New Trooper assigned to the Eastern Shore

RICHMOND – On Friday, Jan. 27, 2023, the Commonwealth graduated its 137^th generation of Virginia State Troopers. The 31 new troopers were presented their diplomas during commencement exercises at 10 a.m. at the State Police Training Academy located at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike in North Chesterfield County. 

Among the new graduates is Shannon Kelley Callahan who is originally from Leesburg has been assigned to duty on the Eastern Shore.  Callahan joins Kelsie Cobb and Brian Misener who were assigned to the Eastern Shore in December.

The new troopers have received more than 1,300 hours of classroom and field instruction in more than 100 different subjects, including de-escalation techniques, strategies to assist people in mental health crisis, ethics and leadership, fair and impartial policing, constitutional law, emergency medical trauma care, and public and community relations. The members of the 137^th Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the Academy June 30, 2022.

The soon-to-be graduates of the 137^th Basic Session are from every corner of the Commonwealth, as well as Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York and the countries of the Dominican Republic and Egypt.

Upon graduation, the new troopers have reported to their individual duty assignments across Virginia. For their final phase of training, each trooper will spend an additional six weeks paired up with a Field Training Officer learning his or her new patrol area.