Wisconsin State Patrol
Encyclopedia
The Wisconsin State Patrol is the state police
force for the state of Wisconsin
. It serves a population of 5.6 million mainly through traffic safety and enforcement on the state highways.
Prior to 1939, there were some sort of statewide enforcement efforts through other departments. For example, in 1917, the Dairy and Food Department and the Oil Inspection Department were legally authorized to conduct investigations of the licensing and vehicle sale laws. Also, in 1931, the State Highway Administration had personnel dedicated to checking truck weights and traffic.
State Patrol-run radio went on the air on February 1, 1943 on station WIZR on a frequency of 31.50 MHz. The radio allowed communication with the Patrol's mobile units and with local law enforcement short-wave stations.
These are the services provided statewide by the agency:
The State Patrol maintains and manages the facilities of the Mobile Data Communications Network (MDCN), a system that supports remote access to information available from the United States Department of Justice
. The service is provided free of charge to allied criminal justice agencies in Wisconsin.
Traffic Institute. Since 1957, the agency has been training its recruits with its own staff. The Wisconsin State Patrol Academy, in Fort McCoy
, sits on 50 acres (202,343 m²) and is used to train State Patrol recruits but also some county and local law enforcement agencies personnel on the latest techniques in traffic law enforcement.
Training for recruits lasts 21 weeks in a paramilitary setting. Fort McCoy itself is a military installation run by the United States Army
.
Prior to joining the academy, recruits must pass several phases during initial testing. Those phases include a written exam, two physical events (physical agility and physical fitness tests), an interview, a background investigation and a psychological/medical exams.
In 2005 the State Patrol reorganized and went from 7 districts to 5 regions. It maintains offices in DeForest (Madison
), Waukesha
, Fond du Lac
, Wausau
, Tomah
, Eau Claire
and Spooner
.
The agency has three main components: support staff, road patrol troopers and inspectors who are troopers assigned to motor carrier enforcement throughout the state. The State Patrol uses marked, unmarked vehicles and motorcycles to perform its mission. It also has an aircraft program with four aerial vehicles to monitor traffic, track criminal suspects, perform drug detection and assist in the search of missing persons.
remains the nation's largest state police force with 6953 officers, according to the same FBI data.
State police
State 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...
force for the state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. It serves a population of 5.6 million mainly through traffic safety and enforcement on the state highways.
History
The Wisconsin Legislature created Chapter 110 on September 1, 1939 to have the Motor Vehicle Department. That department had three divisions: Registration and Licensing, Highway Safety Promotion and Inspection and Enforcement. The Inspection and Enforcement division had inspectors who enforced the state motor carrier regulations and the state motor vehicle code. That division eventually became known as the Wisconsin State Patrol.Prior to 1939, there were some sort of statewide enforcement efforts through other departments. For example, in 1917, the Dairy and Food Department and the Oil Inspection Department were legally authorized to conduct investigations of the licensing and vehicle sale laws. Also, in 1931, the State Highway Administration had personnel dedicated to checking truck weights and traffic.
State Patrol-run radio went on the air on February 1, 1943 on station WIZR on a frequency of 31.50 MHz. The radio allowed communication with the Patrol's mobile units and with local law enforcement short-wave stations.
Mission
As stated on its website, the State Patrol provides traffic safety and enforcement services for Wisconsin. Like all highway patrol and state patrol agencies, its primary mission is to enforce the provisions of the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle laws and other laws to prevent crime. However, the State Patrol is seen as a state police force and as such, its state troopers have full police authority and statewide jurisdiction although investigating non-traffic crimes is not a priority for the agency, especially if those crimes occur within an incorporated area that has its own police department.These are the services provided statewide by the agency:
- Traffic law enforcement through freeway patrols
- Accident scene reconstruction and crime scene mapping for investigations
- Motor carrier safety inspections
- Commercial vehicle size and weight enforcement
- Inspections of school buses, ambulances, motor coaches, and salvage vehicles
- Evaluation and maintenance of breath-alcohol testing equipment; also provides training to some county and local law enforcement agencies in using such equipment
- Assistance to county and local law enforcement agencies when requested upon
- Law enforcement training at the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy
- Traffic safety programs
The State Patrol maintains and manages the facilities of the Mobile Data Communications Network (MDCN), a system that supports remote access to information available from the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. The service is provided free of charge to allied criminal justice agencies in Wisconsin.
