Arkansas State Police | |
---|---|
Common name | Arkansas State Police |
Abbreviation | ASP |
Agency overview | |
Formed | March 19, 1935 |
Employees | 961 (as of Oct 2023) [1] |
Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | Arkansas, USA |
Map of Arkansas State Police's jurisdiction | |
Size | 53,179 square miles (137,730 km2) |
Population | 2,834,797 (2007 est.) [2] |
Legal jurisdiction | Arkansas |
Governing body | Government of Arkansas |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Little Rock, Arkansas |
State Troopers | 586 (authorised, as of 2022) [3] |
Civilians | 384 (as of Oct 2023) [1] |
Agency executives |
|
Parent agency | Arkansas Department of Public Safety |
Facilities | |
Troops | 12 |
Notables | |
People |
|
Website | |
Arkansas State Police |
The Arkansas State Police is a state police division of the Arkansas Department of Public Safety and the "premier" law enforcement agency in the State of Arkansas. The Arkansas State Police is responsible for enforcing motor vehicle laws, traffic laws, and criminal laws. The Arkansas State Police serves as an assisting agency to local law enforcement agencies within the State of Arkansas and has statewide authority to conduct law enforcement activities, criminal investigations, and crimes against children investigations. [4]
The Arkansas State Police was created on 19 March 1935 through Act 120 of 1935, which was passed by the Arkansas General Assembly and signed into law by the 30th Governor of Arkansas J.M. Futrell. Upon the creation of the Arkansas State Police in 1935, the agency consisted of approximately thirteen Rangers who were charged with enforcing liquor laws and traffic laws. From its creation in 1935, the Arkansas State Police has been an assisting agency to local law enforcement agencies. [5]
The Arkansas State Police Commission is made up of seven members, appointed by the Governor of Arkansas with the advice and consent of the Arkansas Senate for seven year terms. The commission is responsible for the overall control of the Arkansas State Police.
Current Commissioners: [6]
Company | Station | Counties Covered |
---|---|---|
Company A | Little Rock, Arkansas | Crittenden, Cross, Faulkner, Lee, Lonoke, Monroe, Phillips, Prairie, Pulaski, Saline, St. Francis, and Woodruff |
Company B | Pine Bluff, Arkansas | Arkansas, Ashely, Bradley, Calhoun, Chicot, Cleveland, Dallas, Desha, Drew, Jefferson, and Lincoln |
Company C | Hope, Arkansas | Clark, Columbia, Garland, Grant, Hempstead, Hot Spring, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Montgomery, Nevada, Pike, Polk, and Sevier |
Company D | Fort Smith, Arkansas | Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Logan, Madison, Scott, Sebastian, and Washington |
Company E | Harrison, Arkansas | Baxter, Boone, Conway, Fulton, Izard, Johnson, Marion, Newton, Perry, Pope, Searcy, Stone, Van Buren, and Yell |
Company F | Jonesboro, Arkansas | Clay, Cleburne, |Craighead, Greene, Independence, Jackson, Lawrence, Mississippi, Poinsett, Randolph, Sharp,and White |
Title | Insignia | Description |
---|---|---|
Director (Colonel) | Director holds the Rank of Colonel, appointed by the Governor of Arkansas to be the professional head of the Department | |
Deputy Director (Lieutenant Colonel) | Deputy Director holds the Rank of Lieutenant Colonel, second-in-command of department and second highest ranked commissioned officer in the department. | |
Major | A Major is responsible for serving as a Highway Patrol Regional Commander, as the Criminal Investigations Commander, as the Crimes Against Children Commander, or as the Administrative Services Division Commander of the Highway Patrol | |
Captain | A Captain is responsible for serving as a Highway Patrol Troop Commander, Criminal Investigation Division Regional Commander or other upper-level administrative and managerial staff position. | |
Lieutenant | A Lieutenant is responsible for serving as a Highway Patrol Troop Assistant Commander, Criminal Investigation Division Company Commander or supervising a specialized function with the State Police | |
Sergeant | A Sergeant holds First supervisory rank, responsible for overseeing and supervising Troopers and non-commissioned personnel in the performance of their duties | |
Corporal | Rank attained by Trooper First Class after completion of 7 years of service. May supervise Troopers in the performance of their duties in absence of a sergeant. | |
Trooper First Class | Rank attained by Trooper after completion of 4+1⁄2 years of service. | |
Trooper | Rank attained by Recruits upon successful completion of the training academy, responsible for field law enforcement patrol or specialized or technical law enforcement function. | |
Cadet | A Cadet is a new recruit, and is the rank held by all personnel while assigned as a student at the training academy. These personnel do not wear rank insignia. |
A state bureau of investigation (SBI) is a state-level detective agency in the United States. They are plainclothes agencies which usually investigate both criminal and civil cases involving the state and/or multiple jurisdictions. They also typically provide technical support to local agencies in the form of laboratory and/or record services, or to directly assist in the investigation of cases at the local agency's request.
The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, responsible for law enforcement and vehicle regulation across the state. As of 2022, it has 2,067 sworn troopers and 611 civilian support staff for a total of 2,678 personnel, making it the largest law enforcement agency in New England. The MSP is headed by Interim Lieutenant Colonel Jack Mawn.
