Pennsylvania State Police

The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police force of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. It was founded in 1905 by order of Governor Samuel Pennypacker, in response to the private police forces used by mine and mill owners to stop worker strikes (the Coal and Iron Police) and the inability or refusal of local police or sheriffs offices to enforce the law. PSP enlisted members are referred to as "troopers". As of 2006, it has 4,545 state troopers and more than 1,600 civilian support staff. The state police academy is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The current acting commissioner is Colonel Frank Noonan, who replaced Frank Pawlowski.

Duties

The PSP's duties include patrolling all state and federal highways across Pennsylvania, enforcing the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code, overseeing the state's automobile inspection program, enforcing the state's commercial vehicle safety regulations, and providing the full range of police protection for municipalities without full-time local police departments. The PSP patrols more than half of the state's 2,565 municipalities and the bulk of its rural areas, as the sheriffs in Pennsylvania are restricted by tradition to performing court services.

The PSP provides primary service for 27% of the Commonwealth's population, accounting for over 60% of the Commonwealth municipalities.

This constitutes 85% of the Commonwealth's land area and 66% of the Commonwealth's highways. This is accomplished with only 19% of the police officers in the Commonwealth.^[4][5]

The PSP's Bureau of Forensic Services provides crime lab services for criminal investigations. A special unit of the PSP act as bodyguards for the Governor of Pennsylvania and certain other state officials. The PSP also temporarily patrolled the state's 28 airports and five nuclear power plants in the months following the 9/11 attacks. However, the PSP still conducts security checks of all of the Delaware River Bridges along the PA/NJ border, in agreement with the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

The PSP administers the Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS), which is responsible for providing background checks in firearms purchases statewide. The PSP are embroiled in a controversy concerning the maintaining of a firearms "registry" contrary to both Federal and State laws . The issue is being addressed in the courts and the legislature.

The PSP also administers the PATCH (Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History) background-check database and the Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting System.

The Call of Honor

All enlisted members of the Pennsylvania State Police are required to memorize the Pennsylvania State Police Call of Honor as listed below:

Camp Cadet

Camp Cadet is a summer camp for Pennsylvania's boys and girls between the ages of 13 to 15 who are interested in law enforcement. The camp is held at various locations throughout the State and staffed by Troopers, local police officers and many .asp?A=13&Q=173169</ref> Camp Cadet is solely funded through voluntary contributions and fund raisers. The PSP does not pay for this, nor is there a fee for Cadets.

Uniform and rank structure

The uniform worn by PSP officers is unique within Pennsylvania. Prior to its introduction in the 1990s, PSP officers wore dark grey uniforms that confused them with Pennsylvania State Constables. By state law, no municipal (city, borough, or township) police department can wear the same exact uniform or color configuration as that of the PSP.

Uniform – troopers to sergeants

The current PSP uniform for troopers, corporals, and sergeants consist of a light gray uniform shirt with black shoulder epaulets. The PSP shoulder patch is worn on both sleeves of all uniform items. The PSP members are issued long sleeve shirts for the winter and short sleeve shirts for summer. However, PSP requires the black necktie to be worn year round. The uniform shirt consist of the trooper's nameplate over the right pocket and any awards the trooper has earned over the left pocket. PSP is 1 of only 5 state police forces that do not wear a badge on the uniform shirt. The original PSP uniform was molded from the Constabulary forces in Europe and they did not have badges. It is history and tradition for troopers today to carry their badges in a wallet along with their photo ID card. The uniform trousers are a darker gray color with a 1" black stripe on the leg. PSP shoes and/or boots are also black in color.

The PSP duty belt is Gould & Goodrich plain black leather. The duty holster is the level-2 model. The ammo pouch and handcuff case have hidden snap closure. The OC pepper spray and ASP baton holders are open top. The duty belt is held together with the trousers belt using 4 silver snap belt keepers.

The PSP trademark item is the campaign style hat with the chin strap worn in the front under the chin on the winter campaign hat(as opposed to most agencies that wear the strap of the campaign hat behind the head). The hat contains a blackened commonwealth coat of arms. It is required to be worn whenever the trooper is outdoors. It is made of dark gray felt (for wintertime wear) or light gray straw (for summertime wear) The strap of the summer hat is worn behind the head.

Also, as an optional part of the winter uniform, troopers may wear a black "woolly-pully" commando sweater over their uniform shirts, along with a vinyl/fur winter hat.

The Class "A" Ceremonial Unit troopers wear a "full dress" uniform which is a charcoal gray military-style dress coat with black buttons. It is worn with matching charcoal gray military-style riding breeches and black high-rider leather boots. The duty belt is worn with the shoulder strap. This uniform is modeled after the original PSP history uniform.

