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Indiana State Police

Coordinates: 39°46′7.83″N 86°9′53.72″W / 39.7688417°N 86.1649222°W / 39.7688417; -86.1649222
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39°46′7.83″N 86°9′53.72″W / 39.7688417°N 86.1649222°W / 39.7688417; -86.1649222

Indiana State Police
Indiana State Police patch
Indiana State Police patch
AbbreviationISP
MottoIntegrity, Service, Professionalism
Agency overview
FormedApril 15, 1933; 91 years ago (1933-04-15)[1]
Preceding agency
  • Indiana Motor Vehicle Police (1921–1933)
Employees1,744 (2014)[2]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionIndiana, USA
ISP Districts
Size36,418 sq mi (94,321 km2)
Population6,619,680 (2015 est.)
Legal jurisdictionIndiana Statewide
Governing bodyGovernor of Indiana
General nature
Operational structure
Overseen byIndiana State Police Board
Headquarters100 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana
Troopers1,279 (2014)[2]
Civilians465 (2014)[2]
Agency executive
  • Douglas G. Carter, Superintendent
Facilities
Districts
14
  • 13 - Lowell
  • 14 - Lafayette
  • 16 - Peru
  • 21 - Toll Road
  • 22 - Fort Wayne
  • 24 - Bremen
  • 33 - Bloomington
  • 34 - Jasper
  • 35 - Evansville
  • 42 - Versailles
  • 45 - Sellersburg
  • 51 - Pendleton
  • 52 - Indianapolis
  • 53 - Putnamville
Website
http://www.in.gov/isp/

The Indiana State Police is the statewide law enforcement agency for the U.S. state of Indiana. Indiana was the 12th state to offer protection to its citizens with a state police force.

Its headquarters are in the Indiana Government Center North in Indianapolis.[3]

History

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Demographics comparison
ISP[4] Indiana[5]
Male 95% 49.1%
Female 5% 50.9%
White 91% 87.5%
African-American
or Black
7% 8.4%
Hispanic 1% 3.5%
Asian 0% 1.0%

On July 15, 1921, the Indiana legislature, with approval from the governor, to appoint "all necessary deputies in addition to the present officers of the law" to enforce a newly enacted vehicle registration law.[6] The secretary of state appointed a 16-man Indiana Motor Vehicle Police, becoming the first law enforcement agency in the state to have statewide jurisdiction to enforce traffic laws, although they had only "limited" authority and were only authorized to enforce the "rules of the road" and motor vehicle laws.[7] On March 10, 1927, the Indiana legislature created a Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, also under the secretary of state, for the purpose of installing and maintaining "local identification systems for the identification and prosecution of criminals and the investigation of crimes."[8] In 1933, the Indiana State Police was formed largely consisting of basically untrained, ill-equipped traffic officers left over from the Motor Vehicle Police. The first formal "academy" began July 15, 1935, and consisted of between 80 and 100 candidates. It was not until 1976 that the academy graduated its first female troopers.[7]

Indiana State Police Board

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The Indiana State Police Board administers, manages, and controls the operation of the agency including the setting of salaries and compensation, with the approval of the governor and may review disciplinary action taken against a state police employee by the superintendent. The ISP board consists of six civilian members who are appointed by the governor and must be a permanent resident of one of six geographical regions of the state from which they are appointed. Members serve staggered, four-year terms and no more than three may belong to the same political party.[9]

Organization

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The Indiana State Police is currently led by Superintendent Douglas G. Carter, whose position is appointed by the governor. His command staff includes a Chief of Staff who holds the rank of Colonel and six Assistant Chiefs of Staff, two of which hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, three holding the rank of Major, and one civilian employee. The Assistant Chiefs of Staff manage the following areas of the agency:

