New York State Police
New York State Police | |
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Common name | New York State Troopers |
Abbreviation | NYSP |
Motto | Excellence Through Knowledge |
Agency overview | |
Formed | April 11, 1917 |
Employees | 6,423 (as of 2007)[1] |
Annual budget | $727,000,000.00 (2009–10) |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | New York, U.S. |
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Troops of the New York State Police | |
Size | 54,556 sq mi (141,300 km2). |
Population | 19.4 Million |
Legal jurisdiction | New York |
Governing body | New York State Executive Department |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Building 22 W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus Albany, New York |
Troopers | 4,900 [1] |
Civilians | 1,747 (as of 2007)[1] |
Agency executive |
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Facilities | |
Troops | 11 |
Website | |
Official Site |
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The New York State Police (NYSP), is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New York, and employs over 4,900 sworn state troopers. It is formally part of the New York State Executive Department.[2]
History
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There were a number of proposals for a State Police force during the early 1900s but bills for its creation faced considerable opposition from union interests.[3] Finally in 1917 in response to, and from the publicity surrounding, the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County a bill for the creation of the New York State Police was passed.[notes 1] The New York State Police was officially established on April 11, 1917 by the New York State Legislature.
The department's first superintendent was George Fletcher Chandler, who was responsible for much of the department's early organization and development. Chandler coined the term "New York State Troopers" and was an early advocate of officers carrying their weapons exposed on a belt, which was not common practice at the time.[4] The State Police is also responsible for protecting the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of New York.
Superintendent
George P. Beach, retired Lt. Col. of the New York State Police, was confirmed by the State Senate as superintendent on June 9, 2016. He succeeds Joseph D'Amico, following his retirement. Joseph D'Amico became superintendent of the New York State Police in January, 2011.[5] He replaced John Melville, who was acting superintendent replacing Harry J. Corbitt. Corbitt, who was nominated by former New York State Governor David Paterson, replaced acting superintendent Preston Felton. Felton had replaced the retired Wayne E. Bennett. Corbitt announced his resignation on March 2, 2010, amid controversy.
Structure and organization
General
The State Police is headed by the Superintendent of the State Police, who is appointed by the Governor of New York.
- Superintendent
- Field Command
- Uniform Force
- Field Troops
- Uniform Special Services
- Aviation Unit
- Emergency Management Unit
- School and Community Outreach Unit
- Bomb Disposal Unit
- Canine Unit
- SCUBA Teams
- Special Operations Response Team
- Marine Unit
- Mountain Bicycle Patrol
- Snowmobile Unit
- All-Terrain Vehicle Patrol
- Highway Safety and Traffic Enforcement Services
- Bureau of Criminal Investigations
- Gaming Detail
- Narcotics Enforcement Unit
- Computer Crime Unit
- Violent Felony Warrant Squad
- Community Narcotics Enforcement Teams / Gun Investigative Unit
- Forensic Investigation Support Services
- Office of Counter Terrorism
- State Police Intelligence Center
- Border Intelligence Unit
- CALEA Intercept Unit
- Criminal Gun Clearinghouse
- Criminal Intelligence Unit
- Counter Terrorism Center
- Electronic Surveillance Unit
- Financial Crimes Unit
- Gang Intelligence Unit
- Narcotics Intelligence Unit
- Source Development Unit
- Special Investigation Unit
- Uniform Force
- Division Headquarters
- Administration
- Technology and Planning
- Employee Relations
- Human Resources
- Internal Affairs Bureau
- Field Command
Troops
The NYSP divides New York state geographically into eleven "Troops," each comprising a specific geographic area, usually several counties. Each is supervised by a "Troop Commander" usually of the rank of Major.
- Troop A - Counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming
- Troop B - Counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton and St. Lawrence
- Troop C - Counties: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins
- Troop D - Counties: Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego
- Troop E - Counties: Cayuga, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates
- Troop F - Counties: Greene, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster
- Troop G - Counties: Albany, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington
- Troop K - Counties: Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester
- Troop L - Counties: Nassau and Suffolk
- Troop NYC - New York City: Bronx, Brooklyn (Kings County), Manhattan (New York County), Staten Island (Richmond County), and Queens
- Troop T - New York State Thruway[6]
Each Troop encompasses 2–4 "Zones" which are referred to simply by a Zone number. There are up to several "sub-stations" located within each zone.
