Simons to lead Vermont Police Academy
June 30, 2021 | By Mike Donoghue | CorrespondentPITTSFORD -- A longtime state Corrections Department leader has been named executive director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council.
Heather Simons / Courtesy photo
Waterbury resident Heather Simons, 55, will oversee the daily operation of the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford -- the single full-time training facility for all law enforcement in the state.
Simons has worked for 27 years at the Vermont Department of Corrections, including most recently as director of the Office of Professional Standards and for nine years as the director of training and professional development.
With Simons’ appointment, women now hold the top three positions at the police academy, which employs more than a dozen people. Cindy Taylor-Patch, who joined in 2002, is director of training and curriculum development. Lindsay Thivierge, hired in 2017, is director of administration and compliance.
In announcing the appointment, Gov. Phil Scott said he was pleased to find a Vermont candidate for the post at a critical time. The council "plays an important role in law enforcement and our justice system,” Scott said in a statement. “I’m confident Heather Simons has the experience and enthusiasm needed to excel in this role and make a strong executive director.”
In addition to developing and implementing training, Simons will oversee the development of statewide policies, entrance testing and standards, and professional regulation at the academy.
“Our mission is around accountability, reform, and progression,” Simons explained. "I believe it is important, in addition to all of the work that Vermont has accomplished, that we uplift the committed professionals who are working to ensure Vermont is a safe place for all people."
Simons said the academy continues to evolve to train people to be prepared for the wide range of issues law enforcement officers now face on the street. The academy’s training program for full-time police officers has expanded from three to 16 weeks.
Simons said it is important for the academy to market itself and Vermont in light of staffing shortages in many departments. "We want to make sure we are creating a place people will want to work and train," she said.
Simons had served as a longtime member and vice chair of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council which had its duties expanded and its name changed by the Legislature in 2020. Expanded from 12 to 24 members, the council includes individuals from the public and a variety of stakeholders outside of law enforcement. Its makeup includes representatives from the NAACP and the Vermont Human Rights Commission. Other members come from the mental health services community, those working to address domestic and sexual violence, crime victim service providers, and advocates for racial equity.
“Broadening the scope of the council’s work and expanding its membership, the state is making clear that community representation and culture are key to all aspects of policing,” said Co-Vice Chair Xusana Davis, the state director of racial equity.