  • Intelligence and Investigations covers the investigative needs of the agency, and covers specialties such as Cybercrimes or Internet Crimes Against Children, and the State Police Laboratory Division, which primarily consists of criminal forensics for ongoing investigations.
  • Operations consists of primarily field operations and patrol services, but also includes the oversight of the Recruit Academy and the Capitol Police Section.
  • Logistics consists of the oversight of logistical needs of the agency to ensure it is prepared for operations. The elements overseen by the Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics includes the Quartermaster Unit, Fleet Management, and Facilities Management.
  • Communications and Information Systems consists of the oversight of the six Regional Dispatch Centers (Lowell, Fort Wayne, Bloomington, Versailles, Indianapolis, and the Toll Road) utilized by the State Police, the Firearms Licensing Unit, Information Technology Section, and the Criminal Justice Information Services Section.
  • Human Resources and Administration focuses on the personnel management and administrative needs of the agency, and primarily includes the Employment Services Section, where the selection processes and recruiting is handled, the Human Resources Section, primarily concerned with policy and personnel allocation, and the Benefits Section.
  • Fiscal strictly deals with the financial needs of the department, and includes matters such as payroll, overtime and travel assignments/management, contract administration, the purchasing unit, accounts payable, and accounts receivable.


List of ISP superintendents

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  • Robert T. Humes (1921–1930)†[10]
  • Grover C. Garrott (1930–1933)†
  • Albert G. Feeney (1933–1935)
  • Donald F. Stiver (1935–1944)
  • Austin R. Killian (1945–1947)
  • Robert R. Rossow (1947–1949)
  • Arthur M. Thurston (1949–1952)
  • Robert A. O'Neal (1952–1953)
  • Frank A. Jessup (1953–1957)
  • Harold S. Zeis (1957–1961)
  • John J. Barton (1961–1963)
  • George A. Everett (1963–1965)
  • Robert A. O'Neal (1965–1968)
  • Arthur R. Raney, Jr. (1968–1969)
  • Robert K. Konkle (1969–1973)
  • Robert L. DeBard (1973–1977)
  • John T. Shettle (1977–1987)
  • Larry D. Furnas (1987–1989)
  • Lloyd R. Jennings (1989–1997)
  • Melvin J. Carraway (1997–2005)
  • Paul E. Whitesell, Ph.D. (2005–2012)
  • Douglas G. Carter (2013– )

 Chief of the Indiana Motor Vehicle Police

Rank structure

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The agency's rank structure is as follows (from highest to lowest):

Rank Insignia Notes
Superintendent
The Superintendent of the State Police is appointed by the Governor as the executive head of the agency, tasked with the daily oversight of the agency and its operations, ensuring that the agency is prepared and capable of responding as needed to perform their daily duties, or other duties as needed and assigned.
Colonel
Serves as the Chief of Staff for the Superintendent, assisting them in overseeing the daily operations and preparation needs for the agency. The Colonel may fill in as an Interim Superintendent during either the vacancy or absence of the Superintendent.
Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonels serve as Assistant Chiefs of Staff at the State Police Headquarters in Indianapolis, overseeing the units and divisions assigned under them for management purposes.
Major
Majors may serve as an Assistant Chief of Staff at the State Police Headquarters in Indianapolis, overseeing the units or other elements under their command. Majors may also be assigned to oversee the operations of a command, which is a major division, such as the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division, or be appointed as either North or South Zone Commander, overseeing patrol and criminal investigations operations throughout the districts in their zone.
Captain
Captains may serve as senior leadership within their command under the supervision of a Major, or in certain circumstances, may themselves be appointed to oversee a command mentioned above. There are also Captains who serve as Area Commanders, overseeing patrol operations at districts within an assigned area of either the North or South Zone. Similarly, there is also a Captain appointed as an Area Investigations Commander, overseeing the Criminal Investigations Division within their assigned area.
Lieutenant
Lieutenants may be assigned to serve as the District Commander at any of the 14 State Police districts across the state, or may serve as a section or unit commander under the supervision of a Captain and/or Major.
First Sergeant
First Sergeants may be assigned to serve as the Assistant District Commander at any of the 14 State Police districts across the state, assisting their Lieutenant in the oversight of operations at their district. They may also be assigned into sections or units, assisting their Lieutenant in that section or unit in overseeing the day to day operations of the unit. At each District, there is also a First Sergeant assigned as the District Investigations Coordinator, overseeing the Criminal Investigations Division operations in that district.
Sergeant
Sergeants may be seen serving as Squad Leaders for personnel assigned in patrol at a State Police district, as well as serving as front line supervisors in either patrol, criminal investigations, or other duties throughout the various sections and units across the state. Each district, with the exception of the Toll Road, has a Public Information Officer for media relations at the district. The District PIO holds the rank of Sergeant.
Corporal
Corporals are front line supervisors for Troopers on the road, typically also serving as mentors for the Troopers. They may be assigned to other units and sections, but are typically found patrolling on the roads within their district and assisting the Troopers in that district.
Trooper No Insignia Troopers are the front line personnel, who start their careers in patrol, but may move throughout the agency into different specialties and assignments. This rank includes the designations of Senior Trooper at 10 years of service and Master Trooper at 15 years of service.
Probationary Trooper No Insignia After graduating the State Police Recruit Academy, graduates are appointed as Probationary Troopers, and will serve in this capacity for one calendar year, through the completion of field training and the first several months of solo patrol after they're issued their first police vehicle.
Recruit No insignia Recruits are those currently undergoing training in the State Police Recruit Academy.