Uniforms and ranks
Trooper uniforms are made of grey wool, with the exception of the Gore-Tex jacket. Prior to 1958, uniforms (shirts, jackets and britches) were not grey, but made of equal parts white fiber and black fiber to symbolize the impartiality of justice. The NYSP is one of only five state police forces that do not wear a badge on their uniform shirts.[7] Like a U.S. Flag, trooper uniforms are burned when no longer serviceable. The black stripe down the leg of the trouser is worn in remembrance of fallen comrades. The purple color of the tie and hat band represents an elite unit. Troopers wear a tan felt stetson hat with a leather security strap and purple band around it.[8]
- Rank insignia
Title | Insignia |
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Superintendent | ![]() |
First Deputy Superintendent | ![]() |
Deputy Superintendent/Colonel | ![]() |
Assistant Deputy Superintendent/Lieutenant Colonel | ![]() |
Staff Inspector (Plainclothes) | ![]() |
Major | ![]() |
Captain | ![]() |
Lieutenant | ![]() |
Technical Lieutenant | ![]() |
Chief Technical Sergeant | ![]() |
Staff Sergeant | ![]() |
First Sergeant | ![]() |
Senior Investigator (plainclothes) | ![]() |
Zone Sergeant | ![]() |
Sergeant Station Commander | ![]() |
Technical Sergeant | ![]() |
Sergeant | ![]() |
Investigator | ![]() |
Trooper | ![]() |
Chevrons are black on a gray background and are worn on the upper sleeves of both the shirt and the jacket. Rank insignia for Technical Lieutenant through Superintendent are worn on the collars of the shirt and the shoulder loops of the Gore-Tex jacket.
Communication officer for the state police (911 operators State police)
Communication specialists are often the life line for citizens throughout the state who are in need of immediate emergency assistance. These specialized individuals take citizen complaints, dispatch troopers to calls for service and emergencies, and answer cellular 911 calls. These employees also provide medical information to citizens over the telephone, ranging from instructions on delivering a baby to performing CPR on an unresponsive person. [9]
Car numbers
A patrol car number will contain the Troop and Zone or group prefix: for example, car 1A30 would be a patrol car in Zone 1 of Troop A. Prefix numbers 1 through 4 are used for geographic patrol zones, while 5 is used by BCI Investigators, 6 by Portables, 7 by other local agencies dispatched by NYSP, 8 by special state units (e.g. State Park Police), and 9 by dispatchers. Cars not carrying prefixes, for instance K55, are Troop Headquarters cars. The New York State Police also use a standard number-blocking system to identify the type of unit carrying a particular number:
Administrative
- L1 - Major
- L2 - Captain (executive officer)
- L5 - Bureau of Criminal Investigation Captain
- L10-L49 - Troop Administration - Marked cars
- L50-L69 - Troop Administration - Unmarked cars
- L70-L89 - Miscellaneous Administration
- L90-L99 - Troop Communications
- L101-L109 - Traffic Incident Management Team
Uniformed Troopers
- 1L1 - Captain (Zone Commander)
- 1L2 - Lieutenant
- 1L10-1L49 - Marked Cars
- 1L50-1L79 - Unmarked Cars
- 1L80-1L89 - Miscellaneous Units
Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI)
- L5 - BCI Captain
- 5L1 - BCI Lieutenant
- 5L15-5L24 - BCI Senior Investigators
- 5L25-5L199 - BCI Investigators
Portables
- 6L1-6L99 - Administrative Portables
- 6L100-6L499 - Trooper Portables
- 6L500-6L599 - BCI Portables
Special Units
- Henry (H) - State P.D. Headquarters Division
- Nora (N) - State Environmental Conservation P.D.
