Three new ISP Troopers to patrol area

A Decatur County native is one of three new troopers reporting for duty this week at the Indiana State Police Post in Versailles. The new troopers were among 54 new troopers reporting to their districts after graduating last week from the 78th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy.

New probationary troopers include 29-year-old Blake A. Litmer, a 2008 graduate of North Decatur High School. After high school, Litmer attended Wabash College where he graduated in 2012 with a degree in Rhetoric. After graduation, Litmer joined the Navy where he served from 2013 to 2017 in Mayport, Florida. He worked as a corrections officer with the Ripley County Sheriff’s Department from 2017 until he was hired with the Indiana State Police. Litmer, and his family, live in Ripley County.

The other new troopers assigned to the Versailles Post were 30-year-old Navy veteran Robert N. Jonas and 26-year-old Stephen M. Stoneking, a 2011 graduate of South Dearborn High School. Stoneking resides in Dearborn County Jonas and his family live in Bartholomew County.

Probationary Troopers Jonas, Litmer, and Stoneking will now undergo a three month training with a field training officer. During this time, they will be paired up with veteran troopers who will provide additional training in a real-world environment. Upon successfully completing the field training program, they will receive their own issued police vehicle and begin solo patrols. All three new troopers will be assigned to Zone 1, comprising Bartholomew and Jackson Counties, upon receiving their police vehicles.