POUGHKEEPSIE – New York State Police Superintendent Steven James has appointed 49-year-old Daniel Smith of East Fishkill to serve as the 39th Commander of Dutchess County-based Troop K.
Major Smith has served the Hudson Valley region with the state police for more than 20 years.
The new appointment comes amidst a leadership shakeup in the New York State Police after top officials in Albany used their credentials for VIP purposes other than work at the Ryder Cup golf tournament on Long Island in September. First Deputy Superintendent R. Christopher West and Col. Darrin Pitkin, the third in command and head of the State Police field command, were asked to resign in November, creating several leadership changes by shifting personnel to new positions within the troop.
Smith replaces , who took command of Troop K on January 2, 2025. Nielson has been named Staff Inspector of the Professional Standards Bureau and Major Smith’s appointment is effective December 18, 2025.
Major Smith began his career with the New York State Police in 2000 as a trooper assigned to Troop K, which covers Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Columbia counties. From 2005 through 2013, he served as an investigator with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), where he gained experience supporting complex criminal investigations.
In 2013, Smith was promoted to uniform force noncommissioned officer and later served as station commander of the Wappinger barracks from 2014 to 2017, providing leadership, operational oversight, and direct support to both members and the community.
In 2017, the new commander was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the BCI, initially serving with the Professional Standards Bureau before assuming duties as a Troop K BCI lieutenant. In 2021, he was promoted to the rank of captain and assigned to the Professional Standards Bureau, later transferring in March 2022 to oversee operations within Troop K’s Zone 3, Westchester County.
Major Smith has lived in Dutchess County for more than 20 years and has served throughout his career in both Zone 2, which includes Putnam and Dutchess counties, and Zone 3, which includes Westchester and Putnam counties.
He has held assignments as a trooper, investigator, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. Except for assignments associated with promotion, Major Smith has spent his entire career assigned to Troop K, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to the members of the New York State Police and the communities they serve, according to Superintendent James.
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