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 officers 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 commissioner is Colonel Jeffrey B. Miller, a graduate of Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania.

Duties

The PSP's duties include patrolling all state and federal highways across Pennsylvania, enforcing the Pennsylvania Motor 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 and unincorporated areas 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'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 boys and girls from Pennsylvania between the ages of 12 to 15. 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.http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/view.asp?A=13&Q=173169

This camp is NOT for troubled youth, rather those interested in careers in law enforcement.

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, who wore an identical uniform. By state law, no municipal police department (city, borough, or township) police department can wear the same exact uniform or color configuration as that of the PSP, although some departments have uniforms that nearly match that of the PSP

Uniform - Troopers to Sergeants

The current PSP uniform for Troopers, Corporals, and Sergeants consist of a dark gray long or short sleeve shirt with black shoulder epaulets, and a black necktie – most municipal police departments omit the necktie for the summertime, but the PSP requires the necktie year round. Charcoal gray trousers with a black stripe on each leg is worn, with a Sam Browne belt with duty gear being worn around the waist.

The PSP trooper's trademark uniform item, the campaign hat with a blackened state coat of arms on the front, is worn whenever the trooper is outdoors, and is made of charcoal gray-colored felt (for wintertime wear) or straw (for summertime wear). A black "woolly-pully" sweater is worn optionally by members in cold weather, with special honor guards wear "full dress" uniforms with a charcoal gray military-style coat closed with four black buttons and worn with charcoal riding breeches and black rider boots. Corporals and Sergeants wear their chevron insignia (identical to those worn in the U.S. Army) on both sleeves, with all troopers wearing the PSP shoulder patch on both sleeves.

New "Trooper First Class" Rank

On July 1, 2006 a new rank of Trooper First Class, including troopers with twelve years of service or more was added. Trooper First Class wears a single chevron on each sleeve.

Uniform - Lieutenants to Colonel

The duty uniform 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 state 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 that widens as ranks increases.
• "Smokey Bear" hat is replaced with a military style service cap with a gold-colored Commonwealth seal and a gold-colored strap, with Captains and above having the distinctive Scrambled Eggs (Uniform) on the visor.

Alternately, an officer may wear a "Smokey Bear" hat with a gold state coat of arms on the front, unless in class A function.

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: Single silver bar; no rank rings
• Captain: Two silver bars; one rank ring
• Major: Gold oak leaf; two rank rings
• Lt. Colonel: Silver oak leaf; three rank rings
• Colonel: Silver eagle; four rank rings

Ranks & Descriptions

• State Police Cadet - An employee of the Commonwealth not yet graduated to Trooper status from the PSP Academy.
• State Police Trainee - A graduated cadet, techinically a trooper, but still in the "Coach/Pupil" training phase. However, these employees are on the road conducting full police functions.
• Trooper - Either in patrol, crime, staff services or a specialy function.
• Trooper First Class - Same as trooper. This is a longevity promotion.
• Corporal - Supervisor of troopers, either in patrol, criminal investigation units, staff or a specialty position.
• Sergeant - Supervisor of corporals and can be Station Commanders at this level.
• Lieutenant - Supervisors of all ranks preceeding. Usually in charge of "sections" a whole troop such as crime or patrol.
• Captain - Commanding officer of a whole Troop or Bureau
• Major - Commanding officer of a whole Area, such as Area 5, encompassing multiple troops.
• Lt. Colonel - Second in command of the entire PSP. A largely administrative role.
• Colonel - Chief of the PSP

Facilities

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

Troops

Visual Map http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/view.asp?A=4&Q=79250

• 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 - Erie
• 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 V - 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. http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/view.asp?A=100&Q=38783

(*) - 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.http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/browse.asp?A=312&BMDRN=2000&BCOB=0&C=49305

• Bureau of Criminal Investigation
  • Division of Drug Law Enforcement
• 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

Dispatching Facilities

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.

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 G, H, and J.

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, L, and M.

The remaining three CDCs will be located in Greensburg, Clarion, and Pittston. The Greensburg CDC will cover Troops A, B, and D; the Clarion CDC will cover Troops C, E, and F; the Pittston CDC will cover Troops 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

A Ford Expedition used by the Pennsylvania State Police.

Weapons

The department recently adopted the Glock Model 37 semi automatic pistol chambered in .45 GAP as their service pistol. This replaced their Beretta 96 pistols in .40 S&W. Other firearms include the AR-15, 12-gauge shotguns (including the Remington 870 pump and 1187 semi auto), and gas grenade launcher.

Less-Lethal Weapons

The current less-lethal weapons the PSP is utilizing consists of Taser technologyhttp://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/view.asp?A=11&Q=177285, Pepper spray (OC) and expandable Asp Batons.

Civilian personnel

The PSP employs not only troopers but a myriad of other support staff. These positions include civilian clerk typists, maintenance workers and mechanics.

A civilian position of noteworthiness is that of the Police Communications Operator (PCO). The PCO works at the Public-Safety Answering Point (PSAP) which is either a local barracks or at the newly developed Consolidated Dispatch Centers.

As described by the PSP, a PCO's job responsibilities include receiving, dispatching and coordinating communications at a state police installation. An employee in this job performs communications and related activities. Full performance involves operating two-way radio consoles, cathode ray tube (CRT) devices including administrative terminal and personal computer systems, and a telephone switchboard. Work includes receiving and prioritizing incoming messages and the appropriate disposition of messages; relaying information over radio and telephone; entering information into administrative terminal and personal computer systems; monitoring the activities of all assigned units; and maintaining files and logbooks.http://www.psp.state.pa.us/bhr/cwp/view.asp?a=435&q=159358&bhrNav=|6957|6961|

The PSP outlines the process to obtain civilian employment on their recruitment website. http://www.patrooper.com/othercareers.html

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. http://www.psp.state.pa.us/psp/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=42640

The other "State Police"

In 2005, the PSP successfully lobbied the state Legislature to repeal an 1872 law that granted full police powers to the State Police of Crawford and Erie Counties, an unaffiliated volunteer police force. PSP Commissioner Jeffrey Miller said he was afraid people would mistake the Crawford/Erie group for actual state troopers.

Trivia

• Stephen King's novel From a Buick 8 features Troop D in a fictional town named Statler.
• 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 reminisant 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.

• PSP troopers do not wear badges on their uniforms, which reminds them that their conduct, not their badges, represents their authority. The practice dates back to European constables of the 1700s, who never wore badges.

• 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 from 1963.

• 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.

• A PSP Trooper is portrayed on the television show "Prison Break" Season 2 Episode 3 "Scan." He stops fugitive Fernando Sucre's stolen automobile, makes a call to dispatch, and assumes him to be Sucre despite his feign of identity.

• in H. Beam Piper's Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen, Calvin Morrison is a PSP trooper until he is transported through Paratime. A senior member of the Paratime Police refers to the PSP as "one of the ten best constabulary organizations in the world."

• PSP Troopers are forbidden to display facial hair while on duty and in uniform.

• 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.http://www.patrooper.com/faq.html

Top Ten Most Wanted

See also

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

External links

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