Alabama Highway Patrol
Encyclopedia
The Alabama Highway Patrol is a division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety
and is the highway patrol
agency for Alabama
, which has jurisdiction
anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Alabama.
In 1971, the Alabama Highway Patrol became the first U.S. police organization to use down-sized vehicles for regular highway patrol duties when 132 AMC Javelin
s were purchased. This pre-dated, among others, the Camaros
and Mustangs
that were used by other departments years later. The Javelins came with 401 CID 335 hp AMC V8 engine
s, and one of the original cars is now part of the Museum of DPS Headquarters.
became a significant player in escalating the acute racial conflict that led to the Selma to Montgomery marches
in the American Civil Rights Movement
. As a corporal in the Alabama State Police
in 1965, he shot and killed an unarmed black man, Jimmie Lee Jackson
, but was not prosecuted and convicted for the killing until 45 years later. Fowler is also under investigation in the May 8, 1966 death of 34-year-old Nathan Johnson, another unarmed black man. Johnson had been arrested for suspicion of drunken driving on US Highway 31 and was fatally shot by Fowler at the Alabaster, Alabama
Police Department.
Alabama Department of Public Safety
The Alabama Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency serving the U.S. state of Alabama. It is made up of six divisions: Administrative Division, Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Driver License, Highway Patrol, Protective Services Division, and Service Division.-History:The Alabama...
and is the highway patrol
Highway patrol
A highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...
agency for Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, which has jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Alabama.
In 1971, the Alabama Highway Patrol became the first U.S. police organization to use down-sized vehicles for regular highway patrol duties when 132 AMC Javelin
AMC Javelin
The Javelin was a production version of one of the AMC AMX prototypes shown during the 1966 AMX project nationwide tour. Intended to rival other pony cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. American Motor's Javelin debuted on 22 August 1967, for the 1968 model year...
s were purchased. This pre-dated, among others, the Camaros
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is an automobile manufactured by General Motors under the Chevrolet brand, classified as a pony car and some versions also as a muscle car. It went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed as a competing model to the Ford Mustang...
and Mustangs
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
that were used by other departments years later. The Javelins came with 401 CID 335 hp AMC V8 engine
AMC V8 engine
American Motors Corporation produced a series of widely-used V8 engines from the mid-1950s before being absorbed into Chrysler in 1987. Chrysler kept the AMC V8 in production until 1991 for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer....
s, and one of the original cars is now part of the Museum of DPS Headquarters.
Rank Structure
The Alabama Department of Public Safety rank structure is as listed:| Rank | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Colonel Colonel Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures... |
 |
| Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence... |
 |
| Major Major Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ... |
 |
| Captain Police captain - France :France uses the rank of capitaine for management duties in both uniformed and plain-clothed policing. The rank comes senior to lieutenant and junior to commandant.... |
 |
| Lieutenant Lieutenant A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank... |
 |
| Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent.... |
 |
| Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4.... |
 |
| Trooper Trooper (police rank) Trooper is a rank used by several civilian police forces in the United States. In its plural form, troopers, it generally refers to members of state highway patrol or state police agencies, even though those officers may not necessarily be of the rank of trooper.For example, in the Louisiana State... |
|
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Alabama Highway Patrol, 28 officers have died in the line of duty. The following list also contains officers from when the Alabama Highway Patrol was renamed the Alabama Department of Public Safety.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Patrolman Maury Young | |
Motorcycle accident |
| Patrolman William D. Raiford Sr. | |
Motorcycle accident |
| Patrolman Arvil O. Hudson | |
Vehicle pursuit |
| Patrolman Henry Preston Bryant | |
Vehicle Pursuit |
| Patrolman Julian F. Draughon | |
Motorcycle accident |
| Patrolman Howard Brock | |
Vehicle pursuit |
| Patrolman Joe F. Partin | |
Motorcycle accident |
| Patrolman Anthony Scozzaro | |
Automobile accident |
| Captain Thomas E. Maxwell | |
Automobile accident |
| Sergeant Raymond M. Carlton | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Randolph G. Glover | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Brooks D. Lawson | |
Struck by train |
| Corporal Thomas O. Gillilan | |
Gunfire |
| Corporal Harlan B. Blake | |
Vehicle pursuit |
| Auxiliary Trooper Ormand Franklin Watkins | |
Gunfire |
| Corporal Riley Delano Smith | |
Electrocuted |
| Trooper James B. Robinson | |
Gunfire |
| Trooper Bobby S. Gann | |
Gunfire |
| Trooper Kenyon M. Lassiter | |
Vehicular assault |
| Sergeant Julian Douglas Stuckey | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Johnnie Earl Booker | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper David E. Temple | |
Gunfire |
| Trooper Simmie L. Jeffries | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Larry D. Cawyer | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Elizabeth S. Cobb | |
Gunfire |
| Trooper Robert William Jones | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Willis Von Moore | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Brian Keith Nichols | |
Automobile accident |
Other notable officers
James Bonard FowlerJames Bonard Fowler
James Bonard Fowler became a significant player in escalating the acute racial conflict that led to the Selma to Montgomery marches in the American Civil Rights Movement...
became a significant player in escalating the acute racial conflict that led to the Selma to Montgomery marches
Selma to Montgomery marches
The Selma to Montgomery marches were three marches in 1965 that marked the political and emotional peak of the American civil rights movement. They grew out of the voting rights movement in Selma, Alabama, launched by local African-Americans who formed the Dallas County Voters League...
in the American Civil Rights Movement
African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955-1968)
The African-American Civil Rights Movement refers to the movements in the United States aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans and restoring voting rights to them. This article covers the phase of the movement between 1955 and 1968, particularly in the South...
. As a corporal in the Alabama State Police
Alabama Highway Patrol
The Alabama Highway Patrol is a division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety and is the highway patrol agency for Alabama, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Alabama.In 1971, the Alabama Highway...
in 1965, he shot and killed an unarmed black man, Jimmie Lee Jackson
Jimmie Lee Jackson
Jimmie Lee Jackson was a civil rights protestor who was shot and killed by Alabama State Trooper James Bonard Fowler in 1965. Jackson was unarmed. His death inspired the Selma to Montgomery marches, an important event in the American Civil Rights movement. He was 26 years old.-Personal...
, but was not prosecuted and convicted for the killing until 45 years later. Fowler is also under investigation in the May 8, 1966 death of 34-year-old Nathan Johnson, another unarmed black man. Johnson had been arrested for suspicion of drunken driving on US Highway 31 and was fatally shot by Fowler at the Alabaster, Alabama
Alabaster, Alabama
Alabaster is a city and southern suburb of Birmingham in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 22,619. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 27,517. At the 2010 census the population was 30,352. Alabaster is still a growing...
Police Department.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Alabama
- State policeState policeState police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canadian provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national...
- State patrol
- Highway patrolHighway patrolA highway patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is primarily concerned with such duties.Duties of highway patrols or traffic...