergency vehicle operations, defensive tactics, firearms and other classes necessary for modern policing.

The two probationary troopers have now completed more than three months of field training which put them working directly with several different experienced troopers called Field Training Officers.

Trooper Burris, 25 at the time of graduation, is a 2014 graduate of Mitchell High School in Lawrence County. After graduation, Burris attended Ivy Tech Bloomington where he received an associate degree in Criminal Justice in 2016. Trooper Burris and his wife reside in Mitchell.