Groups pitch in for life-saving equipment

Folks in the Middlebury area will spend a long time mourning Derek Bartlett, a beloved high school teacher and hockey coach who died following a sudden cardiac arrest back on Sept. 28. In addition to cherished reminiscences, some of those who knew and respected him will occasionally conjure a two-word question. “What if?”

Vegar Boe could have been content to let his career unfold in the private sector. The Norwegian national was director of operations at Rutland-based Censor Security in 1999 when he felt the pull of law enforcement service.

Middlebury police will soon boost their nascent Unmanned Aerial System program with a new drone equipped with thermal imaging technology, which will enhance the department’s ability to find missing persons at night.

Police Chief Jason Covey, with a huge assist from Middlebury PD Dispatcher Elizabeth Tracy, wants to make sure a greater percentage of welfare checks have a happy ending.

The program will give local officers an extra set of high-in-the-sky eyes to help find missing persons, monitor active-shooter situations, inspect natural-disaster areas, and document crime and accident scenes.

Not many towns or cities in the United States get the benefit of 30 years from a police chief, and especially one who so embodies the “protect and serve” philosophy, with a heavy emphasis on the “serve” part.

The Middlebury selectboard on Tuesday unanimously selected a new police chief: Jason Covey. Currently a sergeant with the department, Covey joined the MPD 23 years ago as a patrolman.

I imagine that people who have multiple encounters in the space of 36 hours with officers from the Middlebury Police Department would typically use the term unfortunate in describing the situation.

Middlebury Police Chief Tom Hanley has confirmed he’ll retire from the force later this year after 32 transformational years of service to the department and the community.

Middlebury’s public safety officials took a well-deserved bow at Tuesday’s selectboard meeting, with a local police officer honored as the community’s “law enforcement officer of the year,” and the department earning praise for its handling of a hoax “act … (read more)

A large group of people worried about Rebecca Ball, who went missing last week, staged a vigil on the Middlebury green Sunday evening.

The Middlebury Police Department has tentatively agreed to provide dispatching services for the Addison County Sheriff’s Department (ACSD), a relationship that could lead to a deeper discussion of a regional dispatching service that could serve all the co … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury Police Department Sgt. Mike Christopher has had varied assignments during his lengthy career, ranging from minor traffic stops to facing down armed suspects.But one of his biggest challenges was making a final exit from the Middleb … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY — Retiring Middlebury Police Sgt. Mike Christopher discussed a couple sad or tragic incidents he dealt with over 35 years on the force.Among them:•  The 2008 disappearance of Middlebury College student Nick Garza, whose body was eventually reco … (read more)

MIDDLEBURY —  Middlebury Police Chief Tom Hanley is recovering following a heart attack suffered during the morning of Friday, April 2. During a brief email exchange with the Independent Monday morning, the chief said he also sustained a sprained knee and … (read more)