Former police PIO announces retirement

MIDDLETOWN >> Lt. J. Paul Vance, the former long-time spokesman for the Connecticut State Police, has submitted his paperwork to retire effective April 1.

Vance said in an email that he submitted his paperwork on Feb. 24. He has been a member of the Connecticut State Police since July 1974.

Upon graduation from the State Police Academy, he was assigned to patrol at Troop L in Litchfield. He was then assigned to the State Police Detective Division. Upon completion of that assignment, Vance was assigned as an instructor at the State Police Academy in Meriden, where he taught new trooper classes and also taught troopers in service training, he said in the email.

Vance said he was instrumental in the first state police aviation unit in the state. The state police helicopters performed not only police functions but performed emergency inter-hospital medical transport of patients.

Vance was later assigned to patrol at Troop I in Bethany, where he served until his assignment to the position of Prospect Resident State Trooper. He worked in Prospect for 16 years.

Vance was promoted to sergeant in 1998 and was transferred as a patrol supervisor to Troop L in Litchfield. He served in that position until he was trans- ferred to the Public Infor- mation Office as the executive officer working out of the Middletown headquarters.

Vance was then promoted to master sergeant and then to the rank of lieutenant. He served as the commanding officer of the Public information Office for 16 years and was the main face of the police agency during the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012.

In 2015, Vance was transferred to command the state police Traffic Services unit and was designated as the department traffic coordinator. In this assignment he also was responsible for dignitary protection and other specialized assignments, he said in his email.

Upon retirement, Vance hopes to be able to spend more time with his wife and family, he said. He also said he is proud to have served the people of Connecticut for the past 42-plus years with the men and woman of the Connecticut State Police, “a proud and professional organization.” He is also been very proud to have worked with many local police agencies, state agencies and federal law enforcement agencies, he said.

Sgt. Shane Hassett briefly replaced Vance as spokesman for the state police, but he chose to return to the Troop C barracks after only three months. Trooper Kelly Grant took over as public information officer and was later joined by Sgt. Eric Haglund.

MIDDLETOWN PRESS FILE PHOTO Lt. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police is seen at a press conference at the Middletown rest area on Interstate I-91.