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to highway patrol and traffic regulation. Regardless of these variations, the officers perform a vital service
in ensuring the safety of all citizens. The following are typical work activities of State Police Officers.
In most cases, State Police units are organized into posts or troops within specified geographic areas.
Each troop or post is housed in a headquarters building that contains a communications center, barracks,
lockup, crime laboratory, pistol range, and motor pool. The workday begins at the headquarters location
where State Police Officers report daily for roll call, inspection, and duty assignment. The vast majority
of these officers use specially equipped patrol cars in performing their assignments, but there are a small
number who use motorcycles, fly helicopters, or light fixed-wing aircraft on special duty. When patrolling
assigned sectors, State Police Officers carefully observe conditions, strictly enforce motor vehicle codes
and criminal laws, watch for traffic violations, and issue warnings or citations to offenders. Where
justified, arrests are made for violations of motor vehicle regulations and safe driving practices, and
offenders are escorted to headquarters for detainment.
Other duties include monitoring traffic to detect vehicles reported stolen and arresting drivers whose
ownership credentials are lacking or questionable. Often, State Police Officers provide assistance to
motorists on the highway, furnish road information and directions to drivers, and may give details about
restaurants, lodging, or tourist attractions in the area. At accident scenes or where vehicles are disabled,
State Police Officers radio for emergency equipment such as ambulance or towing vehicles and give first
aid to injured parties until help arrives. They prevent further accidents, damage, or injuries by directing
traffic around the accident, by using road flares at night, and by removing debris and vehicles from the
roadway. They investigate the causes of each accident and prepare detailed written reports including
information such as names and addresses of parties involved, scale drawing of the scene, road and weather
conditions at the time of the accident, description of damage, and estimated speed of the vehicle or
vehicles involved in the accident. This report is legal evidence that the officer may be called upon to
present in court.
State Police Officers are also responsible for providing help to victims of fires, floods, or other disasters
and for controlling traffic in such circumstances. In some states, job duties include weighing commercial
vehicles, stopping vehicles for spot check of driver's licenses, and conducting driver-training sessions in
public schools. State Police Officers may also test applicants for driver's licenses, inspect motor vehicles
for safety, and on occasion, serve as escorts for parades, military convoys, and funeral processions.
In many states, besides being involved with highway activities, State Police Officers have responsi-
bilities similar to municipal and county police, particularly in areas that do not have local police forces.
In such cases, these activities include investigation of burglaries, robberies, assaults, domestic distur-
bances, drug traffic, and liquor violations; taking part in roadblocks to apprehend suspects or escaped
criminals; and helping city and county police agencies in cases of riot or civil disturbance. They seize and
arrest lawbreakers using physical force and/or firearms when the situation warrants, patrol business and
residential areas, and check the security of buildings in the district. Some State Police Officers are given
special training and serve as radio dispatchers, instructors at police academies, or pilots of police aircraft.
They also may work with canine and mounted units or may be assigned to protect governors and
legislators. All State Police Officers are required to prepare written reports of their work activities, must
maintain accurate police records, and may be called upon to testify in court proceedings.
At present, every state, with the exception of Hawaii, has a State Police force. The largest of these is
the 5,000-member officer force in California, while the smallest is the 100-member unit in North Dakota.
Working Conditions
The conditions under which State Police Officers work vary according to assignment. For the most part,
they work outdoors in all types of weather while patrolling highways and roads in their sectors. Officers
work alone or with a partner and do not receive direct supervision because of the nature of their duties.
