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Pennsylvania State Police

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 (the coal and iron police) 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.

PSP enlisted members are referred to as "Troopers". Up until 1963, married men were not allowed to apply to the state police, and active troopers had to seek permission from their superior officer to get married. As of 2021, the state police has approximately 4,547 State Troopers and more than 1,850 civilian support staff.[3]

Pennsylvania State Police Academy [ edit ]

In 1924, a State Police training academy was built in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Cocoa Avenue. The site was located at the Hershey Inn and it remained at this location until 1960 when it was moved to 175 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania. The current location is fitted with kennels, stables and a range, among other facilities, and is located only a few miles from the original site. Once accepted into the Pennsylvania State Police Academy cadets endure a rigorous 28-week training period.[4] Cadets live at the academy in barracks style quarters and are only permitted to go home on designated weekends. Cadets who fail to complete physical training in required times or who show any other type of deficiencies may be restricted from going home. While attending training, cadets are put on an 18-month probationary period and can be dismissed at any point in their training by the commissioner under any form of incompetence, inefficiency, or general violation of rules and regulations.[5] The current drop-out rate for new recruits in the academy is approximately 20 percent per class.

Facilities [ edit ]

The PSP owns and operates a myriad of facilities to conduct law enforcement operations across the Commonwealth. The following is the breakdown:

Barracks listing by county [ edit ]

Bureaus and offices [ edit ]

The PSP also has many bureaus and subdivisions within the organization.[6] This is by no means a complete list, merely a sampling of the breakdown.

Units [ edit ]

Uniform and rank structure [ edit ]

The uniform worn by PSP troopers is unique within Pennsylvania. In January 1988, the State Police changed the color of its uniforms. PSP troopers wore dark grey uniforms that confused them with some municipal police departments and Pennsylvania State Constables. By state law, no municipal (city, borough, or township) police department can wear the same exact uniform or color configuration as that of the PSP.

Uniform – troopers to sergeants [ edit ]

The current PSP uniform for troopers, corporals, and sergeants consists of a light gray uniform shirt with black shoulder epaulets. The PSP shoulder patch is worn on both sleeves of all uniform items. The PSP members are issued long sleeve shirts for the winter and short sleeve shirts for summer. However, PSP requires the black necktie to be worn year round. The uniform shirt consist of the trooper's nameplate over the right pocket and any awards the trooper has earned over the left pocket. The PSP is one of only five state police forces that do not wear a badge on their uniform shirts.[7][self-published source? ] The original PSP uniform was modeled after the Constabulary forces in Europe and they did not have badges. It is history and tradition for troopers today to carry their badges in a wallet along with their photo ID card. The uniform trousers are a darker gray color with a one-inch-wide black stripe on the leg. PSP shoes and/or boots are also black in color.

The PSP duty belt is plain black leather. The duty holster is the level-2 model. The ammo pouch and handcuff case have hidden snap closure. The OC pepper spray and ASP baton holders are open top. The duty belt is held together with the trousers belt using four silver snap belt keepers.

The PSP trademark item is the campaign-style hat with the chin strap worn in the front under the chin on the winter campaign hat (as opposed to most agencies that wear the strap of the campaign hat behind the head). The hat contains a blackened commonwealth coat of arms. It is required to be worn whenever the trooper is outdoors. It is made of dark gray felt (for wintertime wear) or light gray straw (for summertime wear). The strap of the summer hat is worn behind the head.

The Class "A" Ceremonial Unit troopers wear a "full dress" uniform which is a charcoal gray military-style dress coat with black buttons. It is worn with matching charcoal gray military-style riding breeches and black high-rider leather boots. The duty belt is worn with the shoulder strap. This uniform is modeled after the original PSP history uniform.

Uniform – lieutenants to colonels [ edit ]

The uniforms for PSP Lieutenants, Captains, Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, and the Colonel are identical to that of the lower ranks, except for the following:

In addition to the minor detail changes, senior officers wear the four-button military coat for "Class A" functions. The coat has four gold-colored buttons, breast and hip pockets, and shoulder epaulets for the placement of the officer's current rank. A white shirt is worn with a black tie underneath. A system of "rank rings" are worn on each sleeve, similar to the rank-ring system used by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and by land units of the Canadian Forces. Currently, the insignia worn by PSP senior officers are as follows:

Ranks, insignia, and descriptions, Etc [ edit ]

Vehicles [ edit ]

The department currently operates a mixed fleet of vehicles including the new law enforcement specific Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer, Crown Victorias, Dodge Durango and Dodge Charger. The PSP also owns and operates numerous helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.[8] PSP operates watercraft mainly on the Delaware River and Lake Erie.

Aviation [ edit ]

The PSP Aviation Section consists of thirty-five trooper pilots and three full-time mechanics, using six law enforcement specific Bell 407GX helicopters and six airplanes statewide. These aircraft are stationed in six aviation patrol units (APU).

Weapons [ edit ]

The Pennsylvania State Police utilizes the Walther PDP The Walther PDP (Performance Duty Pistol) is a 9×19mm Parabellum semi-automatic pistol designed in 2021 by Walther Arms as a replacement for the Walther PPQ. Other firearms include the Colt AR-15 (including the LE6920 and LE6940), 12-gauge shotguns (including the Remington 870 pump), and gas grenade launcher.[9]

The current less-lethal weapons the PSP is utilizing consist of Electroshock weapon technology,[10] pepper spray (OC), and expandable ASP straight batons.

