Warsaw Grad Among New Troopers Hitting The Roads
By TRENT SMITH
Public Information Officer, Indiana State Police District 24 – Bremen Post
BREMEN POST — Matthew Drudge, a graduate of Warsaw Community High School, was among 46 probationary troopers from the 75th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy who were issued their police cars in Indianapolis. Drudge is one of four of the officers are assigned to the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post and will start solo patrol in the district which stretches across the northern most counties of the state.
Drudge currently lives in South Bend. He attended Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne studying public affairs and criminal justice earning a bachelor’s degree. Drudge is assigned to patrol duties in Lagrange and Steuben counties.
The other three officers include:
Brett Adair resides in South Bend,. He graduated from Clay High School and then attended Indiana University in Bloomington graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and criminal justice. Adair is assigned to patrol duties in Lake and Porter counties.
Daniel Burkey, is a resident of Hamilton and graduated from Teegarden Academy. Burkey also attended the International ALERT Academy where he became nationally certified in search and rescue, high angle rescue, advanced open water scuba diving, and structural and wildland firefighting. Burkey is assigned to patrol duties in Lagrange and Steuben counties.
Ala’a Hamed lives in Dyer and graduated from Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Ill. Hamed attended both Moraine Valley Community College and the University of Illinois at Chicago graduating with a double major in criminal justice and sociology. Hamed is assigned to patrol duties in Lake and Porter Counties.
The officers recently completed a three-month field training period while assigned with veteran troopers. They will serve a one year probationary period before attaining permanent status as a trooper. While at the academy they received more than 900 hours of training in law enforcement techniques including criminal law, vehicle operations training, and psychology. They also developed skills in criminal investigation, vehicle crash investigation, and impaired driver prevention and detection.