- Robert (R) - State P.D. Academy Units
- Sam (S) - State P.D. Special Investigations Units
Training
Recruits must complete a 26-week training academy prior to being appointed as a state trooper. The residential school is located at the NYSP Academy in Albany, New York. Recruits must then complete 10 weeks post academy field training with a trained field training officer (FTO) holding the rank of trooper prior to permanent troop assignment.
Equipment
Officers of the New York State Police are issued the Glock 37 chambered in .45 GAP as the service pistol. The New York State Police previously used the Glock 17 from 1989 to 2007.[10] The Glock 37 was chosen after the shooting death of Trooper Andrew Sperr in Chemung County on March 1, 2006.[11]
The State Police's vehicle fleet is primarily made up of Ford Explorer and Ford Taurus vehicles, which are slowly replacing the Crown Victorias that the State Police previously used as its primary patrol car. It also uses for routine patrol, Dodge Chargers, Chevrolet Caprice, Ford Expeditions and Chevrolet Tahoes. All marked cars are painted dark blue with yellow reflective decals.
Vehicles in the Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement program (CITE) are unmarked and feature Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles.
Effective Spring 2011, New York State Troopers were trained and issued Tasers for patrol purposes. The tasers were donated by the NYS Trooper Foundation to give Troopers, who almost always patrol alone, yet another alternative than deadly force to subdue combatants.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the New York State Police, 126 officers have died in the line of duty. Recent deaths include:[12]
Officer | Date of Death | Details |
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Robert G. Dunning | Sunday, June 14, 1987 | Gunfire |
Ricky J. Parisian | Friday, May 20, 1994 | Gunfire |
Lawrence P. (Larry) Gleason | Monday, February 11, 2002 | Gunfire |
Robert Wayne Ambrose | Thursday, December 19, 2002 | Automobile Accident |
Andrew J. "AJ" Sperr | Wednesday, March 1, 2006 | Gunfire |
Craig James Todeschini | Sunday, April 23, 2006 | Automobile Accident |
Joseph Anthony Longobardo | Sunday, September 3, 2006 | Gunfire |
David Brinkerhoff | Wednesday, April 25, 2007 | Gunfire (accidental) |
David J. Lane | Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | Automobile Accident |
Jill Mattice | Wednesday, January 20, 2010 | Automobile Accident |
Kevin P. Dobson | Saturday, March 26, 2011 | Struck by Vehicle |
Amanda Anna | Saturday, May 26, 2012 | Automobile Accident |
David Cunniff | Tuesday, December 17, 2013 | Automobile Accident |
Ross Riley | Wednesday, November 20, 2013 | Rapelling Accident |
Christopher Skinner | Thursday, May 29, 2014 | Vehicular Assault |
Timothy Pratt | Wednesday, October 26, 2016 | Struck by Vehicle |
Brian Falb | Monday, March 13, 2017 | 9/11-related illness |
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in New York
- New York State University Police
- State Police (United States)
Notes
References
- ^ a b c USDOJ Statistics Table 7
- ^ Executive Law § 31. "There shall be in the executive department the following divisions: [...] The division of state police. [...]"
- ^ a b Van de Water, Frederic Franklyn (1922). Grey Riders: The Story of the New York State Troopers. Putnam's Sons.
- ^ NYSP site http://www.troopers.ny.gov/Introduction/History/1917-1929/
- ^ Syracuse.com, Jan 2011 Joseph Damico is confirmed as Superintendent
- ^ NYSP site http://www.troopers.ny.gov/Contact_Us/Troop_Information/
- ^ Kidd, R. Spencer (2012). Uniforms of the U.S. State Police & Highway Patrols. lulu.com. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-4717-7729-5. OCLC 929822564.
- ^ NYSP Uniform
- ^ New York State Police Examination for communications specialist (State Police), SG-12
- ^ New York State Police to Purchase New Glock Pistol
- ^ GunWeek.com
- ^ The Officer Down Memorial Page
External links
- New York State Police Website
- New York State Police in the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations
- NYSP Recruitment Center Website
- Union representing Troopers and Supervisors
- Union representing Investigators
- New York State Police collected news and commentary at The New York Times
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