Putnamville post adds three new probationary troopers

Monday, April 9, 2012
Jonathan Crumbie

PUTNAMVILLE -- Probationary Troopers Jonathan M. Cumbie, Yan J. Dravigne and Michael L. Featherling reported to the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post for their first official day on March 26.

Cumbie and Dravigne will be assigned to Putnam County, while Featherling will be assigned to Clay County.

All three were members of the 71st Indiana State Police Recruit Academy, which graduated 38 probationary troopers on March 16.

During the 24-week academy, recruits received approximately 840 hours of structured law enforcement training. Their curriculum included criminal and traffic law, emergency vehicle operations, firearms, psychology, criminal investigation, vehicle crash investigation, survival Spanish, impaired driver detection and other police-related topics.

Probationary Trooper Cumbie is from Danville and is a graduate of Danville High School. He and his wife live in Hendricks County.

In 2006, Cumbie enlisted in the Indiana Army National Guard and in 2008 was sent to Iraq. After returning from Iraq months later, Cumbie became a military police officer at Indiana's Camp Atterbury. Cumbie served in this capacity until his selection for the 71st ISP Recruit Academy.

A native of Canada, Probationary Trooper Dravigne is a graduate of Quebec High School and later attended Algonquin College in Ottawa, Canada.

Yan Dravigne

Dravigne spent five years with the Indiana Department of Corrections as a K-9 officer and the last four years as a civilian commercial motor vehicle enforcement officer with the Indiana State Police.

He is married with three children. He and his family reside in Clay County.

Probationary Trooper Featherling is a Sullivan, Ill., native and a graduate of Sullivan (Ill.) High School. After high school, Featherling attended both Lakeland College in Illinois and the University of Indianapolis on baseball scholarships where he majored in criminal justice studies.

Featherling was hired in 2008 as an officer within the Capitol Police Section of the Indiana State Police and served in that capacity until his selection for the ISP 71st Recruit School.

He and his wife have a daughter and are expecting another child this summer. The Featherling family resides in Brazil.

All three probationary offices have started their 15 weeks of field training with experienced troopers. The program allows them to put the skills and knowledge gained in the academy setting to work in the field. Upon successful completion of the field training program, they will receive their own patrol cars and begin solo road patrol responsibilities.

Michael Featherling

"The Putnamville District welcomes our three new probationary officers and our first impression leads us to believe they will be a great addition to our staff of hard-working veteran troopers," praised Lt. Dan Jones, commander of the Putnamville District.

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