Louisiana State Police
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. The badge worn by its troopers is very distinctive in that it is shaped like the state of Louisiana. The Louisiana State Police is a premier law enforcement agency in Louisiana and was accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies from 2003 to 2008. The agency voluntarily ceased its association with CALEA in 2008.
History
The organization began in 1922 as the Louisiana Highway Commission with 16 Highway Inspectors covering approximately of roadway. These inspectors patrolled exclusively by motorcycles. These motorcycles were personally owned by the individual patrolmen, and maintained by an allowance from the state. Of the 16 men on the force, one was a captain. This captain served as superintendent of the force. The highway commission was divided into ten districts. The Baton Rouge District had two patrol officers, while the New Orleans District had three patrolmen. The other eight districts had one patrol officer each. The other two officers patrolled statewide on the main highways of the state. In 1928 the agency was known as the Law Enforcement Division of the Highway Commission, and employed 70 uniformed officers. The Bureau of Criminal Investigation was also formed about that time. In 1932, the organization's name was changed to the State Highway Patrol, and it was given the authority to carry firearms. The agency was used by Governor Huey Long as his personal bodyguards, who escorted him all over the state. In 1936, the two divisions of law enforcement were combined, by an act of the Louisiana Legislature, to form the Louisiana Department of State Police. The department's force of patrolmen numbered over 40 at that time, and the primary patrol vehicle was the motorcycle. In 1939, the State Police was divided into eight "troops". Troopers in cars and motorcycles were patrolling nearly 2 million miles per year throughout the state. The agency's fleet of patrol motorcycles eventually grew to 64 motorcycles. In 1942 the Louisiana Legislature abolished the Department of State Police and made it a division of the newly created Department of Public Safety. The state police accepted new responsibilities in 1946, when the state's Drivers License Law was enacted requiring every driver to hold a license for operating a motor vehicle. Prior to this time, only the operators of commercial vehicles, trucks, and buses were required to be licensed in Louisiana. In 1948, the number of motorcycles operated by the agency had fallen to 36 motorcycles. The department was relying more heavily on automobiles for patrol purposes, and eventually patrol motorcycles were only found in New Orleans and other major cities. Motorcycle patrol units were used throughout the 1950s, with Governor Earl Kemp Long also using them as bodyguards. In the 1960s, the department was utilizing motorcycles, automobiles, airplanes, and helicopters for enforcement purposes. The department had exclusively used Harley-Davidson motorcycles until the 1980s when it switched to Kawasaki motorcycles. A short time after this switch, the motorcycle patrol program was disbanded. In 1997, patrol motorcycles were brought back on the force. The agency continued to make advancements with the current number of troopers employed by the department listed as 1,022.In September 2018, the Louisiana State Police were scrutinized for using lists of personal information about supposed Antifa members which were posted on 8chan's politics board. The file "antifa.docx" was found in police databases and led directly to the opening of criminal investigations.
Patrol areas
The department is divided into nine troops, with its headquarters in Baton Rouge. The troops are divided as follows:- Troop A : covers the following 9 parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, St. James, Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana
- Troop B : covers 6 parishes: Orleans, St. Charles, St. John, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Jefferson
- Troop C : covers the 5 parishes of Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, and the west banks of St. James and St. John
- Troop D : covers the 5 parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis
- Troop E : covers the parishes of Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn
- Troop F : covers the Parishes of Union, West Carroll, East Carroll, Morehouse, Lincoln, Ouachita, Richland, Madison, Jackson, Caldwell, Tensas, and Franklin.
- Troop G : covers the Parishes of Caddo, Bossier, De Soto, Webster, Claiborne, Bienville, and Red River.
- Troop I : covers Parishes of Evangeline, St. Landry, Acadia, Lafayette, St. Martin, Vermilion, Iberia, and St. Mary.
- Troop L : covers the parishes of St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington
- Troop N : centered in and around the French Quarter of New Orleans. Although initially not officially classified as a Troop, Troop N was reopened in New Orleans, in 2005, as headquarters for post-Hurricane Katrina operations until April 2006. It was again reopened in April, 2015, to oversee deployments of temporary extra troopers to the New Orleans French Quarter detail. In late 2016, it was officially designated a Troop.
Disbanded troops
- Troop H comprised Vernon, as the home base parish, and Sabine and Beauregard Parishes. It was disbanded in 1988 due to budget considerations.
