Six Vermont State Police troopers who work out of the St. Johnsbury barracks have been placed on paid leave, and the law enforcement agency is not saying why.
Troopers Colin Connery, David Garces, Elisabeth Plympton, Luke Rodzel, Gabriel Schrauf and David Wicks have been placed on temporary paid relief-from-duty status, Adam Silverman, a state police spokesperson, said in an email Wednesday.
Garces was the first to be placed on that status, on Dec. 27, while the other five were placed on that status on Jan. 5, Silverman said.
Silverman did not answer why the troopers had been placed on leave status.
“Speaking only generally, I can tell you that any internal investigation is confidential as a matter of law,” he said.
Asked about the troopers during his weekly press conference Wednesday, Gov. Phil Scott responded that an “internal investigation” is underway. Their leave was reported by the Caledonian Record on Tuesday night.
“I don’t know exactly what it is,” Scott said, “but I know they saw an issue and decided to put them on leave and investigate.”
Michael O’Neil, executive director of the Vermont Troopers’ Association, the union that represents troopers, declined comment when reached Thursday.
The placement of the six troopers on leave comes as the state police have dozens of vacancies across its force.
When fully staffed, the St. Johnsbury barracks has 21 uniformed troopers, according to Silverman. With six of them out on relief-from-duty status, the barracks is down by nearly one-third of its patrol force.
“The Vermont State Police is ensuring full police coverage despite staffing shortages at the St. Johnsbury Barracks,” Silverman wrote in an email.
“We are doing so primarily by having troopers who are assigned to surrounding barracks report instead to the St. Johnsbury Barracks to work their regular shift as needed,” Silverman wrote. “In addition, some troopers are working overtime assignments as necessary to provide for full staffing.”
Silverman initially told VTDigger on Wednesday that the news organization would need to file a public records request for information about the identities of the troopers placed on leave and the reasoning behind the move, despite the Caledonian Record report.
VTDigger then submitted that request and followed up with Col. Matthew Birmingham, the director of the state police, appealing to him to release the identities of the troopers prior to the fulfillment of the public records process, which allows state entities days to respond.
Soon after, Silverman provided the names and dates the troopers were placed on relief-from duty status.
