An Indiana State Police sergeant with ties to Seymour recently was appointed commander of the Versailles District, which includes Jackson County.
Paul Adams, a 1988 graduate of Seymour High School, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and post commander Feb. 20 and will be supervising all troopers and civilian personnel, according to an announcement by ISP Superintendent Douglas Carter.
Adams said Friday he had applied for the post commander’s position two times before and finally received the promotion.
“I had been a squad sergeant for 10 years, so it was kind of a natural progression for me,” the 47-year-old said.
Adams replaced Lt. Ray Otter, who recently retired after more than 32 years of service.
Although he was born in Madison and lived in Hanover for a little while, Adams said he has always called Seymour home.
His mother, Martha Wilson, and a sister still live in the city.
Adams said he still makes it back to Seymour about once a month, and his job brings him here a little more often.
After graduating from Seymour High School, Adams went to Indiana University Southeast and received bachelor’s degrees in business and secondary education.
Adams graduated from the Indiana State Police Academy in June 1995 and was assigned as a trooper to the Seymour District.
He had followed in the footsteps of his father, Kenny Adams, who was a master trooper at the Sellersburg Post and has since retired.
Paul said his mother is a nurse and also has been an inspiration when it comes to serving the public.
“There are a lot of rewards,” he said of the job.
He isn’t planning to make any changes right now but will wait and see if there are areas that can be improved, he said.
Before attending the police academy, Paul had been an officer with the Madison Police Department.
“The big difference (between ISP and Madison) is down there, you were always close to another officer,” he said.
He and fellow graduate Todd Prewitt initially were assigned to Jennings County. The two had been classmates at Seymour High School and were members of the Owls state championship baseball team in 1988.
Adams was the starting catcher and Prewitt, who is now an FBI agent in Bloomington, was a pitcher. That team also included Rick Meyer, who is an officer with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.
The two also shared a room at IU Southeast. Prewitt left the university in his junior year to become a police officer.
In 1999, Adams was reassigned as a detective in Jefferson County in the Versailles District, which was consolidated with the Seymour District in the winter of 2010. The Versailles District covers 10 counties in southeast Indiana.
In 2004, Adams was again reassigned to the Indiana State Police Gaming Division at Belterra Casino in Florence, where he served as a gaming enforcement detective. In 2006, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and supervised troopers in the Versailles District.
Adams was selected for the post commander position after competing in a promotion process. That process includes a written examination and oral interview. Seniority, job performance and prior education also are factors considered for promotion. Each candidate is ranked before being presented to the superintendent for final selection.
Adams currently lives in Versailles with his wife, Kim.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Lt. Paul Adams” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Lt. Paul Adams
Age: 47
Residence: Versailles
Occupation: Post commander for the Versailles District of the Indiana State Police
Spouse: Kim
Parents: Kenny Adams and Martha Wilson
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