Two new troopers assigned to Troop A could soon be patrolling Lebanon

The two troopers you might see as they patrol Lebanon are Travis Doughty, second from right, and Benjamin Handzel, behind Doughty. (Courtesy photo)

VASSALBORO, Maine - Maine's newest State Troopers received their badges on Friday in ceremonies at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

The five troopers, two of whom will be stationed at Troop A which covers Lebanon, completed 10 weeks of specialized State Police training. All are previous graduates of the academy. The new troopers will now patrol with a veteran trooper before beginning to patrol on their own. The graduation speaker was Governor Paul LePage who noted that the five troopers all grew up in Maine and thanked them for wanting to serve their state.

Deputy Chief of the State Police, John Cote, told the new troopers, "You will witness events and activities that few people see, and your presence represents order, compassion and reason."

State Police accept job applications continually and have 14 vacancies in the 330 person department.

The new troopers assigned to Troop A are -

Travis Doughty grew up in Argyle and graduated from Old Town High School in 2014. He graduated from Eastern Maine Community College with an associate degree in applied science.

Benjamin Handzel grew up in Orland. He was homeschooled through high school, and graduated from Eastern Maine Community College with an associate degree in criminal justice.