New York state troopers in the Rochester area region cover 10 counties, but the new man in charge of Troop E wants to bring a more community feel to their work. Time Warner Cable News reporter Cristina Domingues sat down with Troop Commander Rick Allen for this profile piece.
For the last 25 years, Rick Allen has worked for the state police from Syracuse to Jamestown and many places in between.
"It's something I really wanted to do since I was young. Not just to be a police officer, but I always wanted to be a trooper. That was my goal, never thought I'd make it this far in this job," said Allen.
Since the end of August, Allen has been leading the men and women within the 10 counties of Troop E as their new commander.
"From Brockport to Auburn, from Lake Ontario down to Pennsylvania. I have 454 who work for me, directly under me. It's a lot of responsibilty, and it's a big area," said Allen.
Over his career he's seen a lot of change, from writing out paper reports and no computers, to advanced DNA and fingerprint technology. Allen will oversee a major renovation project at Troop E headquarters that will add on more space for those investigations.
"Every major case we're dealing with cell phones, we're dealing with computers. We're building an entire new building just to deal with our foresnics unit and computer crimes unit," said Allen.
While the technology has changed, a personal approach to policing has not. Allen says that connection can be harder for troopers who cover a vast area and are often moved around, but he wants to make it a priority.
"If you have a fair or festival, we're more than willing to come and help out. I've also told my troopers you're driving around, there's no problem with stopping. You've got a mall in your area? Stop and walk around, talk to people, talk to the shop owners, talk to the people that are working there, talk to the patrons," said Allen.
Allen says those connections can help fight crime, from the growing opioid problems in the Troop E's northern communities to the continued meth problems of the southern and more rural ones. He says those connections can also ultimately help keep his men and women safe.
"That's my number one concern is to make sure all my people get home safe everyday. They need to just not ever become complacent. People say it's a routine traffic stop, there's nothing routine in what we do. Everything we do has risks, everything we do is dangerous," said Allen.
Allen and other members of law enforcement are connecting with their communities through the Law Enforcement Torch Run. It raises money through various events for Special Olympics, helping send athletes and their families to competitions around the world.
The next event is the Run Dead Color Run 5K is coming Oct. 22 in Genesee Valley Park.