Uniform – lieutenants to colonels

The uniforms for PSP Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, and the Colonel are identical to that of the lower ranks, except for the following:

• A gold-colored commonwealth coat of arms on the left collar and the officer's rank on the right collar.
• Black stripes on trousers has a gold stripe within it.
• The grey shirt is replaced with a white shirt.
• The campaign hat is replaced with a military officer's style service cap with a gold-colored commonwealth seal. Captains and above having the distinctive "Scrambled Eggs" on the visor.

In addition to the minor detail changes, senior officers wear the four-button military coat for "Class A" functions. The coat has four gold-colored buttons, breast and hip pockets, and shoulder epaulets for the placement of the officer's current rank. A system of "rank rings" are worn on each sleeve, similar to the rank-ring system used by the U.S. Navy, United States Coast Guard, and by land units of the Canadian Forces. Currently, the insignia worn by PSP senior officers are as follows:

• Lieutenant: no service stripes
• Captain: one service stripe
• Major: two service stripes
• Lt. Colonel: three service stripes
• Colonel: four service stripes

Ranks, insignia, and descriptions

Facilities

The PSP owns and operates a myriad of facilities to conduct law enforcement across the Commonwealth. The following is the breakdown.

Troops

• Troop A, Area III - Cambria, Indiana, Somerset, Westmoreland Counties; Troop HQ - Greensburg
• Troop B, Area III - Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington Counties; Troop HQ - Washington
• Troop C, Area IV - Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean Counties; Troop HQ - Punxsutawney
• Troop D, Area IV - Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer Counties; Troop HQ - Butler
• Troop E, Area IV - Crawford, Erie, Venango, Warren Counties; Troop HQ - Lawrence Park
• Troop F, Area II - Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Tioga, Union Counties; Troop HQ - Montoursville
• Troop G, Area III - Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin Counties; Troop HQ - Hollidaysburg
• Troop H, Area I - Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry, York Counties; Troop and Department HQ - Harrisburg
• Troop J, Area I - Chester, Lancaster Counties; Troop HQ - Lancaster
• Troop K, Area V - Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia Counties; Troop HQ - Philadelphia
• Troop L, Area I - Berks, Lebanon, Schuylkill Counties; Troop HQ - Reading
• Troop M, Area V - Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton Counties; Troop HQ - Bethlehem
• Troop N, Area II - Carbon, Columbia, Lower Luzerne, Monroe Counties; Troop HQ - Hazleton
• Troop P, Area II - Bradford, Upper Luzerne, Sullivan, Wyoming Counties; Troop HQ - Wyoming
• Troop R, Area II - Lackawanna, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne Counties; Troop HQ - Dunmore
• Troop T - Turnpike; Troop HQ - Penna. Turnpike Commission HQ, Highspire
• Troop S - Disbanded. Patrolled State Highways. Troopers in this Troop migrated into the local stations.^[6]

(*) - The Pennsylvania State Police currently provide highway patrol services within Philadelphia County; the Troop K Headquarters is located on Belmont Avenue near Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Police Department Highway Patrol recently transferred patrol of interstate highways over to the Pennsylvania State Police in early 2008.

Barracks listing by county

PSP bureaus and offices

The PSP also has many bureaus and subdivisions within the organization.^[7] This is by no means a complete list, merely a sampling of the breakdown.

• Bureau of Criminal Investigation

• Bureau of Human Resources
• Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement
• Bureau of Records and Identification
• Bureau of Patrol
• Bureau of Integrity and Professional Standards
  • Firearms Division
• Bureau of Technology Services
• Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network - C.L.E.A.N.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Office
• Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission
• Domestic Security Office
• Gaming Enforcement Office

Dispatching facilities^[8]

Additionally, the Pennsylvania State Police is in the process of consolidating dispatch functions from the individual stations to one of five "Consolidated Dispatch Centers" (CDC). At present, two CDCs are operational - Harrisburg and Norristown.

Harrisburg

The Harrisburg CDC went operational in June 2004. At the present time, Harrisburg CDC covers the Carlisle, Harrisburg, and Lykens stations in Troop H and the Ephrata and Lancaster stations in Troop J. With the assumption of responsibility for the areas previously covered by the Philadelphia Highway Patrol, the Harrisburg CDC also covers the Reading and Hamburg stations from Troop L. The Harrisburg CDC will become the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for all PSP stations in Troops H, J, and L.

