Troopers Allison Fleming, Connor Simpson and Glen Smith started at the Fort Dodge post in January.

Smith, a native of Britt, is a three-year veteran of the Iowa State Patrol, joining in November 2018. He’s spent those first three years working at ISP District 16 at the Iowa Capitol Complex in Des Moines.

“It’s a little different here because there’s not as much city, but the mission down here is a lot different than Post 16,” he said. “You do a lot of legislative session stuff at 16, and you do a lot more road stuff here.”

Post 7 is the first patrol assignment for both Simpson and Fleming.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert Three new troopers recently joined District 7 of the Iowa State Patrol, headquartered in Fort Dodge. From left are: Trooper Connor Simpson, Trooper Allison Fleming and Trooper Glen Smith.

Prior to this assignment, Simpson worked for the Veterans Affairs Police in Des Moines, and also worked for the Transportation Security Administration for a few years.

The opportunities available within the Iowa Department of Public Safety are what drew Simpson, a Dubuque native, toward the Iowa State Patrol.

“There’s a lot of different things that you can do within the DPS,” he said. “Tactical team, K9, DCI, Fire Marshal. There’s a lot of different opportunities and places I can take my career.”

An Army National Guard veteran, Simpson feels the call to serve.

“I really like helping people,” he said. “(Working in law enforcement) is a good way to have a direct impact on somebody’s life, hopefully in a positive way. Maybe change a life for the better.”

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert Iowa State Patrol Trooper Connor Simpson checks the speed of a vehicle driving on U.S. Highway 20 using a LIDAR (light detection and ranging) scanner.

Fleming, a native of Urbandale, also felt the call to not only serve in law enforcement, but to become an Iowa State Patrol trooper.

“I really like the standard of excellence that they require from their troopers,” she said. “And I like the freedom and the ability to go anywhere in the state I want.”

Fleming said she enjoys that her job has her out in the community, interacting with citizens, rather than sitting in an office all day. She hopes that as she grows in her career, she can become a mentor to the troopers who come after her.

“I already feel like I make a difference in my community,” she said.

Though a state agency, the Iowa State Patrol often collaborates with local law enforcement. Fleming said she’s already had the opportunity to work with the Webster County and Hamilton County sheriff’s offices and the Fort Dodge Police Department.

-Messenger photo by Kelby Wingert Iowa State Patrol Trooper Allison Fleming completes her training and certification on the LIDAR (light detection and ranging) scanner along U.S. Highway 20 on a recent morning. Fleming, an Urbandale native, recently joined the ISP Post 7.

“We show up and help out wherever we can, whenever they ask us,” Simpson added. “It’s one mission, one team, and we’re always here to help each other on backup and assist when we can because everybody brings different things to the table.”