Georgia State Patrol

Last updated
Georgia State Patrol
GA - State Patrol.png
Patch of Georgia State Patrol
GA - Trooper Badge.png
Badge of Georgia State Patrol
AbbreviationGSP
MottoWisdom, Justice and Moderation
Agency overview
Formed1937;87 years ago (1937)
Employees1,268 (as of 2004) [1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionGeorgia, United States
GA - Troop Map.png
Georgia State Patrol Troop Map
Size59,425 square miles (153,910 km2)
Population10.62 million (2019 est.) [2]
Legal jurisdictionStatewide
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia
Troopers845 (as of June 2016) [1]
Civilian employees412 (as of 2004) [1]
Agency executives
Parent agency Georgia Department of Public Safety
Troops10
Facilities
Posts52
Website
Georgia State Patrol

The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) was established in March 1937 in the U.S. state of Georgia and is a division of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. It is the primary state patrol agency for the U.S. state of Georgia. Although focused primarily on the enforcement of traffic laws and investigation of traffic crashes, the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) supports the efforts of all public safety agencies to reduce criminal activity, apprehend those involved, and respond to natural and manmade disasters.

Contents

History

The Department of Public Safety was created as Georgia citizens complained about increased traffic fatalities, crime, and a need for a larger law enforcement agency with statewide arrest powers. Georgia lawmakers decided to create the State Patrol. In 1937, Governor E.D Rivers appointed Philip H. Brewster, Sr. as its first permanent commissioner. That summer the first Trooper School was held at Georgia Tech. Eighty troopers graduated the first year. To date, the Georgia State Patrol has graduated 115 Trooper Schools. [3]

In November 2021, Distributed Denial of Secrets released 1.8 terabytes of police helicopter surveillance footage from the Dallas Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol. [4] [5] According to Wired, the footage showed helicopters capturing everything from cars lined up at a drive-through, and people standing in their yards and on the street. [4] Non-profit advocacy group Fight for the Future called the leak "a crystal-clear example of why mass surveillance makes our society less safe, not more safe." [4]

Rank structure

TitleInsignia
Commissioner (Colonel)
Colonel Silver.png
Deputy Commissioner (Lieutenant Colonel)
US-O5 insignia.svg
Major (Adjutant)
US-O4 insignia.svg
Captain (Troop

commander)

US-O3 insignia.svg
Lieutenant (Assistant Troop Commander)
US-O2 insignia.svg
Sergeant First Class (Post Commander)
GSP Sergeant First Class.png
Sergeant (Assistant Post Commander)
GSP Sergeant.png
Corporal (Assistant Post Commander)
GSP Corporal.png
Master Trooper No insignia
Senior Trooper No insignia
Trooper First Class 3 No insignia
Trooper First Class 2 No insignia
Trooper First Class 1 No insignia
Trooper No insignia

Patrol troops and posts

Other divisions of the Georgia DPS

Capitol Police

Officers with the Capitol Police Division investigate criminal incidents and traffic crashes; manage street closures for events; patrol the streets on Capitol Square and those adjacent to other state buildings; provide courtroom security for Georgia's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals; conduct security assessments and surveillance detection; and deliver personal safety training for state employees and others.

Motor Carrier Compliance

The Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) performs driver and vehicle inspections of commercial motor vehicles at roadsides, inspection stations, and at carriers' terminals. The inspections range from "full" vehicle and driver inspections—which include mechanical components—to "driver only" inspections. These may also include inspections of vehicles transporting hazardous materials.

This division consists of the following units and programs:

Equipment

Current equipment

Previously issued equipment

Vehicles

The GSP currently uses Dodge Chargers as the main patrol vehicle which are in the blue and gray scheme, and are currently issuing out Dodge Durangos, Dodge Challengers, Chevrolet Camaros, Chevy Silverado 1500 and Ford Mustangs. Many of these vehicles are now ordered black in color. They are painted in the traditional blue and grey at the factory with orange decals. However, some are issued in the color black displaying gray decals or black with ghost letters. In addition, they also utilize the Chevrolet Tahoe, which includes vehicles in either black, white, or grey color schemes. When these cars are retired, the decals and emergency equipment are removed from the vehicles before being auctioned off to the public, yet retain the old blue and grey scheme (or as shown on this old 1992 Ford Mustang) the decals can be spray painted over. Former models used were the Chevrolet Caprice, Ford LTD Crown Victoria, Pontiac LeMans, BMW 328i (one still kept by the state), Ford Mustang and Ford Thunderbird.

GSP Dodge Charger GSP Dodge Charger.webp
GSP Dodge Charger

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Georgia State Patrol, 26 officers have died in the line of duty. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Police</span> State police agency serving New York

The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the U.S. state of New York; it is part of the New York State Executive Department and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 non-sworn members.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massachusetts State Police</span> Law enforcement agency

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 2024, it has 2,500 sworn troopers and 611 civilian support staff for a total of 3,111 personnel, making it the largest law enforcement agency in New England. The MSP is headed by Colonel Geoffrey Noble, the first colonel to not come from State Police ranks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia State Police</span> Law enforcement agency

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska State Troopers</span> State police agency of the U.S. state of Alaska

