STATE OF VERMONT

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

VERMONT STATE POLICE

TRANSFER ANNOUNCEMENT – LIEUTENANT/ROYALTON FIELD STATION COMMANDER

DATE:                          Aug. 30, 2021

FROM:                         Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director

TRANSFER:                  Lieutenant/Royalton Field Station Commander

Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police, is pleased to announce the following transfer:

Lt. Hugh O'Donnell, station commander at the St. Johnsbury Barracks, to station commander at the Royalton Barracks. The transfer was effective Aug. 29, 2021.

Lt. O'Donnell has served the people of Vermont for more than 18 years. He began his state police career in 2003 as a trooper at the Bradford Barracks, then earned a promotion to senior trooper in 2006 and sergeant/patrol commander in 2010. He transferred to the Royalton Barracks and became a detective sergeant in 2014, followed by assignments as commander of the Tactical Services Unit and later sergeant/patrol commander at the Royalton and St. Johnsbury barracks. He was promoted to lieutenant and commander of the St. Johnsbury Barracks in August 2019.

A Vermont State Police field station commander is responsible for overseeing the delivery of law enforcement services to the communities patrolled by that station's troopers. Field station commanders are the local representative of the Vermont State Police to the community they serve, and they work with local officials and residents to address public safety and law enforcement concerns in their service areas.

The Royalton station provides police coverage through parts of Addison, Orange and Windsor counties. Primary law enforcement services are provided for the towns of Barnard, Bethel, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brookfield, Chelsea, Granville, Hancock, Hartland, Pomfret, Randolph, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, Stockbridge, Strafford, and Tunbridge. The coverage is augmented by the Addison, Orange and Windsor county sheriffs' offices. The Royalton station also provides assistance as requested to Hartford, Norwich, Randolph, Royalton, Woodstock and Windsor (West Windsor) police departments as requested. The Royalton station patrols 284 miles of interstate and state roads within Addison, Orange and Windsor counties, including the junction of I-89 and I-91.

Lt. O'Donnell succeeds Lt. Barbara Kessler, who is being promoted to captain and will become co-director of the Office of Fair & Impartial Policing and Community Affairs in September. Sgt. Owen Ballinger will serve as acting commander of the St. Johnsbury Field Station following Lt. O'Donnell's transfer.

Lt. O'Donnell can be reached at the Royalton Field Station at 802-234-9933 or by email at hugh.odonnell@vermont.gov. To find out more about the Royalton Field Station and the communities it serves, visit http://vsp.vermont.gov/stations/royalton.

- 30 -