Parksley native graduates from VSP training, will serve Eastern Shore

On Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, the Commonwealth will graduate its 143rd generation of Virginia State Troopers. The 32 new troopers will be presented with their diplomas during commencement exercises at 10 a.m. at the State Police Training Academy located at 7700 Midlothian Turnpike in North Chesterfield County.

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 Trooper-Trainees of the 143rd Basic Session began their 28 weeks of academic, physical and practical training at the Academy January 27, 2025.

The soon-to-be graduates of the 143rd Basic Session are from every corner of the Commonwealth, as well as Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin.

Serving the Eastern Shore from the 143rd class is a Parksley native Raul Alan Ventura Perez.

Upon graduation, the new troopers will report 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.