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Troop B Commander Maj. John Tibbitts moving up

State Police Troop B Commander Maj. John Tibbitts Jr. sits at his desk where he has worked, celebrated successful captures and thought about the cases that go unsolved. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

RAY BROOK — State police Troop B Commander Maj. John Tibbitts Jr. is being promoted to a higher position as staff inspector for the uniformed force statewide.

Tibbitts’ last day was on Tuesday, and though he is taking a promotion to a prominent Albany position, he says he is going to miss his brothers and sisters in Troop B.

Tibbitts has been commander of the New Jersey-sized troop since 2016 and said he has loved it. The 54-year-old from Colonie has spent over three decades in his dream job — at least, one of them.

“I was a little boy, and I wanted to be a policeman, a fireman, a cowboy and an astronaut,” Tibbitts said.

With plans to become a Colonie cop, he was majoring in criminal justice at Hudson Valley Community College when a friend suggested he take the state police exam. He didn’t have high hopes of passing and planned to stay in Colonie, but just days after his 21st birthday in September 1985, he learned he made it into the first class off the list.

State Police Troop B Commander Maj. John Tibbitts Jr. stands in front of the memorial at Troop B headquarters in Ray Brook. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Cerbone)

He dropped out of college to join the state police and planned to work for several years before attending law school. However, his plans continued to go awry as he fell in love with the job and decided to stay with the state police.

Tibbitts did eventually finish his four-year degree in criminal justice online, before his oldest son got his degree. Now, 33 years later, he has worked in every county in the state and has a storied career, touching on some of the biggest events in the state, the nation and the North Country.

Success and “what-ifs”

Tibbitts had played a part in several unique police duties and historic events, from being a member of the governor’s protective service unit to helping hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Working for several years in emergency management, he was part of the state’s Y2K preparedness plan and developed security following the 9/11 attacks in New York City.

He was a Troop B zone commander during the June 2015 manhunt for Clinton Correctional Facility escapees David Sweat and Richard Matt. Matt was shot and killed by a Border Patrol officer during the three-week search, and Sweat was shot and captured by a state trooper.

“That was probably one of the most satisfying moments of my life, the day that we brought Sweat into custody,” Tibbitts said. “We realized that we had done it without anybody in the community getting hurt, no serious injuries to any law enforcement or emergency service personnel. We’ve had escapes that didn’t work out that well.”

Tibbitts said there are some things from the job that still haunt him, mostly three missing persons cases that have not been resolved.

“The one that bothers me the most and continues to bother me is Colin Gillis,” Tibbitts said, referring to the 18-year-old Tupper Laker who went missing in 2014. “Could we have done something different? Could we have done something in a different area? These are all the ‘what-ifs’ that you have time to think about when you’re driving or you’re sitting out on the deck watching fireflies.”

Tibbitts said he has had Gillis’ picture on his desk since the day he went missing, and he hopes one day the troop can bring closure to his family.

Gone, but not leaving

Though Tibbitts’ new job will be based out of an office in Albany, Tibbitts is not leaving the North Country. He said loves the area and will continue to live in the Adirondacks.

Tibbitts came to the North Country in 2005 looking for a change in pace. He had been working as a lieutenant in Albany and told his commander he either needed a change or to retire because he was tired of working at a desk after spending years on the beat. He arrived at Troop B as a zone commander, became troop commander in August 2016 and made major that September.

“This troop is like no other troop,” Tibbitts said. “Except the major population centers … we’re pretty much it. That was the state police I came into. I tell troopers when they get in here, I say, ‘Listen, you’re standing on the shoulders of giants, and it’s up to you to maintain the integrity of the agency.'”

Being a troop commander is a 24/7 position, Tibbitts said. He is on call at any moment of the night, prepared to visit any crime scene or investigation he needs to and always keeping the safety of his troopers in mind. He has enjoyed the active nature of being a troop commander, and though he will return to same building he left in 2005, he said he is honored to have been offered the position.

Around three weeks ago he received the call, all but telling him he was taking the new position, and that he had been chosen out of 20 or so majors in the state.

He is being succeeded by Darrin Pitkin, a captain who has worked in the Watertown area for 15 years. Tibbitts said he has faith in Pitkin to continue maintaining the troop’s integrity.

Tibbitts said the biggest benefit to his new job will be that he will be able to enjoy his mother’s Italian cooking in the southern Adirondacks much more often.

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