Washington State Patrol

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The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is the state police agency for the State of Washington. The first six motorcycle patrolmen of the (then) Highway Patrol were commissioned September 1, 1921. The agency was renamed to Washington State Patrol in 1933.

The State Patrol has law enforcement authority anywhere in the State of Washington, with caveats for Federal property. They also have a memorandum of understanding with the Oregon State Police and are granted eight miles of jurisdiction into the State of Oregon. They are most frequently encountered by citizens on the state highways.

Individual officers of the Washington State Patrol are known as troopers.

1 Vehicles
2 Aviation
3 Communications
4 Laboratories
5 Uniforms
6 Academy
7 Fallen
8 External links

[edit] Vehicles

WSP patrol cars are usually white in color, however some are silver, red, dark blue or dark gray. However, all marked units feature two strong prominent features. One feature is the Washington State Patrol shield logo. The other feature, used on about 95% of their vehicle fleet, is a dark blue "lightning bolt" that underlies the State Patrol shield. In addition, marked vehicles bearing these markings usually feature the words "STATE PATROL" above the shield and lighting bolt, and these features are usually found on the front right hand and front left hand door of the vehicle. WSP also operates unmarked units, including SUVs and sports cars such as the Camaro, and luxury cars such as Volvo. Some patrol cars are marked, but do not have light bars.

The overall design of the State Patrol vehicle marking (shield and lightning bolt) remains largely unchanged since the 1930s.

[edit] Aviation

WSP has an aviation wing. The Aviation Section provides aerial traffic enforcement and other law enforcement services. They also engage in drug enforcement missions and transport donor organs and blood supplies in medical emergencies.

[edit] Communications

WSP has its own statewide non-trunked, repeater-based, VHF radio network that covers the state. Towers for this network can be seen near highways and look like cell sites, but with longer antennas. In August, 2004, one of these towers near Vancouver, Washington was damaged by an arsonist, taking out WSP communications in Clark County [1].

WSP dispatchers handle WSP, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Liquor Control Board, WSDOT and Washington State Parks.

In 2004, Tyco Electronics won a US$4.5 million contract to provide new Internet Protocol capable radios to WSP [2].

[edit] Laboratories

WSP operates seven crime laboratories: full-service labs in Seattle, Tacoma, Marysville and Cheney, and limited-service laboratories in Vancouver, Kennewick and Tumwater. The WSP crime lab system provides service to all city and county law enforcement agencies in the state.

[edit] Uniforms

The current WSP uniform is a blue shirt with dark blue pocket flaps, French blue pants striped with dark blue, and royal blue campaign hat. WSP uniforms are unique in the use of a bow tie.