Ohio State Highway Patrol
Encyclopedia
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety
and is the official highway patrol
agency of Ohio. The several missions of the Patrol include providing roadway patrol
, emergency response to all public lands, the investigation of crimes which occur on state property and providing security for the Governor and other dignitaries.
, Crash reconstruction, Inspections, Mobile Field Force, and Criminal Patrol; Human Resource Management, includes Labor Relations, Career Development and the Administrative Investigation Unit; Office of Investigative Services, includes statewide investigation of crimes occurring on state owned or leased property, crime lab, polygraph services, executive protection for the governor, criminal intelligence and computer crime unit; License and Commercial Standards, which provide for oversight of driver's license and commercial vehicle regulations throughout the state;
The Patrol also has administrative offices which include the Offices of Technology and Communication Services, Finance and Logistics Services, Strategic Services and Recruitment and Training.
The Patrol maintains 55 posts, each administered by one of ten districts and responsible for one, two, or three of Ohio's 88 counties or the Ohio Turnpike
. The Patrol has posts in Findlay
, Fremont
, Bucyrus
, Massillon
, Warren
, Piqua
, Columbus
, Cambridge
, Chillicothe
, Portsmouth
(Scioto County
), South Point
, Wilmington
, and Jackson
. The Berea
/Turnpike District operates from three posts on the Ohio Turnpike. Since the turnpike opened in 1955, the Ohio Turnpike Commission has contracted with the Ohio State Highway Patrol to provide law enforcement and assistance to disabled or stranded motorists. They are the only law enforcement agency with jurisdiction
on the turnpike.
entitled "LifeStat 1.0", detailing the strategic goals for the Patrol. One of the primary goals of this document was the reduction of traffic crash deaths in Ohio to one per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by the end of 2007.; the goal was ambitious: the rate reduced to 1.13 in 2007, 1.10 in 2008
. According to the Patrol, its 1,400 Troopers made over 1.4 million professional stops in 2006, with 60 percent being non-enforcement stops to help, assist or educate motorists. Twenty-five percent of enforcement-related stops in 2006 was for either aggressive driving
or for an OVI offense
. The Patrol arrested 26,187 drivers for OVI in 2006, and cited 133,650 drivers for aggressive driving.
The OSHP also maintains a force of State of Ohio Police Officers mostly located in the Columbus, Ohio
area, who provide security police
services to the Ohio Department of Transportation
and the Ohio Expo Center
as well as perform security functions at special events.
. By 1972 all Ohio State Highway Patrol cruisers were white, which they remained until 1982 when they moved to sterling silver. The silver cars remained until 1991. In 1992, they moved to dark grey cruisers marked with the famous "flying wheel" insignia on the doors and a yellow stripe running the length of the car. However, in 2002, the decision was made to transition the force back to white colored patrol vehicles with larger lightbars in response to a number of incidents where troopers were killed by inattentive motorists. The OSHP remains to this day a highly respected organization, having gained CALEA accredditation.
In August of 2011, the Ohio State Highway Patrol announced that all of their old lightbars (which were a combination of red and blue strobe lights and LED lights) will be changed over by the end of the year to an all blue and white LED lightbar, which is far brighter than the older lightbars. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is also going to a light grey color for their vehicles. They currently utilize the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Impala, Ford CVPI, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Durango.
The Patrol Auxiliary was created in 1942 when many Troopers entered service with the United States military
due to World War II
. Originally, members of the Auxiliary were required to be members of the American Legion
because they were previous war veterans who were unlikely to be drafted.
Today, volunteer Auxiliary members ride on patrol with Troopers, assist at crash scenes, natural disasters and emergency sites, provide highway safety displays, and patrol the Ohio State Fair
.
Ohio Department of Public Safety
The Ohio Department of Public Safety is a government agency in the U.S. state of Ohio. The Department is responsible for the protection and safety of residents and visitors.The Department of Public Safety's headquarters is located in Columbus, Ohio....
and is the official 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 of Ohio. The several missions of the Patrol include providing roadway 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 :...
, emergency response to all public lands, the investigation of crimes which occur on state property and providing security for the Governor and other dignitaries.
Divisions
Operationally, the Patrol is divided into units whose varying tasks complement the mission of the Patrol to provide safe roadways throughout the state. Operational units include the Office of Field Operations, units specializing in Aviation, a Special Response TeamSWAT
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...
