Colorado State Patrol
| Colorado State Patrol | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | CSP |
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Patch of the Colorado State Patrol
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Logo of the Colorado State Patrol
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Badge of the Colorado State Patrol
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| Agency overview | |
| Formed | September 23, 1935 |
| Preceding agency | Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol |
| Employees | 936 (as of 2004)[1] |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | State of Colorado, USA |
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| Colorado State Police Districts | |
| Size | 104,185 square miles (269,840 km2) |
| Population | 4,861,515 (2007 est.)[2] |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Lakewood, Colorado |
| Troopers | 681 (as of 2004)[1] |
| Civilians | 255 (as of 2004)[1] |
| Agency executive | Colonel Scott Hernandez, Chief |
| Parent agency | Colorado Department of Public Safety |
| Facilities | |
| Districts | 6 |
| Website | |
| http://csp.state.co.us/ | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
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The Colorado State Patrol (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 police agencies of Colorado, along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and several smaller state agencies. The Colorado State Patrol primarily enforces traffic laws on state highways, guards the state capitol and the governor of Colorado and has statewide general law enforcement jurisdiction.
Contents
History
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Founded in 1935 with only 44 men, it was one of only four law enforcement agencies serving in Colorado at the time. Since two-way radios weren't installed until 1949, officers usually received calls by visiting local gas stations. After dispatchers telephoned the station, the attendant would then place a red flag along the roadway, which would alert the officers to the call.
The patrol was met with opposition from the public when it was formed, as well as from other law enforcement agencies, who thought the patrol would endanger their jurisdiction. Therefore, Colorado legislature carefully outlined the duties of the agency in the Patrol Act, which states that "it shall be their duty to promote safety, protect human life and preserve the highways of Colorado by the intelligent, courteous, and strict enforcement of the laws and regulation of this state relating to highways." This became the motto of the Colorado State Patrol.
Weapons
Until the switch to auto-loading semi-automatic pistols, The CSP carried blue-steel, 4 inch barreled Colt Python revolvers. CSP troopers now carry the Smith & Wesson M&P .40.[3] Additionally, all troopers are issued a Remington 870 shotgun and are given the option to carry either a department or personally owned M-14 or AR-15 select fire rifle.
Less-Lethal Weapons
All Troopers are issued an ASP baton and OC. In 2012 the CSP began training and issuing its troopers tasers. The Colorado State Patrol also issues take home cars to its troopers.
Goals and Mission of the CSP
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Strategic Goals
- To provide a safe and secure environment on Colorado's highways.
- To secure necessary resources to provide expected customer service.
- To provide an environment for employees which is conducive to high quality service.
- To maintain a highly trained, motivated, competent, work force providing professional service.
- To provide high quality law enforcement service through sharing of resources to maximize taxpayer dollars.
Mission
- Enforce all the laws of the state of Colorado on approximately 8,483 miles (13,652 km) of state highways and more than 57,000 miles (92,000 km) of county roads.
- Investigate and report traffic crashes occurring on public property.
- Direct, control and regulate motor vehicle traffic on public roadways.
- Inspect vehicles for safety-related equipment violations.
- Inspect vehicles carrying livestock for brand inspection certificates.
- Provide community education and administer safety programs to the public.
- Regulate road closures for special events, inclement weather, or when necessary to prevent further injury or damage following an emergency.
- Promulgate and enforce rules and regulations for commercial motor vehicles.
- Operate a statewide law enforcement telecommunications system.
- Perform criminal interdiction on Colorado highways, focusing on the transport of illegal drugs.
- Assist in state homeland security efforts.
- Provide emergency assistance in the event of major disasters, civil protests, or when requested by local law enforcement.
Rank Structure
Commissioned Officers
| Rank | Insignia | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Colonel |
 |
Chief of the Patrol |
| Lieutenant Colonel |
 |
Region Commander |
| Major |
 |
District/Branch Commander |
| Captain |
 |
Troop/Section Commander |
Non-Commissioned Officers
| Rank | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Sergeant Major | |
| Master Sergeant | |
| Sergeant | |
| Corporal | |
| Master Trooper and Technician |
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| Trooper |
 |
Special programs
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Alive at 25
A community program designed to impact the future of traffic safety, Alive at 25 focuses educational effort to youths between the ages of 14 and 25. Its emphasis is to identify and eliminate at-risk driving behavior.
Seat Belt Survivor Program
Since the CSP recognizes that seat belts are an important means of preventing injury or death in automobile accidents, this program exists to identify and recognize motorists who have survived a potentially fatal or serious-injury crash through the use of seat belts.
Specialty Units
- Vehicle Crimes Unit
- Aircraft Section
- Executive Security Unit
- Hazardous Materials Section
- Homeland Security Section
- Smuggling and Trafficking Interdiction Section
- Investigative Services Section
- Motor Carrier Safety Section
- Motorcycle Unit
- Evidence Section
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Colorado State Patrol, 25 officers have died in the line of duty.[4]
See also
- Highway patrol
- List of law enforcement agencies in Colorado
- State of Colorado
- State patrol
- State police
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 USDOJ Statistics[dead link]
- ↑ 2007 Population Estimates[dead link]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