Troopers with 10 and 15 years of service are referred to as a Senior Trooper and a Master Trooper respectively, resulting in salary increases, but are not considered ranks.

As of July 2023, the starting pay for a Trooper is $70,000 per year.

Equipment

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Aircraft

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In 1948, the Indiana State Police acquired a Navion airplane. Aircraft continued to be utilized throughout the 1950s and the Aviation Section continued to grow having helicopters introduced into the air fleet. Today, the Indiana State Police have two fixed-wing aircraft, three helicopters and six pilots used for law enforcement throughout the state which are maintained by the Aviation Section, a part of the Special Operations Section. The Indiana State Police also conduct joint operations with the Indiana National Guard to combat against illegal outdoor cannabis cultivation sites.[11]

Service weapons

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In 2006, around 50 Glock .40 S&W handguns issued to state troopers were identified as defective, impairing function. The handguns were replaced with the Glock 17 9mm, which functioned perfectly.[12]

The Indiana State Police chose the SIGM400 rifle for its SWAT in 2012, and chose the SIG-Sauer P227 as its duty pistol, alongside the SIG-Sauer P365 as a backup pistol in 2019.

Troopers are issued the Remington 870 12 gauge Police Magnum shotgun. Troopers are also issued an AR-15 styled rifle as their patrol rifle as a result of increasing gun violence across the country.

Vehicles

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After the discontinuation of the Ford Crown Victoria following the 2011 model year, the State Police transitioned to primarily using Dodge Chargers with the 8-cylinder engines. Some personnel were still issued larger vehicles such as the Dodge RAM 1500 or Chevrolet Tahoe for personnel working in areas such as Commercial Vehicle Enforcement or Criminal Investigations, who as a result of the nature of their duties, needed heavier duty vehicles with the storage space. Following the decision for the Dodge Charger to become an all-electric vehicle starting in the 2024 model year, the State Police again began to transition its vehicle of choice, and began issuing out the Dodge Durango as its primary patrol vehicle for personnel in patrol, and continued to use the 8-cylinder engine as it is the engine best suited for their performance needs on the interstate highways throughout the state.

As of June, the 2024 Dodge Durangos have been placed on hold amidst widespread mechanical issues affecting approximately 20% of the 500 vehicles purchased.

Indiana State Police districts

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Indiana State Police Post 34 in Jasper
Area District Post Counties Covered
I 13 Lowell Jasper, Lake, LaPorte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke
I 14 Lafayette Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren and White
I 16 Peru Cass, Fulton, Grant, Howard, Miami, Tipton and Wabash
II 21 Toll Road Indiana Toll Road
II 22 Fort Wayne Adams, Allen, Blackford, DeKalb, Huntington, Jay, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells and Whitley
II 24 Bremen Elkhart, Kosciusko, Marshall and St. Joseph
III 33 Bloomington Brown, Greene, Lawrence, Monroe, Morgan and Owen
III 34 Jasper Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Martin, Orange, Perry and Spencer
III 35 Evansville Gibson, Knox, Pike, Posey, Vanderburgh and Warrick
IV 42 Versailles Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland
IV 45 Sellersburg Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Scott and Washington
V 51 Pendleton Delaware, Fayette, Henry, Madison, Randolph, Rush, Union and Wayne
V 52 Indianapolis Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion and Shelby
V 53 Putnamville Clay, Parke, Putnam, Sullivan, Vermillion and Vigo

