HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Indiana State Police is the statewide law enforcement agency for the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. Indiana was the 12th state to offer protection to its citizens with a
state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...
force. Its headquarters are in the
Indiana Government Center North Indiana Government Center North is a high rise in Indianapolis, Indiana. It was completed in 1960 and has 14 floors. It is primarily used for office spaces for the government of Indiana The government of Indiana is established and regulated by ...
in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
.


History

On March 11, 1921, "the secretary of state with approval of the governor is hereby given power to appoint all necessary deputies in addition to the present officers of the law" to enforce motor vehicle laws. The secretary of state appointed a 16-man ''Indiana Motor Vehicle Police,'' becoming the first law enforcement agency in the state to have statewide jurisdiction to enforce traffic laws, although they had only "limited" authority and were only authorized to enforce the "rules of the road" and motor vehicle laws. On March 10, 1927, the Indiana legislature created a ''Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation'', also under the secretary of state, for the purpose of installing and maintaining "local identification systems for the identification and prosecution of criminals and the investigation of crimes." In 1933, the Indiana State Police was formed largely consisting of basically untrained, ill-equipped traffic officers left over from the Motor Vehicle Police. The first formal "academy" began July 15, 1935, and consisted of between 80 and 100 candidates. It was not until 1976 that the academy graduated its first female troopers.History of the Indiana State Police
Retrieved May 25, 2011.


Indiana State Police Board

The Indiana State Police Board administers, manages, and controls the operation of the agency including the setting of salaries and compensation, with the approval of the governor and may review disciplinary action taken against a state police employee by the superintendent. The ISP board consists of six civilian members who are appointed by the governor and must be a permanent resident of one of six geographical regions of the state from which they are appointed. Members serve staggered, four-year terms and no more than three may belong to the same political party.


Organization

The Indiana State Police is currently led by Superintendent Anthony M. Scott, whose position is appointed by the governor. His command staff includes a Chief of Staff who holds the rank of Colonel and six Assistant Chiefs of Staff, two of which hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, three holding the rank of Major, and one civilian employee. The Assistant Chiefs of Staff manage the following areas of the agency: * Intelligence and Investigations covers the investigative needs of the agency, and covers specialties such as Cybercrimes or Internet Crimes Against Children, and the State Police Laboratory Division, which primarily consists of criminal forensics for ongoing investigations. * Operations consists of primarily field operations and patrol services, but also includes the oversight of the Recruit Academy and the Capitol Police Section. * Logistics consists of the oversight of logistical needs of the agency to ensure it is prepared for operations. The elements overseen by the Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics includes the Quartermaster Unit, Fleet Management, and Facilities Management. * Communications and Information Systems consists of the oversight of the six Regional Dispatch Centers (Lowell, Fort Wayne, Bloomington, Versailles, Indianapolis, and the Toll Road) utilized by the State Police, the Firearms Licensing Unit, Information Technology Section, and the Criminal Justice Information Services Section. * Human Resources and Administration focuses on the personnel management and administrative needs of the agency, and primarily includes the Employment Services Section, where the selection processes and recruiting is handled, the Human Resources Section, primarily concerned with policy and personnel allocation, and the Benefits Section. * Fiscal strictly deals with the financial needs of the department, and includes matters such as payroll, overtime and travel assignments/management, contract administration, the purchasing unit, accounts payable, and accounts receivable.


List of ISP superintendents

† ''Chief of the Indiana Motor Vehicle Police''


Rank structure

The agency's rank structure is as follows (from highest to lowest): Troopers with 10 and 15 years of service are referred to as a Senior Trooper and a Master Trooper respectively, resulting in salary increases, but are not considered ranks. As of July 2023, the starting pay for a Trooper is $70,000 per year.


Equipment


Aircraft

In 1948, the Indiana State Police acquired a Navion airplane. Aircraft continued to be utilized throughout the 1950s and the Aviation Section continued to grow having helicopters introduced into the air fleet. Today, the Indiana State Police have two fixed-wing aircraft, three helicopters and six pilots used for law enforcement throughout the state which are maintained by the Aviation Section, a part of the Special Operations Section. The Indiana State Police also conduct joint operations with the
Indiana National Guard The Indiana National Guard (INNG) is a component of the United States Armed Forces, the United States National Guard and the Military Department of Indiana (MDI). It consists of the Indiana Army National Guard, the Indiana Air National Guard, a ...
to combat against illegal outdoor
cannabis cultivation Cultivation of cannabis is the production of cannabis infructescences ("buds" or "leaves"). Cultivation techniques for other purposes (such as hemp production) differ. In the United States, all cannabis products in a regulated market must be ...
sites.


