On December 19, 2020, 36 new troopers graduated from the Indiana State Police 80th Recruit Academy after completing a journey of 25 weeks of rigorous training. The recruits completed 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.

Yesterday, two new troopers assigned to the Bloomington Post reported for their first shift. They will now begin more than three months of field training which puts them working directly with several different experienced troopers, or Field Training Officers (FTO). After completing this Field Training Program, the troopers will be issued their own police cars and begin solo patrol in the Bloomington District.

The new probationary troopers assigned to the Bloomington District are:

Probationary Trooper Ben Burris, 25, 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. P/Trp. Burris and his wife reside in Mitchell.

Probationary Trooper Curtis Wilder, 23, is a 2015 graduate of Mt. Salus Christian School near Jackson, Mississippi. He then attended and graduated from Georgia College & State University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. P/Trp. Wilder and his wife reside in Monroe County.