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On Tuesday, March 15, state police announced that an internal affairs investigation determined that eight recruits were found to be in violation of Connecticut State Police Academy Rules and Registrations for alleged cheating and plagiarism.
The move came after the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, Division of State Police, and Recruit Termination Board met this week to discuss punishments for the recruits following the IA investigation.
Investigators did not disclose the nature of the cheating or plagiarism.
“This was a very unfortunate set of circumstances and allegations such as these are not taken lightly. From start to finish, we demand that our recruits maintain the integrity of the Connecticut State Police,” Col. Stavros Mellekas said in a statement. “When their integrity comes into question, a review may be warranted.
“In this particular incident, an investigation was warranted and conducted by the Internal Affairs Unit.
"The men and women of the State Police are expected to hold themselves to the highest standards in law enforcement,” Mellekas continued. “When those standards are not met, a process for review must be followed to determine if recruits are worthy of earning the title of ‘State Trooper.’”
The remaining 53 members of the 131st Training Troop are scheduled to graduate on Thursday, March 24.
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