Service weapons

In 2006, around 50
Glock Glock (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer- framed, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military an ...
.40 S&W handguns issued to state troopers were identified as defective, impairing function. The handguns were replaced with the Glock 17 9mm, which functioned perfectly. The Indiana State Police chose the SIGM400 rifle for its SWAT in 2012, and chose the SIG-Sauer P227 as its duty pistol, alongside the SIG-Sauer P365 as a backup pistol in 2019. Troopers are issued the
Remington 870 The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide. De ...
12 gauge Police Magnum shotgun. Troopers are also issued an AR-15 styled rifle as their patrol rifle as a result of increasing gun violence across the country.


Vehicles

After the discontinuation of the Ford Crown Victoria following the 2011 model year, the State Police transitioned to primarily using Dodge Chargers with the 8-cylinder engines. Some personnel were still issued larger vehicles such as the Dodge RAM 1500 or Chevrolet Tahoe for personnel working in areas such as Commercial Vehicle Enforcement or Criminal Investigations, who as a result of the nature of their duties, needed heavier duty vehicles with the storage space. Following the decision for the Dodge Charger to become an all-electric vehicle starting in the 2024 model year, the State Police again began to transition its vehicle of choice, and began issuing out the Dodge Durango as its primary patrol vehicle for personnel in patrol, and continued to use the 8-cylinder engine as it is the engine best suited for their performance needs on the interstate highways throughout the state. As of June, the 2024 Dodge Durangos have been placed on hold amidst widespread mechanical issues affecting approximately 20% of the 500 vehicles purchased.


Indiana State Police districts


Fallen officers

In the history of the Indiana State Police, 46 troopers and three civilian employees have died in the line of duty. The agency honors its personnel who have given the ultimate sacrifice at its own memorial consisting of an eternal flame and three granite tablets inscribed with their names at a site located on the east side of
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
just off of Post Road at Interstate 70. Their troopers are also honored on the Indiana Law Enforcement and Fire Fighters Memorial located at Bicentennial Plaza and Senate Avenue in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, which was dedicated in 2001 to the memory of the state's fallen public safety officers, as well as in
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
at the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is in Washington, D.C., at Judiciary Square, adjacent to the National Law Enforcement Museum. It honors 23,785 U.S. law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty throughout American hi ...
, which honors the nation's law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty and was dedicated in 1991.


Notes

* Trooper Teague was killed out-of-state in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, Edgar County,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. * Trooper Minneman survived two days after his incident took place. * Trooper Dixon survived two days after his incident took place. * Trooper Mills survived eight years, 133 days after his incident took place.
Marshal James E. Larimer
of the St. John, Indiana, Police Department was also killed in this incident. * A civilian employee who does not meet criteria for inclusion on the NLEOM. * Trooper Beal survived three days after his incident took place.
Deputy Chief Gary L. Martin
of the Lake County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department was also killed in this incident.


Breathalyzer

The Indiana State Police was the first law enforcement agency in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
to have authorized the use of the famed "Drunk-o-meter", a chemical test to determine levels of
alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
intoxication, which was invented in 1938 by Rolla N. Harger, M.D., a professor at
Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...
. In 1954, an improved version of the device followed and was called the
Breathalyzer A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of ''breath'' and ''analyzer/analyser''), also called an alcohol meter, is a device for measuring breath alcohol (drug), alcohol content (BrAC). It is commonly utilized by law enforcement officers ...
, invented by Indiana State Police Captain Robert F. Borkenstein in collaboration with Dr. Harger. This successful device has since been used by police agencies to assess alcohol impairment in
drunken driving Drunk driving (or drink-driving in British English) is the act of driving under the influence of alcohol. A small increase in the blood alcohol content increases the relative risk of a motor vehicle crash. In the United States, alcohol is in ...
offenses.


See also

*
List of law enforcement agencies in Indiana This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of Indiana. According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 ''Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies,'' the state had 482 law enforcement agencies employing 13,171 swor ...
* '' Indiana State Police Pension Trust v. Chrysler LLC''


Bibliography

* * *


References


External links


Indiana.gov

Indiana State PoliceIndiana Troopers AssociationIndiana State Police Alliance
{{Authority control State law enforcement agencies of Indiana Government agencies established in 1933 1933 establishments in Indiana Cannabis eradication