View Full Version : A couple questions about State Police Agencies
DesertTrooper
09-23-2001, 19:20
Hey there,
I just have a couple questions about SP agencies.
1. What State Police Agencies allow you to use your cruiser off duty? IE: Plain clothes going to the store stuff.
2. What agencies have Troops that are soley devoted to patrolling an interstate(s)? Highway Patrol is what I'm looking towards in a LE career and I'm just trying to find where I would have an opportunity to be on the highway for my whole shift.
Originally posted by DesertTrooper
Hey there,
I just have a couple questions about SP agencies.
1. What State Police Agencies allow you to use your cruiser off duty? IE: Plain clothes going to the store stuff.
2. What agencies have Troops that are soley devoted to patrolling an interstate(s)? Highway Patrol is what I'm looking towards in a LE career and I'm just trying to find where I would have an opportunity to be on the highway for my whole shift.
Can't really help on the first question, although I can't think of anything I would less rather do than ride in a marked patrol vehicle while off duty.
On the second question, Washington State Patrol is almost solely devoted to working highways. Texas DPS (Highway Patrol) has some specialized units (like narcotics), but the uniformed troopers basically work traffic all day, although it depends where you are assigned, as troopers in some rural areas may help out with local police calls. Iowa Department of Public Safety has a Highway Patrol division that basically works traffic. Not to mention what are probably the two best known HP's, California and Florida.
I_HATE_DONUTS
09-23-2001, 20:43
Maryland State Police is awesome for off-duty use. I take mine to the beach all the time.
I am pretty sure Conn state police have take home vehicles. I know that NY doesn't. Except for the investigators.
NY has a specific troop dedicated to the major interstate (90). all the other troops do patrol the other interstates along with the cities that don't have a police agency.
Originally posted by SP20
NY has a specific troop dedicated to the major interstate (90). all the other troops do patrol the other interstates along with the cities that don't have a police agency.
The downstate NYSP troopers (on LI) work only the parkways also, no 'routine' police work.
Mo Trooper
09-24-2001, 05:08
Almost all state patrol or state police agencies main functions are related to patrolling the highways. Most agencies will also back up the Sheriff on occasion, or work some domestics and other crimes, probably more so in the rural areas.
I don't know of any state agencies that DON'T have take home cars, but there are very few that allow you to use them off duty. Like nsedet said, you're just inviting trouble when you use your car off duty.
srosibley
09-24-2001, 07:13
First, if your looking for take home cars both NC and SCHP have them. I don't know about NC (I can check next week-end) but I do know that SCHP lets their troopers take them just about any where. Just a side note. SC uses the CV-PI package and cameros. All the NCHP cars I have seen have been regular stock CV's.
Second, both the NC and SCHP do only traffic. So much so that if you don't like inv. accidents and writing tickets you would not be happy with either one. At least that has been what I have seen here in SC. Here in SC the SCHP handles MOST of the major highways. Hope this helps. Stay Safe.
Originally posted by srosibley
First, if your looking for take home cars both NC and SCHP have them. I don't know about NC (I can check next week-end) but I do know that SCHP lets their troopers take them just about any where. Just a side note. SC uses the CV-PI package and cameros. All the NCHP cars I have seen have been regular stock CV's.
Second, both the NC and SCHP do only traffic. So much so that if you don't like inv. accidents and writing tickets you would not be happy with either one. At least that has been what I have seen here in SC. Here in SC the SCHP handles MOST of the major highways. Hope this helps. Stay Safe.
That’s incorrect. While all State Police and Patrol agencies primary job is to insure safe passage on the state's thruways, that’s not the ONLY job of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. Their job duties vary immensely. And yes, the last I heard North Carolina has take homes.
srosibley
09-24-2001, 14:51
I stand corrected. I haven't lived in NC since '95 so I'm not as up to date on their assignments or duties. I am however very familiar with SCHP and all they do is traffic. Municipal police handle all calls in their jurisdiction including wrecks. Sheriff's Offices (and our 1 county Police Dept.) handle all calls except wrecks which the SCHP handles. I have heard a rumer that some Troopers answer calls as backup in some counties but I have no personal experiance with this. Here the HP's main duty is traffic. It was not until recently that Troopers had to hold the same cert. as PO's and Deputies. I hope that helps to clear it up a little. Stay Safe.
