NEW HAVEN — Lt. Jeff Danoski (pictured), who has headed Vermont State Police in Addison County since November 2016 has been given a new special assignment, but expects to return to his desk at the New Haven barracks on Route 7.
The temporary shuffle of Danoski is the latest in a string of station commanders overseeing the New Haven barracks through the years. He was the third in four months when he was named.
Danoski is now in charge of the Rutland County barracks while Lt. Michael Studin is under investigation by the department’s internal affairs office, state police spokesman Adam Silverman said.
Sgt. Matthew Daley of the New Haven barracks has been temporarily appointed to fill Danoski’s regular post, Silverman reported.
It was unclear how long the temporary assignments for Danoski and Daley would last. Studin, the station commander for two years, and two troopers from the Shaftsbury barracks were placed on paid leave on Oct. 29, Silverman said. The case centers on how a case concerning an off-duty probationary trooper from the Rutland barracks was handled in Bennington, officials said.
State Trooper Spencer Foucher resigned Oct. 29, one day after an incident at the Cumberland Farms in Bennington, officials said. He was hired Jan. 16.
Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage said Tuesday afternoon she does not plan to file any criminal charges against Foucher.
Two other state troopers, Thomas Stange and Benjamin Irwin, both assigned to the Shaftsbury barracks, were placed on paid administrative leave the same day Foucher resigned, Silverman confirmed.
Stange has been a state trooper since July 16, 2012, while Irwin was hired July 10, 2017.
When state troopers are placed on administrative leave, the department takes their police cruiser, firearms, badge, credentials, computer and other department property so they are unable to perform any law enforcement work.
Silverman confirmed the department’s internal affairs office is conducting an investigation on the three troopers on leave. Vermont State Police have a special law that allows internal affairs to be considered confidential.
“The Vermont State Police take situations like this seriously and respond swiftly,” said Silverman in a statement on behalf of the department.
“As soon as Senior Command Staff learned of the situation, they immediately took action with respect to the members involved. Because Vermont law is clear that internal investigations are not matters of public record, the Vermont State Police is unable to say anything further at this time,” the statement said.
State Police Col. Matthew Birmingham declined comment beyond the department issued statement.
The Vermont Department of Public Safety, which oversees state police, initially denied a public records request seeking information about the four troopers. After a request for reconsideration, the state police opted to provide some material.