MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
A Division Of The
Department of Public Safety
Public Information and Education Division - PO Box 568 - Jefferson City, MO 65102
NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Capt. John J. Hotz
Q6132019-1 (573) 526-6115

June 13, 2019

EMPHASIS: Captain Jeffrey N. Vitale, Troop E Commanding Officer, Retires

Colonel Eric T. Olson, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the following retirement effective July 1, 2019:

Captain Jeffrey N. Vitale, commanding officer of Troop E, Poplar Bluff, MO, will retire after 30 years of dedicated service.

Vitale was appointed to the Patrol on July 1, 1989, as a member of the 61st Recruit Class. Upon completing his training at the Patrol’s Law Enforcement Academy, he was assigned to Troop C, Zone 5, Lincoln and Pike counties. On July 1, 1994, he was promoted to corporal and designated the assistant zone supervisor of Zone 5. Vitale was promoted to sergeant on September 1, 1996, and was designated zone supervisor of Troop C, Zone 13, Jefferson County. On April 2, 2006, he was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to Troop E Headquarters. Vitale was promoted to captain and designated commanding officer of Troop E, Poplar Bluff, MO, on April 1, 2016.

Captain Vitale was born in St. Louis, MO. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Manchester, MO, in 1981. Vitale served in the United States Air Force from 1982 to 1985, when he transferred to the Missouri Air National Guard. During his military service, he was mobilized to active duty during Operation Desert Storm and Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom after the events of September 11, 2001. Vitale retired from the Missouri Air National Guard as a senior master sergeant with the 131st Security Forces Squadron in 2003. Prior to joining the Patrol, he served as a St. Louis County police officer from 1985 to 1989. In 2002, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO. Vitale attended the FBI National Academy, Session 242, in 2010. He completed Leadership in Police Organizations training in 2015. Capt. Vitale and his wife Deborah (Hewitt) have a daughter, Samantha.

A photograph of Capt. Vitale is available with this news release on the Patrol's website.

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