- Troop K included Avoyelles, Evangeline, Pointe Coupee, and St. Landry Parishes. It was disbanded in 1988 due to budget considerations.
- Troop M closed in 1973 when merged into the current Troop C. It comprised Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, the West banks of St. Charles, St. John, and St. James Parishes.
- Troop N included Acadia and Vermilion parishes. Disbanded in 1969.
- Troop O comprised Franklin, Richland, Tensas, Madison, East and West Carroll Parishes. Troop O was created in 1968. It operated from the city hall building in Delhi, Louisiana. It was very short lived, lasting a mere 13 months before being disbanded in 1969.
Rank structure
Weapons
The current standard issue firearm for LSP Troopers is the Glock 17 in caliber 9mm or Glock 22 in caliber.40 S&W. Previously, the standard issue sidearm was the SIG Sauer P220 semi-automatic pistol in caliber.45 ACP. Other optional handguns are also authorized for carry on-duty. Each trooper is also issued a Remington 870 Police 12 gauge shotgun. Some police cars are also equipped with a Colt AR-15 or Bushmaster M4-type Carbine in.223, a Ruger Mini-14 in.223, or an H&K MP5 in 9mm. The troopers in this agency have been issued batons and pepper spray for quite some time. Tasers have also been introduced, and have been in service since 2005.Patrol cars
The current primary Louisiana State Police patrol vehicle is the Chevrolet Tahoe. The agency began a conversion to the Tahoe in 2012. Previously, the agency used the Ford Crown Victoria "Police Interceptor." This vehicle was the main patrol vehicle used by the agency from 1997 to 2011, when it replaced the Chevrolet Caprice in 1996, and when the Crown Victoria was discontinued in 2011. The vehicle's markings include "State Trooper" written on each front quarter panel, a state badge on the center of each front door, the words "Louisiana State Police" written above and below the door badge, and the words "State Police" written on the trunk. Note that the markings on the Tahoe include a slight variation to the previously used designs. In 2012 all markings were re-designed. The door badge has been redesigned from a light blue to a darker blue. Also the badge state seal in center was updated to reflect a 2008 change showing a more angular "Pelican in Her Piety" state seal done in white. It is completely different from the prior one used from 1964 to 2012 except in dimension. The red "LSP" lettering was also upgraded to a more reflective prismatic shade of ruby red, and each letter now has a small dark blue border around it. An "ACE" insignia, consisting of a blue State of Louisiana with a red lightning bolt, is awarded to troopers who recover five or more stolen vehicles within a year. Since approximately 2001, a majority of the marked patrol vehicles utilized by this agency have been equipped with onboard video cameras. Other 'marked' patrol vehicles currently used include Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the Chevrolet Camaro, the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, with incidental examples fielded since 2013 of the Ford Taurus Interceptor, Ford Explorer Police and Caprice PPV. Announced on January 31, 2018, beginning in the succeeding month , newer models of the Dodge Charger were introduced. The latter included "less visible, semi-marked and unmarked" vehicles to "combat aggressive, impaired, and distracted driving."Special units
Like many other state police agencies around the United States, the Louisiana State Police has several sub-divisions specializing in addressing particular crimes or security needs. These include a Bomb Squad, an Air Support Unit, a Special Weapons And Tactics Team, an Executive Protection detail, a Motor Carrier Safety Enforcement section, and a Hazardous Materials Response Unit.The Criminal Investigations Division includes a Statewide Narcotics Task Force, a Concealed Handgun Permit Section, an Auto Theft Recovery Unit, the Casino Gaming & Licensing Section, a Criminal Intelligence Unit, Identity Theft Investigations, an Insurance Fraud Investigations Section, and a cyber crimes section which specializes in online and computer crimes.
The agency also operates the State Police Crime Laboratory.
The agency previously ran a section called the Anti-Terrorist Assistance Program which was a joint venture with the U.S. State Department. This ATAP section trained foreign police and military forces in detecting, preventing, and fighting of terrorism.