Training
A training academy was established in 1955 to offer formal education instructions in partnership with the Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
Traffic Institute. Since 1957, the agency has been training its recruits with its own staff. The Wisconsin State Patrol Academy, in Fort McCoy
Fort McCoy, Wisconsin
Fort McCoy is an active United States Army installation. It is located on 60,000 acres between Sparta and Tomah, Wisconsin, in Monroe County...
, sits on 50 acres (202,343 m²) and is used to train State Patrol recruits but also some county and local law enforcement agencies personnel on the latest techniques in traffic law enforcement.
Training for recruits lasts 21 weeks in a paramilitary setting. Fort McCoy itself is a military installation run by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Prior to joining the academy, recruits must pass several phases during initial testing. Those phases include a written exam, two physical events (physical agility and physical fitness tests), an interview, a background investigation and a psychological/medical exams.
The State Patrol today
The State Patrol became part of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation in the 1960s, and was designated a DOT division in 1977. In 2003, the Bureau of Transportation Safety was incorporated into the State Patrol.In 2005 the State Patrol reorganized and went from 7 districts to 5 regions. It maintains offices in DeForest (Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
), Waukesha
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Waukesha is a city in and the county seat of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, in the Upper Midwest region of the United States. The population was 70,718 at the 2010 census, making it the largest community in the county and 7th largest in the state. The city is located adjacent to the Town of Waukesha...
, Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Fond du Lac is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The name is French for bottom of the lake, for it is located at the bottom of Lake Winnebago. The population was 42,203 at the 2000 census...
, Wausau
Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city. The city is adjacent to the town of Wausau.According to the 2000 census, Wausau had a population of 38,426 people...
, Tomah
Tomah, Wisconsin
Tomah is a city in Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 9,093. The city is located partially within the Town of Tomah.-Education:...
, Eau Claire
Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire is a city located in the west-central part of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 65,883 as of the 2010 census, making it the largest municipality in the northwestern portion of the state, and the 9th largest in the state overall. It is the county seat of Eau Claire County,...
and Spooner
Spooner, Wisconsin
Spooner is a city in Washburn County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,653 at the 2000 census. The city is located mostly within the southwest corner of the Town of Spooner, with a small portion extending into the Town of Beaver Brook on the south, the Town of Bashaw on the southwest,...
.
The agency has three main components: support staff, road patrol troopers and inspectors who are troopers assigned to motor carrier enforcement throughout the state. The State Patrol uses marked, unmarked vehicles and motorcycles to perform its mission. It also has an aircraft program with four aerial vehicles to monitor traffic, track criminal suspects, perform drug detection and assist in the search of missing persons.
Strength
For a state with a fairly high population, the State Patrol does not have a large contingent of troopers, compared to other states with the same population. In 2005, Wisconsin had 492 troopers and inspectors according to data provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Excluding inspectors, the agency has 315 actual road troopers as of 2009, according to the Associated Press). By comparison, Maryland, which has about the same population as Wisconsin, had 1496 troopers. Colorado, population 4.8 million, had 705. West Virginia, with 1.8 million residents, had 616. That said, caution should prevail when reading these comparisons as some jurisdictions might be busier than others in fighting crimes, a fact that can affect the level of staffing for departments. Other factors such as varied demographic traits and type of jurisdictions (state police vs. highway or state patrol) impact staffing level as well. The California Highway PatrolCalifornia Highway Patrol
The California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
remains the nation's largest state police force with 6953 officers, according to the same FBI data.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Wisconsin State Patrol, 5 officers have died in the line of duty.| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Trooper Donald C. Pederson | |
Gunfire |
| Trooper Gary G. Powless | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Deborah M. McMenamin | |
Struck by vehicle |
| Trooper William Schoenberger | |
Automobile accident |
| Trooper Jorge Dimas | |
Automobile accident |
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin
- 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...