Washington State Patrol
| Washington State Patrol | |
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| Abbreviation | WSP |
Patch of the Washington State Patrol
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Logo of the Washington State Patrol
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| Motto | Service With Humility |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1921 |
| Employees | 2,410 (as of 2006) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | State of Washington (state), USA |
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| Washington State Patrol Districts | |
| Size | 71,342 square miles (184,770 km2) |
| Population | 7,061,530 (2014 est.) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Olympia, Washington |
| Troopers | 1,059 (as of 2004) |
| Civilians | 1,239 (as of 2004) |
| Agency executive | John R. Batiste, Chief |
| Units |
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| Bureaus |
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| Website | |
| http://www.wsp.wa.gov/ | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is the state police agency for the U.S. state of Washington. The first six motorcycle patrolmen of the (then) Highway Patrol were commissioned September 1, 1921. The agency was renamed to Washington State Patrol in June 1933. In 1925 William Cole was appointed as the first Chief. The current chief is John R. Batiste. Ronal W. Serpas served as Chief from August, 2001 to January, 2004.
The Washington State Patrol has law enforcement authority throughout the State of Washington, with caveats for Federal property, and limited authority on Indian reservations. WSP is one of two state law enforcement agencies considered to be a general authority law enforcement agency, the other being the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Individual officers of the Washington State Patrol are known as "Troopers" although they are frequently referred to as "Staters". Troopers in western Washington are most frequently encountered by citizens on the state highways. However, in the eastern portion of the state and in rural areas, Troopers work both state and county roadways, frequently assisting other agencies, as well as responding to general crimes in progress (such as calls for domestic violence).
Washington State Patrol patrol cars are usually white in color, however they can be of any color or make. The typical marked unit features two prominent features: the Washington State Patrol shield logo, and the dark blue thunderbolt that underlies the State Patrol shield. In addition, marked vehicles bearing these markings usually feature the words "STATE PATROL" above the shield and thunderbolt, and these features are usually found on the front right hand and front left hand door of the vehicle. Washington State Patrol also operates unmarked units, including SUVs and sports cars such as the Camaro, and luxury cars such as Volvo. Newer vehicles such as the Chevrolet Impala and the Dodge Charger have been added to the motor pool. Some patrol cars are marked, but do not have light bars. The Washington State Patrol's marked vehicles have been the Ford Crown Victoria, which has been retired and the last of the 'Crown Vics' was deployed at the end of June 2012. The new marked patrol vehicles were supposed to be the Chevrolet Caprice, but issues with reliability caused the patrol to abandon the Caprice. The new standard patrol vehicle is the Ford Interceptor Utility.
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Wikipedia