State police post open house offers career possibilities and a look behind the scenes

Indiana State Police Sgt. Timothy Grayson was just a Gary Emerson High School sophomore when he knew he wanted to become a state trooper.

The late Indiana State Trooper Rodney Means was his inspiration.

“Becoming an Indiana State Police trooper is the best choice I made in my life,” Grayson said.

Grayson, who serves as an employment services coordinator, was on hand Thursday at his department’s open house at the Lowell Post, 1550 E. 181st Ave., to help recruit prospective officers like Luke Thompson, a 20-year-old from Crown Point.

Thompson, who is studying criminal justice at Ivy Tech, said he is interested in law enforcement and came to the open house to talk to troopers like Grayson.

“I’m just trying to figure it out,” Thompson said.

Grayson, who set up a drive along with Thompson, said he wants to mentor and assist those who want to follow in his shoes.

“This is a career you want. If I can do it, you can do it,” Grayson said.

Grayson knows because achieving his career goal didn’t come without effort.

As a Gary teenager, he graduated high school and then went on to receive a college degree at Indiana State University before filling out an application to become a state trooper.

“It took me six times (including written tests and oral interviews) before I made it. It’s about resiliency and not giving up,” Grayson said.

The ISP open house served as a recruiting event and a chance for visitors to meet troopers, tour the facility and see demonstrations, including ones involving a K-9 named Remi and a Bell 407 helicopter.

ISP’s Lowell Post will begin its hiring process in the next couple of weeks and hopes to add to its class of troopers, ISP Sgt. Glen Fifield said.

“Our post, like many agencies throughout the state, continues to face staffing challenges,” said Fifield, the post’s public information officer. “We continue to recruit new troopers to meet the needs of our communities. If you feel like making a difference, we encourage you to accept the challenge and become an Indiana State Trooper,” Fifield said.

To become a state trooper in Indiana, applicants must be 21 years of age at appointment and have earned either a minimum 60 credit hours of college, two years of active military service, or six years of military reserve service.

The college or military experience is a new requirement for the agency for this round of hiring, Fifield said.

Eligible applicants must take a physical agility test and written test, and pass an oral interview.

Applications are available beginning Oct. 6 at Indianatrooper.com with the first class starting in June of next year at Plainfield.

Grayson said the open house showcases the many possibilities for those who want to become a state trooper in addition to highway patrol.

“We have so many specialities, including the bomb squad, helicopter patrol and K-9,” Grayson said.

Bridget Misner of Wheatfield doesn’t want to pursue a career as a trooper but given her college background in forensic science and biology, she came to the open house to look at the possibility of working in the forensic laboratory.

“I’m thinking of applying for a lab position,” she said.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Alyssa Partyka, who was at the open house to provide tours inside the building, said she went to the police academy and became a trooper before working as a crime scene investigator.

“I have wanted to be in CSI since I was a little kid. It’s like solving puzzles,” Partyka said.

Not everyone who attended the open house was interested in pursuing a law enforcement career.

Some, like Merrillville resident Shawnece Williams, who came with her daughter, Milani Williams, 5, just came to visit and view the ISP facility.

Milani’s interest turned to a bomb squad robot, operated by Sgt. Derek Fisher, while her mom stood nearby.

“It’s cool seeing their different tools,” Shawnece Williams said.

Deborah Laverty is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.