The Vermont State Police has appointed Ron LaFond Jr. and Christian Pedoty to new leadership roles at the organization — the former as director of the Vermont Intelligence Center and the latter as emergency communications director. Both positions were previously held by sworn members of law enforcement.
“Ron and Christian bring a wealth of experience to these critically important leadership positions,” said Col. Matthew T. Birmingham, director of the Vermont State Police. “By transitioning these functions from sworn troopers to professional staff, we are aligning our resources and expertise with the current staffing needs of the organization and ensuring continuity of excellent leadership in two vital roles.”
Prior to his recent appointment, LaFond served for six years as the deputy director of the VIC, which analyzes and disseminates intelligence information in an effort to identify, investigate and prevent criminal activity. He was the winner of the Department of Public Safety’s Commissioner’s Award for Leadership at the VIC and was the center’s deputy director when the VIC won the Meritorious Public Service Award from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont in 2020.
Pedoty spent much of his career in law enforcement, retiring from New York as a police lieutenant and subsequently becoming a police chief in western Massachusetts. In 2019, he came to the Vermont Department of Public Safety, where he currently serves as the homeland security program chief with Vermont Emergency Management. The emergency communications director is a newly formed position within the Department of Public Safety that incorporates duties previously held by a sworn member with the rank of captain.