The Missouri State Highway Patrol is the highway patrol agency for Missouri and has jurisdiction anywhere within the state.
State laws pertaining to the Highway Patrol including its creation, powers, structure, mission and duties are specified in Chapter 43 of Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo). According to Chapter 43.025 RSMo: "The primary purpose of the highway patrol is to enforce the traffic laws and promote safety upon the highways. As near as practicable all personnel of the patrol shall be used for carrying out these purposes." The MSHP has a criminal investigation division that investigates crimes statewide such as murder, robbery, burglary, rape and financial crimes. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is more than a Highway Patrol; MSHP functions more like a full service state police agency.
In 1992, MSHP became only the 10th State Police/Highway Patrol to receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies(CALEA).
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is a division of the Missouri Department of Public Safety. Other DPS agencies include:
Organization
General Headquarters (GHQ) and the Law Enforcement Academy are located in Jefferson City, Missouri, the state capital.
The state is divided into nine troops, with troop headquarters and communications centers located in the following cities:
Troop A: Lee's Summit (Kansas City)
Troop B: Macon
Troop C: Weldon Spring (St. Louis)
Troop D: Springfield
Troop E: Poplar Bluff
Troop F: Jefferson City
Troop G: Willow Springs
Troop H: St. Joseph
Troop I: Rolla
In addition, three of the troops maintain service centers:
Troop C: Park Hills
Troop D: Carthage
Troop E: Sikeston
Vehicles
The MSHP utilizes a variety of vehicles, including the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI), the Dodge Charger, the Dodge RAM 1500 and 2500 series, the Chevrolet Tahoe, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and 2500 series, the Chevrolet Impala 9C1, the Chevrolet Caprice, the Ford Interceptor (Taurus), the Ford Explorer, and the Ford F-150 and F-250. Both regularly marked and slicktop vehicles are used frequently. Colors include: white, tan, blue, silver, black, and maroon.
