Connecticut_State_Police

Connecticut State Police

Connecticut State Police

Add article description

The Connecticut State Police (CSP) is the state police and highway patrol of the U.S. state of Connecticut, responsible for statewide traffic regulation and law enforcement, especially in areas not served by (or served by smaller) municipal police. It is a division of the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The CSP currently has 940 troopers as of October 8, 2020 and is headquartered in Middletown, Connecticut. The Connecticut State Police is also responsible for protecting the Governor of Connecticut, Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut, and their families.

Quick Facts Abbreviation, Motto ...

History

Early history

The Connecticut State Police was created under House Bill #247 on May 29, 1903. Initially, five men, paid three dollars a day, were hired to enforce state liquor and vice laws, making it one of the oldest State Police forces in the nation.[3] It was originally composed of five troopers primarily responsible for interdicting the production of moonshine. Early troopers traveled the state by railroad until automobile and motorcycle patrols were instituted, and troopers would often spend five to six days working, eating, and sleeping in the barracks constructed around the state. By 1924, seven such barracks had been built. The organization was heavily militaristic, and its internal culture was similar in this regard to other state police agencies in New England.[4]

Modern history

In 1968 Louise Smith graduated from the State Police Academy becoming the first black woman to join a state police force in the United States.[5]

In 1984 a federal judge found that the State Police systematically discriminated against minorities and ordered the State Police to increase the number of minorities in specialist positions as well as increase minority promotion rates.[6]

In 1987 the Connecticut State Police were sued by the Connecticut chapter of Men and Women for Justice for discriminating against Black and Hispanic officers and officer candidates as well as other Civil Rights Act violations. The State Police chose to settle the case and made an agreement that the State Police would hire at least 10% Black and Hispanic officers, an accurate reflection of the State’s demographics in the early 1980s. In 2018 the hiring practices of the State Police remained the minimum allowed under their legally binding agreement with 5% of officers being Black and 5% being Hispanic despite Black and Hispanic Americans constituting over 25% of Connecticut's citizens in 2018.[6]

In 1997 the Connecticut State Police was at the center of Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland’s Geargate scandal[7] Surplus military equipment intended for the State Police was diverted by Rowland and close associates for their personal use. Equipment and apparel including sleeping bags, camouflage jackets, helmets, and a bayonet made their way into the hands of Rowland’s children, his staff, his security detail, and the husband of then Lt. Gov. Jodi Rell. The diversion was organized by State Trooper Eugene D’Angelo and was uncovered through a joint State Police and Department of Defense investigation.[8]

In 2015 State Police Troop H and Troop C were among six Connecticut police departments singled out in a state report on racial bias in policing for having the most "significant disparities in their traffic stops data,” in particular traffic stop rates for Black and Hispanic drivers were much higher during the day when officers can easily visually establish the ethnicity of a driver before a stop than at night. The report was the most comprehensive report of its kind ever compiled by a state at the time of its release.[9]

On December 31, 2018 Stavros Mellekas took over as the commander of the Connecticut State Police, replacing George F. Battle.[10]

Fake ticketing scandal

In June 2023, following a news report revealed that four state troopers had fabricated hundreds of traffic stop tickets, an audit released by researchers at the University of Connecticut and Northeastern University found that nearly 26,000 reports made to the state's racial profiling database could not be corroborated, and that possibly over 58,000 falsified records were created.[11] The audit found that the State Police overreported traffic infractions that were said to involve White non-Hispanic drivers, and underreported incidents which were said to involve Black or Hispanic drivers.[11] State Police Colonel Stavros Mellekas said that the number of falsified records declined after 2018, and noted that no state resident received a fake ticket, but rather that state troopers made up fake traffic stops to skew information in the agency's racial profiling system.[11]

Upon its release, the report attracted concern from members of the Connecticut General Assembly and civil rights groups such as the ACLU, whose Connecticut chapter released a statement saying the ticket falsifications showed "breathtaking disrespect" for the state's ban on racial profiling, and efforts to reduce systemic racism in policing.[11]

By July, the scandal had drawn the scrutiny of numerous investigations. The Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, which oversees the Connecticut State Police, received a subpoena from the federal Department of Transportation, and its Commissioner, James Rovella, stated that it could also receive an inquiry from the Justice Department.[12] Separately, governor Ned Lamont appointed Deidre M. Daly, a former federal prosecutor, to investigate how the misconduct occurred, how it went unreported for years, and how to prevent future misconduct.[12] While this was happening, state officials placed an officer on administrative leave after he reported motorists he interacted with as Native American when they belonged to other racial groups.[12]

By August 4th, the United States Department of Justice announced it was taking over the investigation into the scandal.[13] On August 10, the Connecticut State Police Union voted no confidence in the Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Projection, James Rovella, and the Colonel of the Connecticut State Police, Stavros Mellekas.[14] The President of the Connecticut State Police Union complained that the two officials "stood by idly, as you allowed others to publicly make false allegations, destroy the morale of our Troopers, and dismantle the reputation of the State Police".[14] By this time, speculation over a civil rights component within the ongoing federal investigation began, as some lawyers commented that the federal government could enter into a consent decree with the state government if it found that the falsification of traffic stops was widespread enough to skew demographic data collected.[14]

Weapons

In 2012, CSP transitioned to the SIG Sauer P220R .45 ACP pistol.[15] Prior to this, the SIG Sauer P229 had been issued since 1996.[16]

In June 2022, CSP began transitioning to the Glock 45 9mm fitted with a tactical light and night sights. Troopers also began carrying only two spare magazines as opposed to the three issued with the SIG 220R.[citation needed]

Organization

The Connecticut State Police is headquartered in Middletown, Connecticut.[17]

Troops

The CSP is divided into 11 troops, each of which has a lieutenant troop commander, a master sergeant executive officer, several patrol sergeants, a detective unit, and a full complement of personnel for patrol. The "resident troopers" in that troop area are also assigned to the troop. Additionally, each troop has its own dispatchers and clerical unit, and most have one or more mechanics to service the fleet.