Fallen officers

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Memorial at Indiana State Police Post 34 in Jasper

In the history of the Indiana State Police, 46 troopers and three civilian employees have died in the line of duty. The agency honors its personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice at its own memorial[13] consisting of an eternal flame and three granite tablets inscribed with their names at a site located on the east side of Indianapolis just off of Post Road at Interstate 70. Their troopers are also honored on the Indiana Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Memorial located at Bicentennial Plaza and Senate Avenue in Indianapolis, which was dedicated in 2001 to the memory of the state's fallen public safety officers, as well as in Washington at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which honors the nation's law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty and was dedicated in 1991.

Name Date of death Age Tenure Cause of death Notes
Trooper Eugene O. Teague 12-20-1933 24 6 months Gunfire (Accidental) [A]
Trooper Paul V. Minneman 05-27-1937 33 1 year, 8 months Gunfire [B]
Trooper William R. Dixon 06-27-1938 28 2 years, 9 months Gunfire [C]
Trooper George A. Forster 05-17-1941 25 2 years, 8 months Automobile accident
Trooper Richard F. England 04-22-1942 31 6 years, 3 months Automobile accident
Trooper Herbert W. Smith 12-05-1946 29 4 years, 1 month Gunfire
Trooper Robert E. Clevenger 09-08-1953 22 1 year Vehicle pursuit
Sergeant Hubert C. Roush 01-26-1955 39 2 years, 4 months Automobile accident
Trooper Earl L. Brown 08-31-1955 42 14 years, 10 months Gunfire
Sergeant John R. Miller 09-05-1955 35 14 years Aircraft accident
Trooper Donald R. Turner 01-28-1956 37 9 years, 2 months Struck by vehicle
First Sergeant Marvin E. Walts 03-18-1957 49 19 years, 6 months Gunfire
Trooper William R. Kellems 09-30-1957 27 10 months Gunfire
Trooper John H. Powell 02-27-1959 27 4 years, 2 months Struck by vehicle
Trooper Robert J. Garrison 12-14-1959 27 4 years, 2 months Automobile accident
Trooper Robert C. Gillespie 06-08-1962 33 11 years, 9 months Automobile accident
Trooper William F. Kieser 03-09-1965 37 6 years, 11 months Gunfire
Trooper Oscar E. Mills 04-12-1966 35 2 years, 2 months Vehicle pursuit [D]
Trooper William R. Rayner 12-18-1966 30 8 years, 3 months Gunfire
Trooper Richard G. Brown 09-27-1967 40 12 years, 4 months Struck by vehicle
Trooper Robert O. Lietzan 03-30-1969 31 7 years, 7 months Gunfire
Sergeant George W. Campbell 06-18-1969 44 18 years, 10 months Heart attack
Trooper John J. Streu 02-20-1971 25 10 months Gunfire [E]
Sergeant Glen R. Hosier 04-26-1971 44 15 years, 11 months Gunfire
Trooper William J. Trees 06-26-1972 28 3 years, 9 months Vehicle pursuit
Trooper Lawrence B. Meyer 02-02-1974 37 5 years, 5 months Heart attack
Trooper Lewis E. Phillips 04-16-1975 26 2 years, 1 month Automobile accident
Trooper Roy E. Jones 07-03-1979 31 2 years, 8 months Automobile accident
Trooper Robert J. Lather II 07-06-1982 30 7 years, 6 months Vehicular assault
Trooper Steven L. Bailey 12-10-1983 29 5 years Gunfire (Accidental)
Sergeant John E. Hatfull 04-13-1987 45 14 years, 2 months Gunfire
Master Trooper Michael E. Greene 02-05-1993 43 16 years, 7 months Gunfire
Trooper Todd A. Burman 06-29-1993 28 2 years, 7 months Gunfire
Master Motor Carrier Inspector
Ralph R. Reed Jr.
08-03-1995 48 27 years, 3 months Struck by vehicle [F]
DNA Supervisor
Kimberly S. Epperson
11-16-1995 36 10 years, 9 months Automobile accident [F]
Trooper Andrew P. Winzenread 04-25-1997 26 2 years, 4 months Struck by vehicle
Senior Trooper James P. Bartram 03-31-1998 37 10 years, 3 months Automobile accident
Master Trooper David A. Deuter 07-16-1998 49 26 years, 3 months Struck by vehicle
Trooper Richard T. Gaston 03-04-1999 29 2 months Vehicular assault
Trooper Cory R. Elson 04-03-1999 26 3 months Gunfire
Trooper Jason E. Beal 01-15-2000 24 1 year, 1 month Struck by vehicle [G]
Trooper Scott A. Patrick 12-22-2003 27 3 years, 5 months Gunfire
Lieutenant Gary E. Dudley 08-22-2006 51 26 years, 8 months Bicycle accident [H]
Master Trooper David E. Rich 07-05-2007 41 17 years, 7 months Gunfire
Trooper Daniel R. Barrett 01-27-2008 25 6 months Automobile accident
Master Motor Carrier Inspector
Robert E. Pitcher
09-26-2010 64 22 years, 2 months Automobile accident [F]
Trooper Peter R. Stephan 10-11-2019 27 3 years, 10 months Automobile accident
Master Trooper James R. Bailey 03-03-2023 50 15 years, 6 months Vehicular assault
Trooper Aaron N. Smith 06-28-2023 33 4 years, 11 months Vehicular assault

