Senior Dane Padgett is beginning his path to becoming an Indiana State Police Trooper.
“So far, I have had a tour of an ISP Post in Jasper and learned about the vehicle and how everything works. I attended a week-long ISP Career camp, here soon I will be attending Ride along’s with the Indiana State Police,” said Padgett.
The Vincennes University Career Camp took place on June 22, 2025, and lasted six days. While at the camp, Padgett was named top camper for his efforts.
“It was an eye-opening experience, I learned a lot from basics to complicated and under stress situations,” said Padgett. “I felt really honored to be named top camper.”
According to a post on the State Police website, the camp “gives high school-age students an in-depth and hands-on law enforcement experience. Campers will participate in physical training, familiarization of police equipment, and conduct their own crime scene investigations.”
“(We) learned about the Indiana State Police as a whole and different real-life scenarios, was able to learn about detectives and all other units in the agency,” said Padgett.
While at the camp, Padgett experienced a structured day full of activities.
‘We had PT (Physical Training) at 5 a.m. every day. We were introduced to the SWAT team, Air Evac, Detectives, Criminal Investigators, Conservation Officers, the Forensics unit, and Troopers. We would eat breakfast at 7 a.m., then we would march back to where we were staying and brush our teeth, and then we would do the selected activity for the day, have lunch at noon, march back, brush our teeth, do something different, and then dinner was at 5:30 p.m. March back brush our teeth for the third time of the day, we would than do a fun activity before we had to be asleep by 10 p.m.,” said Padgett.
Padgett decided on this path with the help of Robbie Lambert, a current State Trooper and a family friend.
“(He) has helped me tremendously through the whole process,” said Padgett.
Anyone wanting to become a State Trooper can not enroll in the academy until they are 21. Until Padgett turns 21, he will be heading into military service as a military police officer. Once he enrolls in the program, it will take 26 weeks to become a trooper. Once he becomes a State trooper, he hopes to serve for a full 20 years, possibly more.
“I want to help people and make not only them but the community to be all around a better way of living while also covering statewide enforcement,” said Padgett.