Some troops, because of their location, are tasked primarily with highway patrol functions while other troops in more rural areas serve as rural police, i.e.: response to crimes, patrol of towns and neighborhoods, and providing police services to many Connecticut towns that do not have police departments of their own. (Connecticut has no County Sheriff Departments).

Other units

Other units organized by the CSP that are not divided by troops include:

  • Statewide Organized Crime Investigative Task Force
  • Statewide Narcotics Task Force
  • Welfare Fraud Unit
  • Criminal Intelligence Unit
  • Fire Marshal Division
  • Training Division
  • Licensing and Permits Section
  • Forensics Laboratory
  • Photography and Identification unit
  • Polygraph Unit
  • Fleet management & Purchasing
  • Emergency Services Unit, including the following subunits:
    • Aviation
    • Bomb Squad
    • SCUBA (Dive Team)
    • K-9
    • Tactical Units (SWAT)
    • Mass Transit Security Explosive Detection Unit

The CSP also has a contingent of volunteer surgeons and volunteer chaplains.

Vehicles

Connecticut State Police Ford Police Interceptor Sedan
Connecticut State Police Chevrolet Caprice

Uniquely, the CSP uses a fleet consisting almost entirely of unmarked police cars, most commonly in grey, with or without custom-marked detachable roof-mounted lightbars. The reason for their use of unmarked cars is derived from their origin as a volunteer force that allowed troopers to use their personal vehicles; in the present, most CSP cruisers are issued, but they are also allowed for personal use, making the lack of a livery suitable. The models used by the CSP are most commonly typical police vehicles such as the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, Ford Police Interceptor Sedan, Ford Police Interceptor Utility, Chevrolet Caprice, and Dodge Charger, but the CSP sometimes also uses vehicles not traditionally used by law enforcement, such as various assorted models from Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Buick, Toyota, and Mazda.[18]

Though most of the CSP's fleet is unmarked, there are still vehicles that do have markings. Each troop is issued one marked car featuring a livery consisting of white with CSP badging on the doors and blue-and-yellow pinstripes running along the length of the car; these are typically used for ceremonial purposes, parades, or community patrols. CSP police motorcycles are painted black with text identifying them as state trooper units on the sides and front windshield. CSP police helicopters use a livery of navy blue, black, maroon, and dark brown.

The CSP uses radar, lidar, and VASCAR systems for speed enforcement.[citation needed]

In September 2022, the CSP used a helicopter from the Massachusetts National Guard to locate illegal cannabis cultivation sites.[19]

Rank structure

More information Title, Insignia ...

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Connecticut State Police, 22 troopers have died in the line of duty.[20]

More information Officer, Date of death ...

See also

References

  1. [1]
    2007 Population Estimates
  2. [2]
    USDOJ Statistics Archived November 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. [3]
    "Connecticut State Police Museum - History".
  4. [4]
    Karwowski, Matthew (10 February 2017). "The Brotherhood of the State Police: Keeping One Step Ahead of the Bad Guys". ctexplored.org. Connecticut Explored. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  5. [5]
    Staff, Fox 61 (March 2018). "First ever African American female state trooper pushes for more women in uniform". fox61.com. Fox Connecticut. Retrieved 27 June 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. [6]
    Radelat, Ana (27 June 2016). "State police don't mirror CT when it comes to blacks, Hispanics". ctmirror.org. CT Mirror. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  7. [7]
    Leigh Cowan, Alison (29 June 2004). "Political Memo; The Antagonist Who Barraged Rowland With Criticism". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  8. [8]
    Lender, Jon (22 May 1997). "SURPLUS GEAR WENT TO ROWLAND'S CHILDREN, STAFF". courant.com. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  9. [9]
    B. Hladky, Gregory (8 April 2015). "State Report: Racial Disparities Found In Traffic Stops By Some Police Departments". courant.com. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  10. [10]
    Day, Cassandra (31 December 2018). "Col. Stavros Mellekas to be installed as Connecticut State Police's new commander". middletownpress.com. Middletown Press. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  11. [11]
    Edison, Jaden (2023-06-28). "CT state troopers may have falsified over 25K tickets, report finds". The Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  12. [12]
    Edison, Jaden (2023-07-27). "CT state police false tickets scandal prompts state, federal inquiries". The Connecticut Mirror. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  13. [13]
    "US DOJ taking over investigation of Connecticut State Police falsified ticket scandal". WTIC-TV. 2023-08-04. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  14. [14]
    Mahony, Edmund (2023-08-10). "Another CT state police union no-confidence vote as traffic ticket probe continues". Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
  15. [15]
    Collins, Dave. (2012-10-24) Conn. state police getting new .45-caliber pistols. Boston.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  16. [16]
    "State cops to get new guns". 24 October 2012.
  17. [17]
    Connecticut State Police Troop Locations. Cspmail.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  18. [18]
    Connecticut State Police Mazda MX-6 | Hooniverse. Hooniverse.com (2012-07-16). Retrieved on 2013-07-15.
  19. [19]
    "Connecticut State Police using helicopters to spot illegal marijuana growers". 15 September 2022.
  20. [20]
    The Officer Down Memorial Page
Share this article:

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Connecticut_State_Police, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.