Louisiana State Police

Infobox Law enforcement agency
agencyname = Louisiana State Police
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abbreviation = LSP
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patch = LouisianaSP.jpg
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badge = Badge 4.jpg
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motto = Courtesy, Loyalty, Service
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formedyear = 1922
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preceding1 = Louisiana Highway Commission
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country = United States
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divtype = State
divname = Louisiana
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sizearea = 51,885 square miles
sizepopulation = 4,468,976
legaljuris = Louisiana
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police = Yes
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headquarters = Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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sworntype = Trooper
sworn = 1,022
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chief1name = Mike Edmonson
chief1position = Colonel
parentagency = Louisiana Department of Public Safety
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stationtype = Troop
stations = 9 Troops
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website = http://www.lsp.org
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The Louisiana State Police (French: La Police d'État de la Louisianne) is the state police department of Louisiana, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Louisiana. 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 map of the state of Louisiana. The Louisiana State Police is a premier law enforcement agency in Louisiana and has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) since 2003. [ [http://www.calea.org/agcysearch/agencydisplay.cfm?IDWEB=6363 CALEA ] ]

History

The Louisiana Sate Police has a long and proud history. The organization began in 1922 as the Louisiana Highway Commission with 16 Highway Inspectors covering approximately 2,700 miles of roadway. 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 State Highway Patrol was given the authority to carry firearms. In 1936, the two divisions of law enforcement were combined to form the Louisiana Department of State Police. 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 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. The agency continued to make advancements with the current number of troopers employed by the department listed as 1,022. [ [http://www.lsp.org/about_hist.html LSP - About Us - Our History ] ]

Patrol Areas

The department is divided up into nine troops, with its headquarters in Baton Rouge. The troops are divided as follows:

* Troop A (Baton Rouge): covers the following 9 parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, St. James (east bank), Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, West Feliciana
* Troop B (Kenner): covers 6 parishes: Orleans, St. Charles, St. John (east bank), Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Jefferson
* Troop C (Houma): covers the 5 parishes of Assumption, Lafourche, St. Mary, Terrebonne, and the west bank of St. James
* Troop D (Lake Charles): covers the parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron and Jefferson Davis
* Troop E (Alexandria): covers the parishes of Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon and Winn
* Troop F (Monroe): Covers the Parishes of Union, West Carroll, East Carroll, Morehouse, Lincoln, Ouachita, Richland, Madison, Jackson, Caldwell, Tensas, and Franklin.
* Troop G (Bossier City): Covers the Parishes of Caddo, Bossier, De Soto, Webster, Claiborne, Bienville, and Red River.
* Troop I (Lafayette): Covers Parishes of Evangeline, St. Landry, Acadia, Lafayette, St. Martin, Vermilion, Iberia, and St. Mary.
* Troop L (Covington): covers the parishes of St.Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington clear

Disbanded Troops

The following troops are no longer in existence:
*Troop H (Leesville) (disbanded in the late 1980s due to budget considerations)
*Troop K (Opelousas) included Avoyelles, Pointe Coupee, and St. Landry Parishes, as well as others (disbanded in the late 1980s due to budget considerations)
*Troop N (New Orleans) (Headquarters for post Hurricane Katrina Operations until April 2006)clear

Rank Structure

The Louisiana State Police rank structure is as listed:

Duty Weapons

The current standard issue firearm for LSP Troopers is the Sig Sauer Model P-220 Semi-Automatic pistol in .45 ACP. Other optional handguns are also authorized for carry on-duty. Each LSP Trooper is also issued a Remington 870 Police 12 gauge shotgun. Some police cars are also equipped with a Colt AR-15 A2 in .223, a Ruger Mini-14 in .223, or an H&K MP-5 in 9mm. The troopers in this agency have been issued batons and pepper spray for quite some time. Tasers have also recently been issued.

Patrol Cars

The current main Louisiana State Police patrol vehicle is the Ford Crown Victoria "Police Interceptor." This vehicle has been the main patrol vehicle used by the agency since 1997, when it replaced the Chevrolet Caprice. 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, the words "State Police" written on the trunk, and a CALEA decal .

pecial 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 Aviation Support Unit, a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) Team, an Executive Protection detail (for the Louisiana Governor, Lt. Governor, and other dignitaries), a Motor Carrier Safety Enforcement (MCSAP) section, and a Hazardous Materials Response Unit. There is also a section called the Anti-Terrorist Assistance Program (ATAP) which is a joint venture with the U.S. State Department. This ATAP section trains foreign police and military forces in detecting, preventing, and fighting of terrorism. The Bureau of Investigation includes the State Police Crime Laboratory, 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, and an Insurance Fraud Investigations section. The agency has also recently established a cyber crimes section which specializes in online and computer crimes.

Fallen Officers

Since its formation in 1922, 24 LSP troopers have been killed in the line of duty. The most common cause of line of duty deaths to date is Automobile Crashes. [ [http://www.odmp.org/agency/2232-louisiana-state-police-louisiana|The Officer Down Memorial Page] ]

ee also

* Louisiana State Troopers Association
* Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries - Enforcement Division
* List of law enforcement agencies in Louisiana
* State police
* State patrol
* Highway patrol

References

External links

* [http://www.lsp.org Louisiana State Police Website]