Norristown

The Norristown CDC went operational in December 2004. At the present time, Norristown CDC covers the Philadelphia and Skippack stations in Troop K. Norristown CDC will become the PSAP for all PSP stations in Troops K, and M.

Future CDCs

The remaining three CDCs will be located in Greensburg, Clarion, and Pittston. The Greensburg CDC will cover Troops A, B, and G; the Clarion CDC will cover Troops C, D, and E; the Pittston CDC will cover Troops F, N, P, and R. Troop T stations are dispatched by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission at its Highspire headquarters.

Demographics

• Male: 96%
• Female: 4%

• White: 82%
• African American/Black: 9%
• Hispanic: 2%
• Asian: 1%

Vehicles

The department currently operates a mixed fleet of Ford Crown Victorias, Chevrolet Impalas, Jeep Cherokees, Chevrolet Tahoes, Ford Expeditions, Dodge Chargers, Dodge Magnums, and Chevrolet vans. The PSP also owns and operates numerous helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, some of which are currently for sale .^[9] Current plans are underway to purchase and operate some sort of watercraft for the Delaware River in the Philadelphia area.

The department currently has four Dodge Charger R/T on a trial run to examine for viability to replace the discontinued Crown Victoria.^[10]

Aviation

The PSP Aviation Section consists of thirty-five trooper pilots and three full-time mechanics, using eight helicopters and six airplanes state-wide. These aircraft are stationed in seven Aviation Patrol Units (APU) whose missions including, but not limited to: conducting searches and rescues; assisting in vehicle pursuits; conducting criminal surveillances; participating in marijuana eradication efforts; crime and traffic incident scene photography; transports; conducting Emergency Management and Homeland Security missions providing an aerial platform for incident command and control; and attending events promoting law enforcement efforts. The Aviation Section also provides air support to all federal, state and local law enforcement agencies within Pennsylvania and assists during non-emergency situations such as major civic and sporting events.

Weapons

The department recently adopted the Glock Model 37 semi automatic pistol chambered in .45 GAP as their service pistol. Other firearms include the AR-15, 12-gauge shotguns (including the Remington 870 pump and 1187 semi auto), and gas grenade launcher.

The current less-lethal weapons the PSP is utilizing consists of Taser technology ,^[11] Pepper spray (OC) and expandable ASP straight baton.

Accreditation

The Pennsylvania State Police is the largest internationally accredited law enforcement agency in the world. This distinction was awarded to the Pennsylvania State Police on July 31, 1993, by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an independent, non-profit organization based in Fairfax, Virginia.

Accreditation is a process utilized by professional law enforcement agencies to facilitate the creation, verification and maintenance of high quality policies and procedures, via voluntary compliance with a body of performance standards. CALEA's 446 standards address nine major law enforcement topics: role, responsibilities, and relationships with other agencies; organization, management, and administration; personnel structure; personnel process; operations; operational support; traffic operations; prisoner and court-related services; and, auxiliary and technical services.^[12]

Superintendents and Commissioners since 1905

Traditions

• The PSP was patterned after a military organization and PSP troopers have sometimes been referred to as "Soldiers of the Law." Divisions of the force are called "troops," and officers are known as "troopers" a title usually reserved for members of the United States Cavalry, and reminiscent of the early beginnings of the department when officers patrolled on horseback. Regional headquarters, at which single troopers were once required to live, are referred to as "barracks." The original concept was that the troopers did not apply to join the PSP but "enlisted" for two-year periods, after which they could be honorably discharged or apply for reenlistment. The longstanding two-year enlistment periods were phased out in 1961.
• Married men were initially barred from becoming state troopers. After 1927, troopers were allowed to marry after they had completed their first two-year enlistment if they had approval from the police superintendent. The PSP allowed married men to enlist in 1963.^[6]
• On October 1, 1971, the first female applicant was accepted as a cadet in the Pennsylvania State Police. The Academy class, containing the first female Troopers, graduated on July 7, 1972.^[14]
• PSP does not allow ride-alongs. Even State Police Cadets cannot "ride-along" prior to graduating the academy. This is done for numerous safety and liability reasons.^[15]

In popular culture

• The PSP were featured in CSI: NY episode "Redemption".
• Featured in the movie For Richer or Poorer.
• Stephen King's novel From a Buick 8 features Troop D in a fictional town named Statler.

See also

• List of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania
• List of Pennsylvania state agencies
• Pennsylvania Capitol Police
• Highway patrol
• State police
• State patrol

References

External links

• Official Web Site
• Official Recruiting Web Site
• Pennsylvania State Police History
• Pennsylvania State Troopers Association
• Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers