Pennsylvania State Police

Pennsylvania State Police
Abbreviation	PSP
Patch of the Pennsylvania State Police
Agency overview
Formed	May 2, 1905 (1905-05-02)
Preceding agencies	State Police (1905–1937) State Highway Patrol (1923–1937) Pennsylvania Motor Police (1937–1943)
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction*	Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, USA
Pennsylvania State Police Troops
Size	46,055
Population	12,787,209 (2014 est.)[1]
General nature	Law enforcement Civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Troopers	4,719 (as of 2015) [2]
Civilians	1,850 (as of 2015) [2]
Agency executive	Colonel Tyree C. Blocker [3], Acting Commissioner
Areas	3
Troops	16
Facilities
Stations	90
Helicopters	7 Bell Jet Rangers
Airplanes	5 "High Wings"
Website
Pennsylvania State Police website
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

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. The department became the first uniformed police organization of its kind in the United States and a model for other state police agencies throughout the nation.^[4] PSP enlisted members are referred to as "troopers". As of 2015, it has 4,719 state troopers and more than 1,850 civilian support staff.^[5] The state police academy is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

The current acting commissioner is Colonel Tyree C. Blocker, nominated by Governor Tom Wolf, and is pending confirmation by the Pennsylvania Senate.^[3] Colonel Blocker replaced Marcus Brown who failed to secure confirmation by the State's legislature, and recently resigned.^[6]

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 have traditionally performed their court related services and only over the last several decades have begun to exercise their common law authority to enforce state law.

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.^[7][8]

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 September 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:

I am a Pennsylvania State Trooper, a soldier of the law.

To me is entrusted the honor of the force

I must serve honestly, faithfully, and if need be, lay down my life as others have done before me, rather than swerve from the path of duty.

It is my duty to obey the law and to enforce it without any consideration of class, color, creed or condition.

It is also my duty to be of service to anyone who may be in danger or distress, and at all times so conduct myself that the honor of the force may be upheld.

Camp Cadet

Camp Cadet is a summer camp for Pennsylvania's boys and girls typically between the ages of 12 to 15 (each camp has its own eligibility requirements) 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 other volunteers. The goal of Camp Cadet is to introduce participants to the diverse criminal justice system and establish a positive relationship with law enforcement personnel.^[9] Camp Cadet is solely funded through voluntary contributions and fund raisers. The PSP does not pay for this, and some (but not all) camps charge a fee for cadets to participate.

Uniform and rank structure

The uniform worn by PSP troopers is unique within Pennsylvania. In January 1988, the State Police changed the color of its uniforms. PSP troopers wore dark grey uniforms that confused them with some municipal police departments and 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 four 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 of increasing width with higher rank.
• 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. Alternatively, officers may wear the campaign hat with a gold coat of arms with the duty uniform.

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 white shirt is worn with a black tie underneath. 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

Title	Insignia	Additional Information
Colonel		Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police
Lieutenant Colonel		Second in Command of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Major		Commander of an Area, such as Area III, encompassing several Troops.
Captain		Troop Commander, such as Troop B, encompassing several Stations.
Lieutenant		Station Commander, such as Station 1 (located in Troop B of Area III)
Sergeant		Station Commander, Supervisor of a unit, section, or specialty position.
Corporal		Supervisor of Troopers, oversee the patrol's daily calls for service.
Trooper First Class		This is a longevity promotion for Troopers with 12 years of service.
Trooper		Upon graduation from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, cadets are promoted to the rank of Trooper.
State Police Cadet		A Commonwealth employee who is enrolled in but has not yet graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.

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 III - Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean Counties; Troop HQ - Punxsutawney
• Troop D, Area III - Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Mercer Counties; Troop HQ - Butler
• Troop E, Area III - 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 II - Bedford, Blair, Centre, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin Counties; Troop HQ - Hollidaysburg
• Troop H, Area II - Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Perry, York Counties; Troop and Department HQ - Harrisburg
• Troop J, Area II - Chester, Lancaster Counties; Troop HQ - Lancaster
• Troop K, Area I - Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia Counties; Troop HQ - Philadelphia
• Troop L, Area II - Berks, Lebanon, Schuylkill Counties; Troop HQ - Reading
• Troop M, Area I - Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton Counties; Troop HQ - Bethlehem
• Troop N, Area I - Carbon, Columbia, Lower Luzerne, Monroe Counties; Troop HQ - Hazleton
• Troop P, Area I - Bradford, Upper Luzerne, Sullivan, Wyoming Counties; Troop HQ - Wyoming
• Troop R, Area I - 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.^[10]

(*) - The Pennsylvania State Police provides 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 transferred patrol of interstate highways over to the Pennsylvania State Police in early 2008.

Barracks listing by county

County	Troop	Station
Adams	H	Gettysburg
Allegheny	B	Pittsburgh
Allegheny	T	Gibsonia
Armstrong	D	Kittanning
Beaver	D	Beaver
Bedford	G	Bedford
Bedford	T	Everett
Berks	L	Reading
Berks	L	Hamburg
Blair	G	Hollidaysburg
Bradford	P	Towanda
Bucks	M	Trevose
Bucks	M	Dublin
Butler	D	Butler
Cambria	A	Ebensburg
Cameron	F	Emporium
Carbon	T	Pocono
Carbon	N	Lehighton
Centre	G	Phillipsburg
Centre	G	Rockview
Chester	J	Avondale
Chester	J	Embreeville
Clarion	C	Clarion
Clearfield	C	Clearfield
Clinton	F	Lamar
Columbia	N	Bloomsburg
Crawford	E	Meadville
Cumberland	H	Carlisle
Cumberland	T	Newville
Dauphin	T	Highspire
Dauphin	H	Harrisburg
Dauphin	H	Lykens
Delaware	K	Media
Elk	C	Ridgway
Erie	E	Lawrence Park
Erie	E	Corry
Erie	E	Girard
Fayette	B	Uniontown
Forest	C	Tionesta
Franklin	H	Chambersburg
Fulton	G	McConnellsburg
Greene	B	Waynesburg
Huntingdon	G	Huntingdon
Indiana	A	Indiana
Jefferson	C	DuBois
Jefferson	C	Punxsutawney
Lackawanna	R	Dunmore
Lancaster	T	Bowmansville
Lancaster	J	Ephrata
Lancaster	J	Lancaster
Lawrence	D	New Castle
Lebanon	L	Jonestown
Lehigh	M	Fogelsville
Lehigh	M	Bethlehem
Luzerne	N	Hazleton
Luzerne	P	Shickshinny
Luzerne	P	Wyoming
Lycoming	F	Montoursville
McKean	C	Kane
Mercer	D	Mercer
Mifflin	G	Lewistown
Monroe	N	Swiftwater
Monroe	N	Fern Ridge
Montgomery	T	King of Prussia
Montgomery	K	Skippack
Northampton	M	Belfast
Northumberland	F	Stonington
Northumberland	F	Milton
Perry	H	Newport
Philadelphia	K	Philadelphia
Pike	R	Blooming Grove
Potter	F	Coudersport
Schuylkill	L	Schuylkill Haven
Schuylkill	L	Frackville
Snyder	F	Selinsgrove
Somerset	A	Somerset
Somerset	T	Somerset
Sullivan	P	Laporte
Susquehanna	R	Gibson
Tioga	F	Mansfield
Union	F	Milton
Venango	E	Franklin
Warren	E	Warren
Washington	B	Washington
Wayne	R	Honesdale
Westmoreland	A	Greensburg
Westmoreland	B	Belle Vernon
Westmoreland	T	New Stanton
Westmoreland	A	Kiski Valley
Wyoming	P	Tunkhannock
York	H	York

PSP bureaus and offices

The PSP also has many bureaus and subdivisions within the organization.^[11] This is by no means a complete list, merely a sampling of the breakdown.

• Bureau of Criminal Investigation
• Bureau of Emergency and Special Operations
• 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 (MPOETC)
• Domestic Security Office
• Gaming Enforcement Office

Dispatching facilities^[12]

The Pennsylvania State Police was in the process of consolidating dispatch functions from the individual stations to one of five "Consolidated Dispatch Centers" (CDC). However, as of July 30, 2012 The Pennsylvania State Police has disbanded the CDCs and moved the dispatching operations back to the individual stations. Only two CDCs were operational - Harrisburg and Norristown. The stated reason for closing the operations at the CDCs, according to previous statements made by State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan before the Senate budget hearings, was to put more troopers back on the street. It is mandated that all PSP stations be manned on site 24/7 for emergencies and a point of refuge for people in distress. This became a problem when dispatchers, PCO'S (Police Communication Operators), were moved to CDC'S and the position of "Greeters" was created adding additional costs and manpower issues. When greeters were unavailable troopers were assigned this task. Even non-CDC stations also had a shortage of PCOs, in part caused by the number of PCOs required for minimum staffing at a CDC, causing troopers to regularly work as dispatchers at these stations.

Harrisburg

The Harrisburg CDC went operational in June 2004. It covered 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 covered the Reading and Hamburg Stations from Troop L. The Harrisburg CDC would have become the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for all PSP stations in Troops H, J, and L.

Norristown

The Norristown CDC went operational in November 2004. It covered the Philadelphia and Skippack stations in Troop K. The Norristown CDC would have become the PSAP for all PSP stations in Troops K, and M.

Other CDCs

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

Demographics

Gender

• Male: 95%
• Female: 5% ^[13]

Ethnicity

• White: 81%
• African American/Black: 9%
• Hispanic: 2%
• Asian: <1%
• Native American <1%

Vehicles

The department currently operates a mixed fleet of vehicles including the new law enforcement specific Ford Police Interceptor sedan and SUV, Crown Victorias, Ford F150s, 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.^[14] The PSP operates watercraft for the Delaware River in the Philadelphia area.^[15]

Aviation

The PSP Aviation Section consists of thirty-five trooper pilots and three full-time mechanics, using eight helicopters and six airplanes statewide. 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 SIG Sauer ^[16][17] semiautomatic pistol chambered in .45 Auto as their new service pistol. It holds 10+1 rounds. PSP submitted a solicitation for bids on May 9, 2014 for 150 such firearms for the next PSP academy cadet class to train with and keep as their issue duty sidearm.^[18] The SIG P227 (.45 ACP) will eventually replace all of the department's Glock 21 Gen4 (.45 ACP) pistols which were acquired in 2013.^[19] Those Glocks had replaced by trade-in 4,800 of the department's Glock 37 (.45 GAP caliber) handguns, which had replaced their Beretta 96D (.40 S&W) double-action-only (DAO) handguns back in 2007/2008.

Other firearms include the AR-15, 12-gauge shotguns (including the Remington 870 pump), and gas grenade launcher.^[20]

The current less-lethal weapons the PSP is utilizing consists of Taser technology,^[21] 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.^[22]

Accreditation is a process used by professional law enforcement agencies to facilitate the creation, verification and maintenance of high-quality policies and procedures, via voluntary compliance with 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.^[23]

Members killed in the line of duty

Key'
      shaded rows with "SHP" in the Notes cell denotes the officer was a member of the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol.

Name	Rank	Badge/Serial Number	Tenure	End of Watch	Age	Cause of Death	Notes
Johnn F. Henry	Private	—	8 months	September 2, 1906	31	Gunfire
Francis A. Zehringer	Private	—	8 months	September 2, 1906	34	Gunfire
Timothy Kelleher	Private	—	1 year, 8 months	September 14, 1907	29	Stabbed
Mark A. Prynn	Sergeant	—	3 years, 2 months	February 9, 1909	29	Gunfire (Accidental)
John Garscia	Private	—	3 years, 3 months	February 21, 1909	35	Gunfire (Accidental)
John L. Williams	Private	—	2 years	August 22, 1909	29	Gunfire
John C. "Jack" Smith	Private	—	7 months	August 23, 1909	24	Gunfire
Robert V. Myers	Private	—	1 year, 1 month	March 28, 1913	22	Gunfire (Accidental)
Andrew W. Czap	Private	—	8 months	April 28, 1918	24	Gunfire
John F. Dargus	Private	—	8 months	May 31, 1918	21	Gunfire
Stanley W. Christ	Private	—	1 month	December 1, 1919	22	Animal related
Benjamin F. McEvoy	Corporal	—	13 years, 3 months	September 21, 1923	40	Struck by vehicle
William J. Omlor	Private	—	4 years, 4 months	October 25, 1923	29	Motorcycle accident
Francis L. Haley	Private	2551	5 months	October 14, 1924	25	Gunfire
Edwin F. Haas	Sergeant	—	14 years	October 17, 1924	35	Gunfire (Accidental)
Bernard S. C. McElroy	Private	—	1 year, 11 months	December 21, 1924	25	Motorcycle accident
Bertram Beech	Private	—	1 year, 7 months	December 10, 1925	28	Struck by train
Claude F. Keesey	Private	—	1 year, 4 months	January 4, 1927	23	Automobile accident
Martin A. Hanahoe	Patrolman	—	1 year, 1 month	February 27, 1927	24	Vehicular assault	SHP
Thomas E. Lipka	Private	—	1 year, 8 months	April 3, 1927	25	Automobile accident
John M. Thomas	Sergeant	—	1 month	May 8, 1927	43	Automobile accident
John J. Downey	Private	2853	3 years, 2 months	August 22, 1927	31	Gunfire
Vincent A. Hassen	Corporal	—	1 year	December 27, 1927	24	Motorcycle accident	SHP
Sharon C. Wible	Patrolman	—	6 months	February 6, 1928	22	Motorcycle accident	SHP
Andrew W. Miller	Patrolman	—	7 months	April 1, 1928	21	Motorcycle accident	SHP
James F. "Jay" Proof	Patrolman	—	1 year, 6 months	August 29, 1928	30	Vehicle pursuit	SHP
Russell T. Swanson	Patrolman	—	1 year, 6 months	April 19, 1929	22	Gunfire	SHP
Wells C. Hammond	Patrolman	—	10 months	October 14, 1929	24	Motorcycle accident	SHP
Brady C. Paul	Corporal	—	3 years, 11 months	December 27, 1929	26	Gunfire	SHP
Thomas E. Lawry	Corporal	—	3 years, 4 months	January 31, 1930	24	vehicular assault	SHP
Arthur A. Koppenhaver	Patrolman	—	1 year	July 13, 1930	22	Motorcycle accident	SHP
Charles L. Stewart	Private	—	1 year, 1 month	July 18, 1930	22	Gunfire
Thomas B. Elder	Patrolman	—	2 years	March 22, 1931	28	Vehicular assault	SHP
Timothy G. McCarthy	Sergeant	—	11 years, 8 months	May 12, 1931	42	Gunfire
Orville A. Mohring	Patrolman	—	2 years, 6 months	December 11, 1931	24	Vehicular assault	SHP
Joseph A. Conrad	Patrolman	—	1 year, 11 months	September 6, 1932	26	Motorcycle accident	SHP
Charles E. Householder	Patrolman	—	5 years, 3 months	August 20, 1933	27	Vehicular assault	SHP
Herbert P. Brantlinger	Patrolman	—	1 year, 8 months	September 3, 1933	27	Gunfire	SHP
James A. Seerey	First Sergeant	1760	14 years, 7 months	September 10, 1934	42	Animal related
Floyd W. Maderia	Private	—	4 years, 7 months	December 11, 1934	34	Automobile accident
Joseph L. Fulton	Corporal	—	7 years, 8 months	June 4, 1936	32	Motorcycle accident	SHP
Joe B. Champion	Sergeant	—	11 years, 9 months	July 15, 1936	36	Automobile accident	SHP
J. Lee Clarke	Patrolman	—	3 years, 1 month	March 1, 1937	32	Motorcycle accident	SHP
John E. Fessler	Private	—	4 years, 1 month	April 23, 1937	32	Gunfire
Joseph A. Hoffer	Private	—	7 years, 7 months	April 27, 1937	29	Gunfire
John J. Broski	Private	1385	19 years, 7 months	August 14, 1937	40	Gunfire
John D. Simoson	Patrolman	—	1 year, 7 months	December 1, 1937	23	Motorcycle accident
Joseph M. Williams	Private	—	6 months	October 8, 1938	26	Struck by vehicle
Charles H. Craven	Private	—	8 years	October 11, 1938	32	Struck by vehicle
George D. Naughton	Corporal	—	12 years, 2 months	January 30, 1939	40	Gunfire
Frederick J. Sutton	Private	—	2 years, 4 months	January 3, 140	26	Gunfire
George J. Yashur	Private	—	3 years, 2 months	April 1, 1940	24	Struck by vehicle
Thomas P. Carey	Private	—	6 years, 1 month	June 17, 1941	31	Exposure to toxins
Dean N. Zeigler	Private	—	1 year	October 17, 1942	24	Automobile accident
John A. Ditkosky	Private	—	3 years, 2 months	July 24, 1950	27	Automobile accident
Floyd B. Clouse	Private	—	7 years, 3 months	November 2, 1953	29	Gunfire
Joseph F. McMillen	Private	—	3 years, 11 months	May 13, 1956	26	Automobile accident
Philip C. Melley	Trooper	—	19 years, 11 months	November 3, 1957	41	Gunfire
Charles S. Stanski	Trooper	—	4 years	January 17, 1958	29	Vehicle pursuit
Edward Mackiw	Trooper	—	8 years, 7 months	May 31, 1958	32	Struck by vehicle
Stephen R. Gyurke	Trooper	606	3 years, 10 months	August 24, 1958	29	Struck by vehicle
Francis M. Tessitore	Trooper	—	6 years, 10 months	August 5, 1960	28	Struck by vehicle
Anthony Bensch	Trooper	—	20 years	October 3, 1961	43	Automobile accident
Edward W. Gundel	Sergeant	—	24 years, 6 months	March 18, 1962	45	Gunfire
Richard G. Barnhart	Trooper	—	12 years, 8 months	August 8, 1964	37	Vehicle pursuit
Gary R. Rosenberger	Trooper	—	1 year, 6 months	December 12, 1970	26	Gunfire
John S. Valent	Corporal	1003	25 years, 10 months	December 9, 1971	49	Gunfire
Robert D. Lapp, Jr.	Trooper	—	8 years, 1 month	October 16, 1972	30	Gunfire
Bruce C. Rankin	Trooper	—	2 years, 2 months	April 25, 1973	25	Automobile accident
Ross E. Snowden	Trooper	—	3 years, 9 months	January 17, 1974	33	Aircraft accident
Leo M. Koscelnick	Corporal	—	7 years, 3 months	August 15, 1977	33	Vehicular assault
Joseph J. Welsch	Trooper	—	4 years, 7 months	September 13, 1977	26	Gunfire
Wayne C. Ebert	Trooper	—	27 years, 9 months	June 7, 1978	50	Stuck by vehicle
Albert J. Izzo	Trooper	—	7 years, 11 months	June 13, 1979	35	Gunfire
David D. Monahan	Trooper	—	8 years, 11 months	April 17, 1980	38	Vehicular assault
Herbert A. Wirfel	Trooper	—	20 years, 5 months	February 7, 1982	45	Automobile accident
William R. Evans	Trooper	—	16 years, 3 months	January 6, 1983	44	Vehicle pursuit
Frank J. Bowen	Trooper	—	2 years, 10 months	October 26, 1983	27	Automobile accident
Gary W. Fisher	Trooper	—	4 years, 1 month	February 3, 1985	26	Gunfire
John J. Brown	Trooper	1290	14 years, 7 months	February 14, 1985	37	Struck by vehicle
Roark H. Ross	Trooper	4099	13 years, 3 months	May 15, 1986	35	Automobile accident
Clinton W. Crawford	Trooper	—	6 years, 6 months	August 17, 1987	30	Struck by vehicle
John A. Andrulewicz	Trooper	—	23 years, 7 months	May 9, 1988	45	Automobile accident
Paul I. Almer	Corporal	—	14 years, 1 month	April 12, 1989	39	Aircraft accident
Wayne D. Bilheimer	Trooper	—	21 years, 3 months	April 12, 1989	44	Aircraft accident
Arthur L. Hershey	Sergeant	—	27 years, 8 months	January 3, 1999	51	Struck by vehicle
Matthew R. Bond	Trooper	—	4 years, 3 months	January 14, 2000	28	Automobile accident
Tod C. Kelly	Trooper	—	16 years, 4 months	November 7, 2001	43	Struck by vehicle
Joseph J. Sepp, Jr.	Trooper	6672	10 years, 8 months	November 10, 2002	34	Gunfire
Brian A. Patterson	Trooper	7273	9 years, 4 months	February 14, 2003	36	Electrocuted
Joseph R. Pokorny, Jr.	Corporal	4648	22 years, 5 months	December 12, 2005	45	Gunfire
Joshua D. Miller	Trooper	8819	10 years, 9 months	June 7, 2009	34	Gunfire
Paul G. Richey	Trooper	7201	16 years, 7 months	January 13, 2010	40	Gunfire
Blake T. Coble	Trooper First Class	5504	24 years, 9 months	October 4, 2012	47	Automobile accident
Bryon K. Dickson, II	Corporal	10714	7 years, 3 months	September 12, 2014	38	Gunfire
David Kedra	Trooper	12115	2 years, 3 months	September 30, 2014	26	Gunfire (Accidental)

