The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police force of the U.S. state of New York, and employs over 4,600 sworn state troopers. It is formally part of the New York State Executive Department.
History
The New York State Police was first established on April 11, 1917 by the New York Legislature, in response to the 1913 murder of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in Westchester County, which at that time did not have a local police department.
The department's first superintendent was George Fletcher Chandler, who was responsible for much of the department's early organization and development. Chandler coined the term "New York State Troopers" and was an early advocate of officers carrying their weapons exposed on a belt, which was not common practice at the time. The State Police is also responsible for protecting the Governor of New York and the Lieutenant Governor of New York.
Troops
The NYSP divides New York state geographically into ten "Troops," each comprising a specific geographic area, usually several counties. Each is supervised by a "Troop Commander" usually of the rank of Major.
- Troop A - Counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming
- Troop B - Counties: Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton and St. Lawrence
- Troop C - Counties: Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins
- Troop D - Counties: Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego
- Troop E - Counties: Cayuga, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne and Yates
- Troop F - Counties: Greene, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster
- Troop G - Counties: Albany, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington
- Troop H - Headquarters Troop (Albany) and Legislative Branch Offices
- Troop K - Counties: Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester
- Troop L - Counties: Nassau and Suffolk
- Troop NYC - Counties: Bronx, Kings, New York, Richmond, and Queens
- Troop T - New York State Thruway and the Erie Canal System
Each Troop encompasses 2–4 "Zones" which are referred to simply by a Zone number. There are up to several "sub-stations" located within each zone
Uniforms
Trooper uniforms are made of grey wool, with the exception of the Gore-Tex jacket. Prior to 1958, uniforms (shirts, jackets and britches) were not grey, but made of equal parts white fiber and black fiber to symbolize the impartiality of justice. Like a U.S. Flag, trooper uniforms are burned when no longer serviceable. The black stripe down the leg of the trouser is worn in remembrance of fallen comrades. The purple color of the tie and hat band represents an elite unit, and is similar to those worn by the Praetorian Guard. Troopers wear a tan felt stetson hat with a leather security strap and purple band around it.
Training
Recruits must complete a twenty-six week training academy prior to being appointed as a Trooper. The residential school is located at the NYSP Academy in Albany, New York. Recruits must then complete 10 weeks post academy field training with a trained field training officer (FTO) holding the rank of trooper prior to permanent troop assignment.
Equipment
Officers of the New York State Police are issued the Glock 37 chambered in .45 GAP as the service pistol. The New York State Police previously used the Glock 17 from 1989 to 2007.[7] The Glock 37 was chosen after the shooting death of Trooper Andrew Sperr in Chemung County on March 1, 2006.
The State Police's vehicle fleet is primarily made up of Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. It also uses for routine patrol, Dodge Chargers, Chevrolet Caprice PPV, Ford Expeditions and Chevrolet Tahoes. For special occasions they use Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs, and Harley Davidson motorcycles. All marked cars are painted dark blue with yellow reflective decals
Effective Spring 2011, New York State Troopers were trained and issued Tasers for patrol purposes. The tasers were donated by the NYS Trooper Foundation to give Troopers, who almost always patrol alone, yet another alternative than deadly force to subdue combatants.