, Crash reconstruction, Inspections, Mobile Field Force, and Criminal Patrol; Human Resource Management, includes Labor Relations, Career Development and the Administrative Investigation Unit; Office of Investigative Services, includes statewide investigation of crimes occurring on state owned or leased property, crime lab, polygraph services, executive protection for the governor, criminal intelligence and computer crime unit; License and Commercial Standards, which provide for oversight of driver's license and commercial vehicle regulations throughout the state;
The Patrol also has administrative offices which include the Offices of Technology and Communication Services, Finance and Logistics Services, Strategic Services and Recruitment and Training.
The Patrol maintains 55 posts, each administered by one of ten districts and responsible for one, two, or three of Ohio's 88 counties or the Ohio Turnpike
Ohio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...
. The Patrol has posts in Findlay
Findlay, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,967 people, 15,905 households, and 10,004 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,266.3 people per square mile . There were 17,152 housing units at an average density of 997.6 per square mile...
, Fremont
Fremont, Ohio
Fremont Public Schools enroll 4,450 students in public primary and secondary schools. The district administers 9 public schools including seven elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, Fremont Ross. In addition, the city is home to one private catholic high school, Saint Joseph...
, Bucyrus
Bucyrus, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 13,224 people, 5,559 households, and 3,552 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,812.0 people per square mile . There were 5,955 housing units at an average density of 816.0 per square mile...
, Massillon
Massillon, Ohio
Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
, Warren
Warren, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,832 people, 19,288 households and 12,035 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,912.4 people per square mile . There were 21,279 housing units at an average density of 1,322.9 per square mile...
, Piqua
Piqua, Ohio
Piqua is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 20,738 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.Piqua was one of the cities that experienced severe flooding during the Great Dayton Flood of 1913....
, Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, Cambridge
Cambridge, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,520 people, 4,924 households, and 2,954 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,055.1 people per square mile . There were 5,585 housing units of an average density of 996.3 per square mile...
, Chillicothe
Chillicothe, Ohio
Chillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
, Portsmouth
Portsmouth, Ohio
Portsmouth is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Scioto County. The municipality is located on the northern banks of the Ohio River and east of the Scioto River in Southern Ohio. The population was 20,226 at the 2010 census.-Foundation:...
(Scioto County
Scioto County, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,195 people, 30,871 households, and 21,362 families residing in the county. The population density was 129 people per square mile . There were 34,054 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
), South Point
South Point, Ohio
South Point is a village in Lawrence County, Ohio, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 3,742 at the 2000 census.South Point is a part of the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH, Metropolitan Statistical Area . As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 288,649.The village mayor...
, Wilmington
Wilmington, Ohio
Wilmington is a city in and the county seat of Clinton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 12,520 at the 2010 census. At city entrances from state routes, county roads, and U.S. highways, the city slogan of "We Honor Our Champions" is seen, accompanied by signs that highlight various...
, and Jackson
Jackson, Ohio
Jackson is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Ohio, United States. The population was 6,184 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Jackson is located at ....
. The Berea
Berea, Ohio
- History :The first European settlers were originally from Connecticut. Berea fell within Connecticut's Western Reserve and was surveyed and divided into townships and ranges by one Gideon Granger, a gentleman who served as Postmaster General under President Thomas Jefferson...
/Turnpike District operates from three posts on the Ohio Turnpike. Since the turnpike opened in 1955, the Ohio Turnpike Commission has contracted with the Ohio State Highway Patrol to provide law enforcement and assistance to disabled or stranded motorists. They are the only law enforcement agency with 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...
on the turnpike.
Enforcement activities
Recently the Patrol created a mission statementMission statement
A mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making...
entitled "LifeStat 1.0", detailing the strategic goals for the Patrol. One of the primary goals of this document was the reduction of traffic crash deaths in Ohio to one per 100 million vehicle miles traveled by the end of 2007.; the goal was ambitious: the rate reduced to 1.13 in 2007, 1.10 in 2008
. According to the Patrol, its 1,400 Troopers made over 1.4 million professional stops in 2006, with 60 percent being non-enforcement stops to help, assist or educate motorists. Twenty-five percent of enforcement-related stops in 2006 was for either aggressive driving
Aggressive driving
Aggressive driving is a form of automobile operation in which an operator will deliberately behave in such a manner as to increase the risk of an automobile accident....
or for an OVI offense
Drunk driving (United States)
Drunk driving is the act of operating and/or driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs to the degree that mental and motor skills are impaired...