Fallen officers
Since its formation in 1922, 28 LSP troopers have been killed in the line of duty. The most common cause of line of duty deaths to date is automobile accidents.| Rank | Name | Date of Death | Cause of Death |
| Officer | Neill A. Yarborough, Sr. | 02-25-1925 | Shot and killed while he and other Officers attempted to arrest a fugitive. |
| Patrolman | Geronimo C. Trevino | 08-08-1932 | Struck by drunk driver while speaking to a motorist on the side of the road. |
| Patrolman | Alonzo Patrick O'Bryan | 10-04-1933 | Succumbed to injuries sustained on 10-02-1933 when he rear-ended a vehicle while on his motorcycle. |
| Patrolman | Frank J. David, Sr. | 10-09-1933 | Struck and killed by a vehicle he was attempting to stop. |
| Patrolman | Victor A. Mossy | 05-13-1936 | Struck and killed by a tractor trailer while on his motorcycle. |
| Trooper | James T. Brownfield | 05-09-1943 | Struck a stray cow in the road on 05-08-1943 and succumbed to his injuries the following day. |
| Trooper | Ulis Floyd | 02-24-1952 | Shot and killed at his house after stopping 2 men earlier that day for reckless driving; they also killed his son. |
| Trooper | Wilmer L. Moody | 11-10-1956 | Killed in a car crash as a passenger while en route to a call; a truck pulled out in front of them, causing the patrol car to swerve into opposite lanes and be hit head-on. |
| Trooper | James N. Pollard | 11-20-1956 | Struck and killed while trying to get a vehicle out of a ditch. |
| Sergeant | Eli L. Smith | 01-17-1957 | Succumbed to injuries sustained the previous year on 01-29-1956; he was ran off the road during a pursuit by the suspect causing lasting injuries. |
| Trooper | Francis C. Zinna | 03-24-1958 | Struck and killed by a speeding vehicle while manning a roadblock. |
| Trooper | Rudolph H. Miller | 11-08-1962 | Struck and killed by a vehicle while on a traffic stop. |
| Lieutenant | Joseph D. Ferris | 02-23-1968 | Killed after losing control of his car on the icy roadway. |
| Trooper | Huey P. Grace | 10-30-1968 | Killed in a pursuit of 3 drag racers after crashing with one of them. |
| Trooper | Lamon Weaver | 04-17-1973 | Killed in a car crash after turning around to pull a car over; unknown whether he lost control or was forced off the road. |
| Trooper | William C. Warrington | 07-17-1973 | Killed in a car crash after attempting to pass a car and losing control. |
| Sergeant | Clarence J. Miller, Jr. | 12-04-1975 | Killed 12 minutes before his shift ended after picking up a suspect to take to jail; hit head-on by a car traveling in the wrong lanes. |
| Trooper | Donald Charles Cleveland | 07-02-1977 | Shot and killed during a traffic stop by a newly released prisoner who had just gotten out of prison for a murder committed as a juvenile. |
| Trooper | Jean Claude Crescionne | 04-20-1982 | Killed after a truck pulled out in front of him. |
| Trooper | Damon L. Robichaux | 07-21-1982 | Shot and killed when he dropped his revolver and it discharged, hitting him in the chest; he had just been recalled to duty for an escort and was walking out of his house. |
| Trooper | William Michael "Mike" Kess | 02-05-1983 | Killed after he lost control in a curve during a 20-mile pursuit. |
| Master Trooper | Stephen H. Gray | 05-29-1995 | Killed while responding to a car crash when his car lost control in the rain went over the center line and was broadsided by a truck. |
| Sergeant | George Douglas "Doug" Johnston | 11-17-1997 | Killed after losing control in a curve and hitting a ditch and several trees. |
| Trooper | Hung Nguyen Le | 06-30-1998 | Succumbed to injuries sustained on 05-19-1998; Trooper Le was slowing traffic for construction crews when he was rear-ended at a high speed and over 70% of his body was burned. |
| Trooper | Duane Allen Dalton | 01-12-2010 | Killed after being hit in an intersection by a driver who ran a stop sign. |
| Corporal | John Ray Kendall | 08-09-2011 | Killed in a car crash after his car crossed the median and hit a tractor trailer head-on. |
| Senior Trooper | Steven J. Vincent | 08-24-2015 | Shot and killed after trying to help an intoxicated driver out of a ditch; the suspect fired from a close range with a sawed off shotgun, hitting Vincent in the head; passing motorists tackled the suspect and handcuffed him then rendered aid to Vincent. |
| Trooper | George Baker | 05-24-2020 | Succumbed to injuries sustained after being struck by a Hammond Police car while assisting in a high speed chase. |
In popular culture
- The first season of HBO's True Detective depicted Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson as Louisiana State Police detectives.