Indiana Troopers Association 2009 Current Events

Fort Wayne---The Indiana State Police post in Fort Wayne has added a third K-9 team to its District with the graduation of Trooper Shane Neuenschwander and his partner Smokey this morning at the Allen County Courthouse.

Neuenschwander and Smokey just completed 14 weeks of intense training in which Smokey was certified in drug detection, tracking, evidence (article) search, building search, obedience and controlled aggression. They received over 500 hours of training which was conducted both during the daylight and nighttime hours.

The training course was taught by Master Trainer Robert Compton of the Allen County Police Department. Master Trainer Compton has trained all of the State Police K-9 teams currently in the field. In September of 2005, Superintendent Paul E. Whitesell, Ph.D., implemented the multi-dimensional K-9 program which saw its first graduates in February of 2006. With today’s graduation, the State Police has a total of 30 K-9 teams statewide.

The K-9 program has made numerous drug seizures as well as making hundreds of apprehensions. Their tracking capabilities have been utilized to find children and elderly people who have become lost. Neuenschwander and Smokey join the existing teams of Senior Trooper Brad Shultz and Gunnar and Master Trooper Gary Shenefield and Beau. Neuenschwander, a graduate of the 60^th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy in December of 2000, resides in rural Markle with his wife Traci, and his two sons, Kline (4) and Korben (2).

ELKHART---A new Indiana State Police headquarters building taking shape off the Indiana Toll Road in Elkhart County is nearly complete.

The structure, located north of the toll road off the east side of C.R. 17, will be the center of the ISP's toll road operations, replacing an aging structure in South Bend. Work started last year and ISP Lt. Dallard Tackett said it should be done by mid-July and occupied by Sept. 1.

"It's wonderful, especially now after being here in this building," said Tackett, referring to the South Bend structure, a converted 1950s-era gas station. "It's just going to be great."

Around 70 state police officers will be housed at the new 16,000-square-foot, $5 million building, equipped with a training room and a mechanics garage. There will also be office space for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Indiana State Excise Police, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the Indiana Gaming Commission.

The new building, tentatively called the Indiana Multi-Agency Law Enforcement Facility, would complement two other ISP locations along the toll road.

The cost of the new water and sewer lines extended from the city of Elkhart to the location, located in unincorporated Elkhart County, came in much lower than expected, $702,000 instead of the earlier estimate of $1.08 million. That will mean a smaller expense for the city, county and state, which jointly funded the lines.

The county will end up paying around $280,000 instead of $450,000; the city will pay $170,000 instead of $285,000; and the state will pay $205,000 instead of $300,000, according to County Administrator Tom Byers. The $47,000 contribution from a developer with land in the area stays the same.

The county's share of funds comes from money generated in the Northeast Tax Increment Finance District, where the new structure is located.

I’m beginning to realize that the ups and downs of dealing with a loved one with cancer are extreme and unpredictable. Some days I wake up bright and cheery, thankful for my blessings, and I feel strong and confident in whatever the day might bring. Other days I am frustrated that my daughter has to go through so stinking much that it almost makes me sick. On those days I find myself wondering how the rest of the people in the world could possibly go on with their lives when ours has come to such an abrupt halt. It’s true, I wonder if these feelings lessen over time or if it’s just something that will sneak up in me as long as I live. Then, like on a day like today, we are still completely blown away by the kindness and loving support we are

continually shown. Caleb was asked how Aubrey was feeling and when the response was, “…actually, pretty good” he was told to take us (the kids and me) to the state police post. When we arrived 35 State Troopers walked outside, all with freshly shaven heads. How awesome is that?! So Incredible! We could hardly believe that even though Caleb has only been at this new post for 4 months that the guys would do something as amazing as that. It meant so much to all of us and Aubrey loved seeing all the bald guys.

Aubrey has been feeling fairly good. She is a little more tired and I’ve noticed more bruising on her, so I am expecting her platelets to be low, but she is still playing most of the day, which is great – she is always exhausted by 6pm though. Tomorrow we are going back to Lutheran Hospital to have Aubrey’s blood counts checked to see if she is in need of a transfusion or two. She will most likely need hemoglobin and platelets because she is at the point where the latest chemo is starting to take its toll on her body, but we can’t be sure until we get her lab results.

I’d like to thank All of You that have helped and supported us through this journey. Your thoughts, prayers, cards, gifts, and acts of kindness (like today) have helped us get to the point that we are at right now. Thank you!!!

Troopers at the Fort Wayne Post recently shaved their heads in support of the 3 yr. old daughter of one of a fellow Troopers. Little Aubrey Anderson, daughter of Trooper Caleb Anderson, has been diagnosed with leukemia and is undergoing chemotherapy. Aubrey recently lost her long, pretty blonde hair, so her Dad's fellow troopers decided to "go bald" in a show of their support for Aubrey and her family.

Lowell---Indiana State Police Trooper Detective Alva Whited recently completed training at the National Computer Forensic Institute (NCFI) in Hoover, Alabama for computer forensics and digital evidence analysis. He was the first Indiana police officer to complete this training.

The NCFI is run by the United States Secret Service and is a national cyber crimes training facility where state and local officers, as well as prosecutors and judges, are offered training and equipment.

Detective Whited provides the service and skill that is needed to recover files that have been deleted, hidden and accidentally or maliciously deleted or damaged. He can collect evidence from computer systems, cell phones, external drive, memory cards, and other storage media. Whited does this while maintaining the integrity of the data and the evidence by adhering to strict forensic procedures.

The most common computer crime in the news is child pornography, but computers are also instrumental in crimes ranging from check fraud to conspiracy cases.

Detective Whited stated, “A single image, document file, or email can provide the proof that clinches a case”.

Whited’s training is not just for state police use only; he will use his skills for any police agency in northwest Indiana including as far south as Montgomery County.

Whited has been on the department for nine years and lives with his family in Porter County.