The Alaska State Troopers, officially the Division of Alaska State Troopers (AST), is the state police agency of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is a division of the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS). The AST is a full-service law enforcement agency that handles both traffic and criminal law enforcement. The AST is also involved in apprehending fugitives as part of the Alaska Fugitive Task Force, an inter-agency collaborative of Alaska police departments that cooperates with police agencies throughout the United States and less commonly with Interpol in apprehending wanted men and women. Unlike many lower 48 states, the AST also serves as Alaska’s primary environmental law enforcement agency; troopers assigned to the AST’s Division of Alaska Wildlife Troopers are known as "Alaska Wildlife Troopers" and primarily serve as game wardens, although they retain the same powers as other Alaskan state troopers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wisconsin State Patrol</span> State Police Force for the State of Wisconsin

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kansas Highway Patrol</span> Traffic police and de facto state police in the US state of Kansas

The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) is the highway patrol agency for the U.S. state of Kansas. While the patrol's primary focus is maintaining the safety of State, Federal and Interstate highways, it also is charged with providing support for county agencies when tactical, aerial or other specialized services are needed. The Kansas Highway Patrol has statewide jurisdiction, and frequently assists other agencies with emergency calls for service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Carolina Highway Patrol</span> South Carolina state law enforcement agency

The South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nebraska State Patrol</span> Law enforcement agency in Nebraska, USA

The Nebraska State Patrol is Nebraska's only statewide full-service law enforcement agency. Serving Nebraska since 1937, State Patrol troopers perform a wide variety of duties. Those include working with communities to improve public safety, enforcing traffic laws and drug laws, investigating crimes, and enforcing the laws and regulations pertaining to motor carriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louisiana State Police</span> Law Enforcement Agency

The Louisiana State Police is the state police agency of Louisiana, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state, headquartered in Baton Rouge. It falls under the authority of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections. It is officially known in that organization as the Office of State Police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Police</span> State police force for Virginia, US

The Virginia State Police, officially the Virginia Department of State Police, conceived in 1919 and established in 1932, is the state police force for the U.S. state of Virginia. The agency originated out of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles as an inspector and enforcer of highway laws. It is currently one of fourteen agencies within the Cabinet Secretariat of Public Safety. On January 18, 2018, Gary T. Settle was sworn in as Superintendent of the Virginia State Police. Colonel Settle replaced retiring Colonel W. Steven Flaherty, who had served since 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kentucky State Police</span> Law enforcement agency

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is a department of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, and the official State Police force of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, responsible for statewide law enforcement. The department was founded in 1948 and replaced the Kentucky Highway Patrol. The department's sworn personnel hold the title State Trooper, and its nickname is The Thin Gray Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Highway Patrol</span> Law enforcement agency

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colorado State Patrol</span> Law enforcement agency

The Colorado State Patrol(CSP) (originally known as the Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol), based in Lakewood, Colorado, is a division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, and is one of the official state patrol agencies of Colorado, along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control (DFPC), and Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM). Additionally, the Executive Director's Office supports operations of the five divisions and houses the Colorado School Safety Resource Center (CSSRC) and Colorado Integrated Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS). The CSP primarily enforces traffic laws on interstates and state highways and guards the state capitol and the Governor of Colorado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Department of Public Safety</span> Arizona state police agency

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) or Arizona Highway Patrol (AHP) is a state-level law enforcement agency with a primary function of patrolling and enforcing state laws on Arizona highways. Their headquarters are in Phoenix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Highway Patrol</span> U.S. state law enforcement agency

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. Also, they respond to emergencies on Texas’s highways. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maine State Police</span> State police agency

The Maine State Police (MSP) is the state police agency for Maine, which has jurisdiction across the state and was created in 1921.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missouri State Highway Patrol</span> Law enforcement agency

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Carolina State Highway Patrol</span> Highway patrol agency for North Carolina, US

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tennessee Highway Patrol</span> State Patrol organization for the U.S. state of Tennessee

The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is the State Patrol organization for the U.S. state of Tennessee, responsible for enforcing all federal and state laws relating to traffic on the state's federal and state highways. The agency was created to protect the lives, property, and constitutional rights of people in Tennessee. The THP is a division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Highway Patrol</span> Police agency in Utah

The Utah Highway Patrol (UHP) is the functional equivalent of state police for the State of Utah in the United States. Its sworn members, known as Troopers, are certified law enforcement officers and have statewide jurisdiction. It was created to "patrol or police the highways within this state of Utah and to enforce the state statutes as required."

References

  1. 1 2 3 USDOJ Statistics Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Population Estimates". Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2008-12-25. 2007 Population Estimates
  3. "History | Georgia Department of Public Safety". Dps.georgia.gov. Archived from the original on 2018-05-04. Retrieved 2018-05-04.
  4. 1 2 3 Newman, Lily Hay (November 5, 2021). "1.8 TB of Police Helicopter Surveillance Footage Leaks Online". Wired . ISSN   1059-1028 . Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  5. Murney, Michael. "Leaked Dallas Police Helicopter Surveillance Footage Raises Privacy Concerns". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  6. https://dps.georgia.gov/contacts/commissioners-office/aviation. [ bare URL ]
  7. "Peach State Protectors: The Georgia State Patrol's Glock 43". 10 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  8. "State troopers now carrying patrol rifles". Archived from the original on 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  9. "Bridging the .45 GAP". 26 April 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  10. "F/T - Glock 22 'Georgia State Patrol'". Forum.gon.com. Archived from the original on 26 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  11. "PR8452c__85856.jpg". Archived from the original on 2017-03-06. Retrieved 2017-03-05.
  12. "Georgia State Patrol, GA". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 29 March 2019.

https://dps.georgia.gov/organization/about-dps