Wisconsin State Patrol
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| Wisconsin State Patrol | |
| Abbreviation | WSP |
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| Wisconsin State Patrol patch | |
| Agency Overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1939 September 1 |
| Legal personality | Governmental agency |
| Jurisdictional Structure | |
| Divisional agency | State of Wisconsin , USA |
| Size | 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²) |
| Population | 5,556,506 (2000) |
| Governing body | Wisconsin Department of Transportation |
| General nature |
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| Operational Structure | |
| Headquarters | Madison, Wisconsin |
| Sworn members | 508 (2000)[1] |
| Unsworn members | 157 (2000)[1] |
| Agency executive | David L. Collins, Superintendent |
| Facilities | |
| Regions | 5 |
| Website | |
| http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/statepatrol/ | |
The Wisconsin State Patrol is the state police force of Wisconsin.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Wisconsin legislature created the Motor Vehicle Department on September 1, 1939, when it passed a statute to create the State Patrol. The Motor Vehicle Department had three divisions. The new enforcement division contained 46 inspectors to enforce the state motor carrier regulations and the state motor vehicle code.[2]
State Patrol-run radio went on the air on February 1, 1943 on station WIZR on a frequency of 31.50 MHz. The radio allowed to communication with the patrol's mobile units, as well as with most of the municipal and county law enforcement short-wave stations.[2]
A training academy was established in 1955 to offer formal education instructions. The academy in Fort McCoy is used to today to train State Patrol officers plus county and municipal law enforcement officers on the latest techniques of traffic law enforcement.
The modern State Patrol was created when the number of troupers was increased to 250. The State Patrol became part of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in the 1960s, and was designated a DOT division in 1977. In 2003, the Bureau of Transportation Safety was incorporated into the State Patrol.[2]
In 2005 the State Patrol reorganized and went from 7 districts to 5 regions. It maintains offices in DeForest, (Madison), Waukesha, Fond du Lac, Wausau, Tomah, Eau Claire and Spooner.
[edit] Mission
The Wisconsin State Patrol's primary responsibility is traffic law enforcement, but State Troopers have full police authority and statewide jurisdiction, however they can not investigate crimes that are not traffic related, in those cases investigations must be turned over to local law enforcement. In addition, the State Patrol provides the following services statewide:
- Motor carrier safety Inspections
- Vehicle size and weight enforcement
- Inspections of school buses, ambulances, motor coaches, and salvage vehicles
- Evaluation and maintenance of breath-alcohol testing equipment, also training to local law enforcement agencies
- Traffic and emergency assistance to local law enforcement agencies
- Assistance to local law enforcement agencies during major events
- Accident scene reconstruction and crime scene mapping for investigations
- Law enforcement training at the State Patrol Academy at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
- Traffic safety programs
The State Patrol maintains and manages the facilities of the statewide voice communications and Mobile Data Communications Network. This is provided as a free service for over 160 federal, state, and local agencies, including local police departments, sheriff’s departments, the Department of Natural Resources, and 2 tribal agencies.[3]
In 2005, Wisconsin had 345 state troopers, 17 less than it had in 2003.[citation needed] Per capita, the state ranked 47th in the nation for the total number of sworn state police officers.[citation needed] This made it the third smallest state police force in the nation behind the South Dakota Highway Patrol with 115 troopers and the Alaska State Troopers with about 240 sworn troopers).[citation needed] By the way of comparison, the California Highway Patrol has the nation's largest state police force with 6,800 officers.[citation needed] Including management positions, there are 382 trooper positions and 112 inspector positions authorized for the Wisconsin State Patrol.[4]
[edit] Fallen Officers
Since the establishment of the Wisconsin State Patrol, 4 officers have died in the line of duty. [5]
| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Trooper Donald C. Pederson | Saturday, August 26, 1972 | Gunfire |
| Trooper Gary G. Powless | Sunday, May 18, 1980 | Automobile accident |
| Trooper Deborah M. McMenamin | Thursday, October 26, 1989 | Struck by vehicle |
| Trooper III William Schoenberger | Thursday, April 22, 1993 | Automobile accident |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics 2003, page 56. Data is from 2000.
- ^ a b c WSP History.
- ^ 2005 Annual Report (dead link but available as of June 2008 via Google as HTML.
- ^ 2006-2007 Annual Wisconsin State Patrol Report (PDF format)
- ^ Wisconsin State Patrol Memorial Page
[edit] External links
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