Idaho State Police
Encyclopedia
The Idaho State Police is the statewide law enforcement agency
for the state of Idaho
. It was created on May 18, 1919 as the Bureau of Constabulary, under the new Department of Law Enforcement, to detect and investigate crime, "order abatement of public nuisances and to enforce such orders by appropriate court action, to suppress riots, prevent wrongs to children and dumb animals that are inhibited by law." The state constabulary was also charged with the organization of various state, county and municipal peace officers.
. The six regional offices (1-6) are Coeur d'Alene
, Lewiston
, Boise
, Twin Falls
, Pocatello
and Idaho Falls
. Each region has a different captain and command staff, and are managed differently. Each region has two divisions; patrol
and investigation
s. Despite the large size of the state, the force only consists of 256 troopers (62 of them assigned to the Investigations Section ) and 78 civilian staff.
and game
violations.
and large scale drug-related offenses.
s who provide support to officers in the field.
Some areas of the state such as the Boise valley and the Coeur d’Alene area are large enough that the local agencies can handle large criminal cases themselves. However, much of the state is made up of small rural communities where the local law enforcement agencies often do not have the staff or budget to handle large investigations. It is in these smaller areas that the State Police often assists in providing investigation and law enforcement.
The Idaho State Police is tasked with the physical protection of the Governor of the state as well as other dignitaries who may need protection.
The Idaho State Police has a 20 member tactical team made up of both troopers and detectives from every region in the state. The team was formerly referred to as the Crisis Response Team, the name has since been changed to Special Weapons and Tactics
.
The Idaho State Police had also, until recently, fielded a Crowd Intervention Team to suppress riots and manage large crowds. Due to budget constraints and lack of use the team was deactivated.
Law enforcement agency
In North American English, a law enforcement agency is a government agency responsible for the enforcement of the laws.Outside North America, such organizations are called police services. In North America, some of these services are called police while others have other names In North American...
for the state of Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
. It was created on May 18, 1919 as the Bureau of Constabulary, under the new Department of Law Enforcement, to detect and investigate crime, "order abatement of public nuisances and to enforce such orders by appropriate court action, to suppress riots, prevent wrongs to children and dumb animals that are inhibited by law." The state constabulary was also charged with the organization of various state, county and municipal peace officers.
Divisions
The Idaho State Police is divided geographically into 6 regions with a central headquarters and training facility located in Meridian, IdahoMeridian, Idaho
-History:The town was established in 1891 on the Onweiler farm north of the present site and was called Hunter. Two years later an I.O.O.F. lodge was organized and called itself Meridian because it was located on the Boise Meridian and the town was renamed...
. The six regional offices (1-6) are Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene is the largest city and county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. Coeur d'Alene has the second largest metropolitan area in the state of Idaho. As of the 2010 census the population of Coeur...
, Lewiston
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city in and also the county seat of Nez Perce County in the Pacific Northwest state of Idaho. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is the principal city of the Lewiston, ID - Clarkston, WA...
, Boise
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
, Twin Falls
Twin Falls, Idaho
Twin Falls is the county seat and largest city of Twin Falls County, Idaho, United States. The population was 44,125 at the 2010 censusTwin Falls is the largest city of Idaho's Magic Valley region...
, Pocatello
Pocatello, Idaho
Pocatello is the county seat and largest city of Bannock County, with a small portion on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation in neighboring Power County, in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. It is the principal city of the Pocatello metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Bannock...
and Idaho Falls
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Idaho Falls is a city in and the county seat of Bonneville County, Idaho, United States, and the largest city in Eastern Idaho. As of the 2010 census, the population of Idaho Falls was 56,813, with a metro population of 130,374....
. Each region has a different captain and command staff, and are managed differently. Each region has two divisions; patrol
Patrol
A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as police officers or soldiers, that are assigned to monitor a specific geographic area.- Military :...
and investigation
Criminal procedure
Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated criminal law.-Basic rights:Currently, in many countries with a democratic system and the rule of law, criminal procedure puts the burden of proof on the prosecution – that is, it is up to the...
s. Despite the large size of the state, the force only consists of 256 troopers (62 of them assigned to the Investigations Section ) and 78 civilian staff.
Patrol
The patrol division consists of uniformed state troopers who enforce the laws of Idaho. Commonly, a trooper will spend their time enforcing motor vehicle law while on call. Troopers have permission to investigate and enforce fishFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and game
Game (food)
Game is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
violations.
Investigation
The investigation division consists of plain-clothes detectives who enforce the laws of Idaho. The Idaho State Police detectives investigate major crimes such as homicideHomicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
and large scale drug-related offenses.
Other divisions
- The Alcohol Beverage Control division ensure all establishments which sell or produce alcohol are properly licensed and conform to the law.
- Commercial Vehicle Specialists are specially trained uniformed officers who enforce federal and state laws pertaining to the safety of commercial trucking.
- The Cyber Crimes Unit specializes in crimes involving computers and the internet.
- The Bureau of Criminal Identification maintains the states fingerprint database.
- Forensic Services investigates controlled substances, crime scenes, firearms, forensic biologyForensic biologyForensic biology is the application of biology to law enforcement.It includes the subdisciplines of Forensic anthropology, Forensic botany, Forensic entomology, Forensic odontology and various DNA or protein based techniques.- Applications :...
, impression evidence, toxicologyToxicologyToxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
, and trace evidenceTrace evidenceTrace evidence is evidence that occurs when different objects contact one another. Such materials are often transferred by heat induced by contact friction....
.
Other duties
The Idaho State Police has two regional communications centers staffed with dispatcherDispatcher
Dispatchers are communications personnel responsible for receiving and transmitting pure and reliable messages, tracking vehicles and equipment, and recording other important information...
s who provide support to officers in the field.
Some areas of the state such as the Boise valley and the Coeur d’Alene area are large enough that the local agencies can handle large criminal cases themselves. However, much of the state is made up of small rural communities where the local law enforcement agencies often do not have the staff or budget to handle large investigations. It is in these smaller areas that the State Police often assists in providing investigation and law enforcement.
The Idaho State Police is tasked with the physical protection of the Governor of the state as well as other dignitaries who may need protection.
The Idaho State Police has a 20 member tactical team made up of both troopers and detectives from every region in the state. The team was formerly referred to as the Crisis Response Team, the name has since been changed to Special Weapons and Tactics
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
.
The Idaho State Police had also, until recently, fielded a Crowd Intervention Team to suppress riots and manage large crowds. Due to budget constraints and lack of use the team was deactivated.
Weapons
Idaho State Police Troopers are issued the Glock 21 (45 ACP) or Glock 22 (40 S&W). Detectives are issued the Glock 30. Each Trooper is issued a Colt M-4 rifle with select fire. ISP Trooper Sergeants are also issued a shotgun to fire bean bag rounds.Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Idaho State Police, five officers have died in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Policeman Fontaine Cooper | |
Gunfire |
| Corporal Benjamin T. Newman | |
Heart attack |
| Sergeant Walter W. Cox | |
Struck by train |
| Corporal Douglas M. Deen | |
Automobile accident |
| State Trooper Linda Carol Huff | |
Gunfire |
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Idaho
- 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...