Superintendents and Commissioners since 1905

The following is a chronological listings of Commissioners of the Pennsylvania State Police:^[24]

Name	Tenure	Notes
Groome, John C.	1905-1920	First Commissioner, appointed by Governor Pennypacker
Adams, Lynn G.	1920-1937	—
Foote, Percy W.	1937-1939	—
Adams, Lynn G.	1939-1943	—
Wilhelm, Cecil M.	1943-1955	—
Henry, E.J.	1955-1959	—
McCartney, Frank G.	1959-1963	—
Purdy, E. Wilson	1963-1966	—
Rittelman, Paul A.	1966-1967	—
McKetta, Frank	1967-1971	Appointed by Governor Shafer, previously lead the Federal Protective Service
Urella, Rocco	1971-1973	—
Barger, James	1973-1977	—
Chylak, Paul	1977-1979	—
Dunn, Daniel	1979-1984	—
Laffey, Cyril	1984	—
Dellarciprete, Nicholas	1984-1985	—
Cochran, Jay, Jr.[25]	1985-1987	—
Schafer, John K.	1987-1987	—
Sharpe, Ronald	1987-1991	—
Walp, Glenn	1991-1996	—
Evanko, Paul	1996-2003	Appointed by Governors Ridge and Schweiker
Miller, Jeffrey B.	2003-2008	Promoted from MAJ, appointed by Governor Rendell
Pawlowski, Frank	2008-2011	Promoted from LTC, appointed by Governor Rendell
Noonan, Frank	2011-2014	Former FBI Agent, appointed by Governor Corbett
Brown, Marcus	2014–2015	Former Superintendent, Maryland State Police
Blocker, Tyree C.	2015–present	Former PSP Major, appointed by Governor Wolf

Traditions

• The PSP was nationally-recognized as the premiere state police agency in the early years of the 20th century. State troopers from North Carolina and Kentucky attended the training academy so they could start PSP-style state agencies in their respective states. NC trooper cadets at the academy in Raleigh and KY trooper cadets in Frankfort are frequently reminded they have a familial connection to the PSP through their training process history.
• 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.^[10]
• 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.^[26]
• 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.^[27]

Misconduct

2000

Trooper Michael Evans pleaded guilty in October 2000 to sexual crimes committed against six women and teenage girls while on duty. He was sentenced to between five and ten years in custody.^[28][29]

2007

In September, 2007, Trooper Kevin Foley was arrested for the murder of a dentist, Dr. Yelenic, in Blairsville, PA. ^[30]

2008

In July, 2008, Trooper Kevin Coleman was charged with protecting a prostitution ring based out of the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.^[31]

2009

In May 2009, Trooper Shawn Dillard was found guilty by a federal court of using his position to protect an interstate prostitution ring based out of the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was the same investigation that led to the arrest of Trooper Coleman.^[32]

2011

In early 2011, as a result of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the state police agreed to stop issuing tickets to people who swear. Press reports indicated the state police had issued as many as 700 such citations a year.^[33]

In March 2011, Trooper Barry R. Tangert Jr. was sentenced to 14 months supervised probation for interfering with a child abuse investigation.^[34]

2012

In January 2012, Lieutenant Barry Eugene Staub, the commander of the state police barracks in York was arrested for driving while drunk. He retired when charges were brought against him.^[35]

2014

In March, 2014 Trooper Barry M Seafoss, Jr. pleaded guilty to killing a woman while driving drunk in 2012. He was sentenced to between six and 23 months confinement.^[36]

In popular culture

• An undercover PSP officer played by Sarah Jessica Parker co-stars with Bruce Willis playing a Pittsburgh Police River Rescue Squad officer in the 1993 movie Striking Distance.
• The PSP were featured in the CSI: NY episode "Redemption" as well as the Law & Order season 9 episode 10 titled "Hate".
• 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.
• The PSP were featured in the movie "Unstoppable" starring Denzel Washington where a runaway train passes through numerous towns and townships within the state of Pennsylvania.

See also

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

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania State Police.

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

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