The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police is a full service law enforcement agency which handles both traffic and criminal law enforcement. The Pennsylvania State Police was founded in 1905 by order of Governor Samuel Pennypacker, by signing Senate Bill 278 on May 2, 1905. The bill was signed in response to the Great Anthracite Strike of 1902. Leading up to the Anthracite Strike, private police forces were used by mine and mill owners to stop worker strikes. The inability or refusal of local police or sheriffs' offices to enforce the law, directly influenced the signing of Bill 278. The Anthracite Strike lasted from May 15 to October 23, 1902, and ended with the help of Theodore Roosevelt, the sitting president at the time.
The West Virginia State Police (WVSP) is a state law enforcement agency in the United States that provides police services to the residents of West Virginia. It is the fourth-oldest state police agency in the US. The WVSP was disbanded due to their involvement in quelling of the uprisings on behalf of the coal and mine companies which were surrounding the concept of organized labor in the coal and mine industries. The WVSP was then reorganized as the Department of Public Safety in the second extraordinary session of the West Virginia Legislature on June 19, 1919, as a result of their involvement.
The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the official state police force of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with statewide jurisdiction, designated by troop sectors.
The Vermont State Police (VSP) is the state police agency for the U.S. state of Vermont. The force has jurisdiction throughout the entire state. The Vermont Public Safety Commission directs policy and selects the commander. The commander is Colonel Matthew Birmingham. The Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Safety is Michael Schirling. There are 332 sworn state troopers.
The Michigan State Police (MSP) is the state police agency for the U.S. state of Michigan. The MSP is a full-service law enforcement agency, with its sworn members having full police powers statewide.
The Delaware State Police (DSP) is a division of the Delaware Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security and is responsible for traffic regulation and law enforcement across the state of Delaware, especially in areas underserved by local police departments. The DSP is headquartered in the capital Dover, Delaware.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is the state patrol agency for the U.S. state of Washington. Organized as the Washington State Highway Patrol in 1921, it was renamed and reconstituted in 1933. The agency is charged with the protection of the Governor of Washington and the grounds of the Washington State Capitol; security aboard the vessels and terminals of the Washington State Ferries; law enforcement on interstate and state highways in Washington; and providing specialized support to local law enforcement including laboratory forensic services, mobile field forces during periods of civil unrest or disaster, and tactical teams. The State Fire Marshal's Office, responsible for operation of the Washington State Fire Training Academy and for certain aspects of civil defense mobilization, is a component office of the Washington State Patrol, and the State Patrol is the managing agency of the Washington Fusion Center, which coordinates anti-terrorist and anti-organized crime activities within Washington.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is the state patrol for the state of Wisconsin and is a division of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The Wisconsin State Patrol enforces traffic and criminal laws, oversees the motor carrier safety and weight facilities (SWEFs), inspects and regulates motor carriers, school buses and ambulances, and assists local law enforcement agencies with traffic safety, civil disturbances and disasters.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is a division of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. It is Florida's highway patrol and is the primary law enforcement agency charged with investigating traffic crashes and criminal laws on the state's highways.
The Maryland State Police (MSP), officially the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP), is the official state police force of the U.S. state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.
The South Carolina Highway Patrol is the highway patrol agency for South Carolina, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations. The Highway Patrol was created in 1930 and is an organization with a rank structure similar to the armed forces. The mission of the South Carolina Highway Patrol includes enforcing the rules and regulations in order to ensure road way safety and reducing crime as outlined by South Carolina law. The Highway Patrol is the largest division of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety and its headquarters is located in Blythewood. This department also includes the South Carolina State Transport Police Division, and the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) is a major state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. A division of the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety, the OHP has traffic enforcement jurisdiction throughout the state. OHP was legislatively created on July 1, 1937, due to the growing problem of motor vehicle collisions, the expansion of highway systems, and the increase in criminal activities.
The Texas Highway Patrol is a division of the Texas Department of Public Safety and is the largest state-level law enforcement agency in the U.S. state of Texas. The patrol's primary duties are enforcement of state traffic laws and commercial vehicle regulation, but it is a fully empowered police agency with authority to enforce criminal law anywhere in the state. Highway patrol troopers are also responsible for patrolling the state Capitol Complex in Austin and providing security to the governor. The current Chief is Lieutenant Colonel Dwight Mathis.
The Maine State Police (MSP) is the state police agency for Maine, which has jurisdiction across the state and was created in 1921.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol(MSHP) is the highway patrol agency for Missouri and has jurisdiction all across the state. It is a division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Colonel Eric T. Olson has been serving as the 24th superintendent since March 15, 2019.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol (NCSHP) is the highway patrol agency for North Carolina which has no per-se "state police" agency. The Patrol has jurisdiction anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations and on the Cherokee Indian Reservation or on Cherokee outlying lands in the western mountains. NCSHP personnel at times conduct formations, inspections, honor guard activities. The primary mission of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol is to ensure safe and efficient transportation on the streets and highways, reduce crime, protect against terrorism, enforce motor vehicle laws, and respond to natural and man-made disasters.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety and has the primary responsibility of traffic enforcement in the U.S. state of Ohio.
In the United States, the state police is a police body unique to each U.S. state, having statewide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations. In general, state police officers or highway patrol officers, known as state troopers, perform functions that do not fall within the jurisdiction of the county sheriff, such as enforcing traffic laws on state highways and interstate expressways, overseeing the security of the state capitol complex, protecting the governor, training new officers for local police forces too small to operate an academy and providing technological and scientific services. They support local police and help to coordinate multi-jurisdictional task force activity in serious or complicated cases in those states that grant full police powers statewide.