The Mass State police mostly do road work but they do everything from task force, drugs(C-pac), SWAT (STOP TEAMS) water ops, dive teams and many others. The one strange part is if you transfer to the MASS PIKE TROOP you quit and get rehired in the same day. I'm not sure why they do this but don't forget this is MASS I'm talking about. Working the road is the main part of the MSP so you can paln on staying there if that's what you really like to do.
Originally posted by snpusmc
The Mass State police mostly do road work but they do everything from task force, drugs(C-pac), SWAT (STOP TEAMS) water ops, dive teams and many others.
I didn't think C-PAC was entirely narcotics, I though that was the unit that was assigned to work for the various District Attorney's Offices...or is that another unit?
nsedet, your correct. CPAC is the state police unit assigned to the DA's office and investigates all major crimes that the local jurisdiction can't or won't investigate.
NSEDET.
I wasn't to clear on the MASS SP C-PAC units but let me try to exspand on what MASSCOP wrote. The C-PAC units are part of every D/A office. There is a D/A in every county in the commonwealth ( Norfolk, Bristol..................) They work both sides of the house ( drugs and hm-sides). All funding comes from the D/A office and as for the take home cars they all have them just like they would if they where on the road(granted some are older then slice bread).
As for the take home cars being used outside of work with the MSP. Don't even think of it not that there that stricked on it but it's just not done that often. On the otherside we did take an old mini van (C-PAC undercoverup) to MT. Washington for a weekend of hiking with a couple of SR Troopers a few years ago. Hope this clears things up a little.
lightemup
09-26-2001, 23:34
Michigan State Police doesn NOT have take home vehicles
CustomsCop
09-27-2001, 01:17
Both the PA and NJ state police don have take home cars unless your a detective or an upper echolon trooper.
I belive CT has the same policy as the DE state police in reguards to off duty use, your not allowed to do police work in them unless specifically called in. You may not issue citations etc..
Im a little preplexed as to why u want to drive a police car off duty? Other than the fact your opening yourself to a big can of worms by becoming a target (a big no no if your not armed)... Its the reason why Im against volunteer firefighters having blue lights, you pickup a lights and siren fetish , therefore thinking you can break ever traffic rule off duty..
Just my .02
CC
A take home saves you money on buying your own car. And guys take care of “their” cars better than they would a department car. :D As for being a target that depends on the neighbourhood you live in. Troopers that work in states that allow them to take their cars home usually patrol their own home area. So everyone knows them in their town. There's more of a social connection. And besides, if someone attempts to hurt you with the removable light bar removed while off duty, most likely he was after YOU and not after an officer. And it wouldn’t had made a difference if you were in another car.
Originally posted by Gar
A take home saves you money on buying your own car. And guys take care of “their” cars better than they would a department car. :D As for being a target that depends on the neighbourhood you live in. Troopers that work in states that allow them to take their cars home usually patrol their own home area. So everyone knows them in their town. There's more of a social connection. And besides, if someone attempts to hurt you with the removable light bar removed while off duty, most likely he was after YOU and not after an officer. And it wouldn’t had made a difference if you were in another car.
I have no problem with a take-home vehicle, but still question the off-duty use of that vehicle. Why, if you are off-duty, would you want to drive around in a marked or otherwise readily identifiable police vehicle? Off-duty, you are at a distinct tactical disadvantage compared to when on-duty (ie, no vest, no handheld radio, maybe a smaller weapon, no OC/ASP, etc), and have only the advantage of being inconspicuous in civilian clothes...so, you go to the bank on your day off and get your head blown off when you walk inside by the bad guy who saw you getting out of your marked police car...there are trade-offs admittedly (ie, having the vehicle does give you access to a radio), but it seems very much not worth the added danger just to save a little gas money on your run out to Walmart.
The key factor is weather the car is mark (i.e. insignia) or unmarked with just a removable light bar. With the latter I don’t see it being a problem, like I said in my previous post. Now a marked car is a different story.
Mo Trooper
09-28-2001, 12:57
Most troopers do not have completely unmarked cars, usually only a select few in the agency, e.g. people of higher rank, or in specialist positions.
A couple of scenarios of why I would never drive a Marked car off duty.
1. You are driving by a bank after it had just ben robbed, and the thieves see your car and start shooting at you and your family.
2. You are driving at night behind an obviously drunk driver. People begin wondering why YOU aren't pulling them over. If you do pull them over without your vest or equipment, that's even a worse mistake.
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