NEWPORT — Sgt. Debra Munson has been promoted to commander of the Derby State Police Barracks.
Lt. Munson’s predecessor is Lt. Walter Smith, who is retiring in early 2021, and the effective date of the promotion is set for Nov. 8, 2020.
Munson started her career with the state police in January 2011.
Following graduation from the Vermont Police Academy, she was assigned as a trooper to the Derby Barracks, where she worked until she was transferred in January 2017 as a detective trooper in the Criminal Division to the St. Johnsbury Barracks.
She was promoted in May 2017 to sergeant/patrol commander at the Derby Barracks.
In addition to those assignments, Lt. Munson served on the Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit from 2014 -2016, and the Members Assistance Team from 2018 until now.
She also is also an instructor on the use of force and defensive tactics for the Vermont State Police and at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford.
A Vermont State Police field station commander is responsible for overseeing the delivery of law enforcement services to the communities served by that station.
The Derby Barracks provides police coverage throughout Essex and Orleans counties in the NEK.
The barracks also provides assistance as needed to the Newport, Brighton, and Canaan police departments, the Essex and Orleans county sheriff’s departments, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The Derby Barracks patrols 25.25 miles of Interstate 91 as well as state and local roads within Essex and Orleans counties.
The Derby station area encompasses half of Vermont’s border with Canada and is responsible for an integral part of the Vermont State Police’s homeland security mission.
Troopers work with other agencies on a daily basis, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI.