. The Patrol arrested 26,187 drivers for OVI in 2006, and cited 133,650 drivers for aggressive driving.
Organization
- Superintendent - Colonel
- Assistant Superintendent - Lt. Colonel
- Office of Training, Selection and Standards - Major
- Administrative Investigation Unit
- Standards Unit
- Training Unit
- Office of Business Services - Major
- Strategic Services Section
- Financial Services Section
- Technology Services Section
- Office of Special Operations - Major
- Vehicle Theft Unit
- Investigative Operations
- Crime Lab
- Polygraph Unit
- Homeland Security Unit
- Criminal Intelligence Unit
- Computer Crimes Unit
- Capitol Operations Unit
- Executive Protection Unit
- Field Operations - Major
- Crash Reconstruction and Analysis Unit
- Special Response Team Unit
- Criminal Patrol Unit
- Inspections Unit
- Ohio State Patrol Police Unit
- Aviation Unit
- Licensing and Comercial Standards Section
- Office of Training, Selection and Standards - Major
- Assistant Superintendent - Lt. Colonel
Staffing
The Patrol has a strength of approximately 1,500 Troopers in addition to nearly 1,000 support personnel, including driver examiners, load limit inspectors, motor vehicle inspectors, motor carrier enforcement inspectors, dispatchers, electronics technicians, and civilian specialists. The Patrol also maintains an all-volunteer auxiliary which was created during World War II to supplement staffing lost to the war effort.The OSHP also maintains a force of State of Ohio Police Officers mostly located in the Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
area, who provide security police
Security police
In some countries, including the United States, security police are those persons, employed by or for a governmental agency, who provide police and security services to those agencies' properties....
services to the Ohio Department of Transportation
Ohio Department of Transportation
The Ohio Department of Transportation is the organization of state government responsible for developing and maintaining all state and federal roadways in the state of Ohio with exception of the Ohio Turnpike. In addition to highways, the department also helps develop public transportation and...
and the Ohio Expo Center
Ohio State Fair
The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States. In 2011 the attendance was 833,000, the fair's highest attendance since 2004. The state fair contributes as much as 280 million dollars to the state economy...
as well as perform security functions at special events.
History
The Ohio State Highway Patrol was founded in 1933 under the command of Colonel Lynn Black. Originally, the Highway Patrol used solid black cars with the Flying Wheel on the door. In 1966, white cruisers made their appearance on the Ohio TurnpikeOhio Turnpike
The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...
. By 1972 all Ohio State Highway Patrol cruisers were white, which they remained until 1982 when they moved to sterling silver. The silver cars remained until 1991. In 1992, they moved to dark grey cruisers marked with the famous "flying wheel" insignia on the doors and a yellow stripe running the length of the car. However, in 2002, the decision was made to transition the force back to white colored patrol vehicles with larger lightbars in response to a number of incidents where troopers were killed by inattentive motorists. The OSHP remains to this day a highly respected organization, having gained CALEA accredditation.
In August of 2011, the Ohio State Highway Patrol announced that all of their old lightbars (which were a combination of red and blue strobe lights and LED lights) will be changed over by the end of the year to an all blue and white LED lightbar, which is far brighter than the older lightbars. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is also going to a light grey color for their vehicles. They currently utilize the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Impala, Ford CVPI, Dodge Charger, and Dodge Durango.
In the line of duty
During the history of the Patrol, 38 Troopers have died in performance of their duties. Of that number, two were killed in aircraft accidents, sixteen in either motorcycle or automobile accidents, and eight were struck by vehicles or trains. Further, seven were killed in vehicle pursuits or vehicular assault, three by gunfire, one Trooper was electrocuted and one died from an allergic reaction to a bee sting.Demographics
The OSHP demographics are :- Male: 91%
- Female: 9%
- White: 86%
- African-American/Black: 11%
- Hispanic: 3%
Auxiliary
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Originally, members of the Auxiliary were required to be members of the American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
because they were previous war veterans who were unlikely to be drafted.
Today, volunteer Auxiliary members ride on patrol with Troopers, assist at crash scenes, natural disasters and emergency sites, provide highway safety displays, and patrol the Ohio State Fair
Ohio State Fair
The Ohio State Fair is one of the largest state fairs in the United States. In 2011 the attendance was 833,000, the fair's highest attendance since 2004. The state fair contributes as much as 280 million dollars to the state economy...
.
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Ohio
- 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...