Thirty-six probationary troopers graduated from the 80th Indiana State Police Academy on Dec. 19, 2020. Two of those probationary troopers have been assigned to the Indiana State Police Lafayette Post. They are Mitchell McKinney and Francisco Miramontes.
McKinney is from Greene County. He attended Bloomfield High School and graduated in 2013. In 2016, he became a dispatcher for the ISP Bloomington Post. He was a dispatcher until 2020 when he was accepted into the recruit academy.
Miramontes is from Tippecanoe County. He attended Harrison High School. In 2016, he joined the National Guard and is still serving.
Probationary troopers now begin their next phase of instruction, a three-month field training period working alongside veteran troopers. Field training aims to give troopers a practical application to the training they received throughout the formal academy. Upon completing field training, the troopers will be assigned a state police patrol vehicle and begin solo patrol. These officers have already completed over 1,200 hours of structured training in law enforcement techniques and hands-on, scenario-based training at the Indiana State Police Recruit Academy. Their curriculum included criminal law instruction, emergency vehicle operations, psychology, traffic law, crash investigation, self-defense, first responder and other general enforcement related training.
Upon completion of field training, McKinney and Miramontes will be assigned patrol duties in the Lafayette District.
Individuals seeking information on a career as an Indiana state trooper should go online to http://www.in.gov/isp/careers. This website will provide a detailed synopsis of the application process, as well as career information about the Indiana State Police Department.