Notes

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Breathalyzer

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The Indiana State Police was the first law enforcement agency in North America to have authorized the use of the famed "Drunk-o-meter", a chemical test to determine levels of alcohol intoxication, which was invented in 1938 by Rolla N. Harger, M.D., a professor at Indiana University.[15] In 1954, an improved version of the device followed and was called the Breathalyzer, invented by Indiana State Police Captain Robert F. Borkenstein in collaboration with Dr. Harger.[16] This successful device has since been used by police agencies to assess alcohol impairment in drunken driving offenses.

See also

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Bibliography

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  • Indiana Troopers Association (2009), Indiana State Police 75th Anniversary Historical Book, Evansville, Ind.: M.T. Publishing Company, Inc., ISBN 978-1-934729-22-9, OCLC 651915614
  • Olsen, Marilyn B. (2001), Gangsters, Gunfire and Political Intrigue: The Story of the Indiana State Police, Indianapolis: .38 Special Press, ISBN 978-0-967574-93-6, OCLC 49527627
  • Kellner, Esther (1983), Fifty years of service: The story of the Indiana State Police for their 50th anniversary 1933–1983, Cambridge City, Ind.: Optimist-Indiana State Police Respect for Law Camp, ASIN B0006YDTCG, OCLC 10110594

References

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  1. ^ Executive Reorganization Act, Chapter 4 of the Acts of Indiana, effective April 15, 1933
  2. ^ a b c Indiana State Police 2012 Annual Report Archived 2014-03-19 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed March 18, 2014.
  3. ^ "Contact Us." Indiana State Police. Retrieved on November 18, 2016. "In Person: Indiana Government Center North 100 N. Senate Avenue, Suite N302 (east elevators) Indianapolis IN 46204"
  4. ^ Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers Archived September 27, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ 2000 US Census - Indiana
  6. ^ Chapter 265, Sections 5, 6, Laws of the State of Indiana Passed at the Seventy-second Regular Session of the General Assembly, Fort Wayne Printing Company, by Contract for Indiana State Printing and Binding, Fort Wayne, Indiana (1921).[1]
  7. ^ a b History of the Indiana State Police[permanent dead link]. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
  8. ^ Chapter 216, Sections 1-15, Laws of the State of Indiana Passed at the Seventy-fifth Regular Session of the General Assembly, WM. B. Burford, by Contract for Indiana State Printing and Binding, Indianapolis, Indiana (1927).[2]
  9. ^ "Indiana Code §10-11-2". Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  10. ^ Indiana Legislative Bureau (1926). Year Book of the State of Indiana for the Year 1926. Indianapolis: Wm. B. Burford. p. 19.
  11. ^ "Military 'copter carried cops looking for pot".
  12. ^ Defective state police guns to be replaced, Tribune Star (April 12, 2006).
  13. ^ Indiana State Police - In Memoriam
  14. ^ "National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund criteria" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-06-16.
  15. ^ "The Drunkometer". Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  16. ^ "History of the Breathalyzer". Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
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