Vermont State Police will soon have a new commander.
Shawn Loan, a 19-year veteran of the state police force, will assume the leadership role in in early August, Gov. Phil Scott and Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison announced on Tuesday.
Loan will replace Col. Matthew Birmingham, who is retiring after 28 years, the last 11 of which he has spent as VSP’s commander.
In a press release, the governor thanked Birmingham for his long service and described Loan as widely respected among his peers.
“As a resident of the Northeast Kingdom, he understands the challenges facing rural Vermonters and will help us continue our efforts to improve public safety in communities across Vermont,” Scott said.
Loan began his VSP career as a trooper in the Derby barracks and spent years as a detective in the narcotics investigation unit before being named the director of the Vermont Intelligence Center.
In 2018, Loan was involved a car crash while on duty. An investigation revealed he had been traveling the speed limit in an unmarked cruiser when he failed to stop at a red light. In 2021, the other driver sued Loan and the state, saying in court records that she was seriously injured in the crash. The case was settled in 2024 for undisclosed amount.
In a phone call on Tuesday, Loan said an an internal affairs investigation concluded he was at fault, and he was suspended a couple of days without pay. He said he felt terrible about the incident.
He has continued to climb the ranks since then, receiving promotions each of the last three years. He will take over as colonel on August 7 and oversee a department of 400 employees, about 300 of whom are sworn troopers.
Loan told Seven Days that he is deeply honored by the appointment. He said he believes strongly in proactive policing and wants to mine data for better ways to deploy resources. He used the example of a stretch of highway that has a lot of fatal crashes.
“Is it older people? People under the influence? Is it a certain time of day?” he said. “How do we work to prevent these things, instead of reacting all the time?”
He also vowed to focus on retention and recruitment efforts, with a goal of making VSP a place where young law enforcement members want to spend their careers. “That’s a big thing for me,” he said. “Pride in agency and making people feel empowered in their roles.”