Accreditation [ edit ]

The Pennsylvania State Police is the largest internationally accredited law enforcement agency in the world. This distinction was awarded to the Pennsylvania State Police on July 31, 1993, by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an independent, non-profit organization based in Fairfax, Virginia.[11]

Accreditation is a process used by professional law enforcement agencies to facilitate the creation, verification and maintenance of high-quality policies and procedures, via voluntary compliance with performance standards. CALEA's 446 standards address nine major law enforcement topics: role, responsibilities, and relationships with other agencies; organization, management, and administration; personnel structure; personnel process; operations; operational support; traffic operations; prisoner and court-related services; and auxiliary and technical services.[12]

Members killed in the line of duty [ edit ]

Key    shaded rows with "SHP" in the Notes cell denotes the officer was a member of the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol.

Superintendents and commissioners since 1905 [ edit ]

The following is a chronological listings of commissioners of the Pennsylvania State Police:[13]

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February 28, 1920[b]

–

February 28, 1937[b]

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June 29, 1937

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April 13, 1936[b]

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February 28, 1937[f]

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June 29, 1937

–

January 25, 1939[b]

–

May 31, 1939

–

January 20, 1943[f]

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June 1, 1943[i]

–

March 28, 1955[b]

–

February 26, 1959[b]

–

January 29, 1963[b]

–

April 8, 1966[b]

Purdy also for the first time in State Police history allowed married men to apply for cadet training[21]

–

January 17, 1967

–

January 25, 1971[b]

–

January 2, 1973[b]

–

February 15, 1977[b]

–

March 1, 1979[b]

–

May 16, 1984[l]

–

December 1, 1984[f]

–

March 6, 1985

–

January 30, 1987[b]

–

August 3, 1987[l]

–

April 23, 1991[b]

–

January 17, 1995[b]

–

February 15, 1995

–

March 24, 2003[b]

–

August 8, 2008[f]

–

October 7, 2008[m]

–

January 7, 2011[b]

–

April 12, 2011[m]

–

August 3, 2015[b]

–

December 9, 2015[n]

–

March 23, 2018[b]

–

June 4, 2019[m]

–

January 19, 2023[b]

–

March 9, 2023[m]

–

present[o]

Traditions [ edit ]

Misconduct and controversy [ edit ]

Trooper Michael Evans pleaded guilty in October 2000 to sexual crimes committed against six women and teenage girls while on duty. He was sentenced to between five and ten years in custody.[41][42]

In September, 2007, Trooper Kevin Foley was arrested for the murder of a dentist, Dr. John Yelenic, in Blairsville, Pennsylvania.[43]

In July, 2008, Trooper Kevin Coleman was charged with protecting a prostitution ring based out of the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[44]

In May 2009, Trooper Shawn Dillard was found guilty by a federal court of using his position to protect an interstate prostitution ring based out of the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was the same investigation that led to the arrest of Trooper Coleman.[45]

In early 2011, as a result of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the state police agreed to stop issuing tickets to people who swear. Press reports indicated the state police had issued as many as 700 such citations a year.[46]

In January 2012, Lieutenant Barry Eugene Staub, the commander of the state police barracks in York was arrested for driving while drunk. He retired when charges were brought against him.[47]

In March, 2014 Trooper Barry M Seafoss Jr. pleaded guilty to killing a woman while driving drunk in 2012. He was sentenced to between six and 23 months' confinement.[48]

Trooper Ryan Luckenbaugh was sentenced by Judge Scott A. Evans to 9 to 22 months in county prison on his official oppression, simple assault and harassment convictions. Luckenbaugh kicked a handcuffed man in the face while the man sat on the sidewalk and lied about it on official reports.[49]

Trooper Robert E. Covington Jr., of Olyphant, PA, for his alleged involvement in illegal activity occurring at Sinners Swing Gentlemen's Club in Mayfield Borough, Lackawanna County. Covington, 48, is a 13-year veteran of PSP and was assigned to the Bureau of Gaming Enforcement, Pocono Downs Wilkes-Barre Office. He had been on restricted duty during the investigation and is currently suspended without pay pending resolution of the charges against him.

Trooper Joshua Ravel from the York barracks was charged with DUI while on duty after he showed up for his shift and drove from York to Lancaster and back for a special assignment. He was taken to the supervisors office where he appeared under the influence, and a chemical breath test revealed his blood alcohol content to be .144. A review of the dash camera footage from his cruiser showed he was unable to maintain his lane of travel several times during the drive.

Trooper Joshua Burney from the Lewis Run barracks in McKean county was charged with DUI while on duty after a colleague noticed he smelled of alcohol and had red, glossed over eyes. Trooper Burney was taken back to the barracks where preliminary field sobriety tests and a breath test showed signs of impairment. A blood draw test showed his blood alcohol content to be .086. A review of the dash camera footage from his cruiser showed he was unable to maintain his lane of travel several times during his response to an emergency call in Mount Jewett Borough.

Both troopers were suspended without pay pending to outcome of their cases. Trooper Burney was the second trooper to be charged with DUI on duty within 4 months along with Trooper Ravel. Both were on the job for the PA State Police for less than 2 years. Trooper Ravel graduated from the academy in June 2020, and Trooper Burney graduated August 2021.

2023

Trooper Michael J. Brown stationed at the Mansfield barracks was charged with vehicular homicide. An investigation into a crash indicated he attempted to pass a vehicle illegally across the double yellow lines on U.S. Route 6 in Sullivan Township in February. As a result, Brown's vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, struck an oncoming GMC Acadia, killing the driver, 47-year-old Christine Woodward.

Pa. trooper involved in crash that killed Troy teacher charged with vehicular homicide

In popular culture [ edit ]

See also [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

Notes [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]