The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) (originally known as the Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol), based in
Lakewood, Colorado
The City of Lakewood is the home rule municipality that is the most populous municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 155,984 at the 2020 U.S. Census making Lakewood the fifth most populous city in Col ...
, is a division of the
Colorado Department of Public Safety, and is one of the official
state patrol
A highway patrol, or state 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 primar ...
agencies of
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...
, along with the
Colorado Bureau of Investigation
Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a division of Colorado Department of Public Safety, is a law enforcement agency of the state of Colorado that performs forensic and laboratory services and criminal investigations at the request of local an ...
and several smaller state agencies. The CSP primarily enforces traffic laws on interstates and state highways, guards the state capitol and the Governor of Colorado.
History
Senate Bill No. 6 in 1935 created the Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol. With just thirty five men selected from 6000 applicants, the new Patrolmen arrived in Golden for training. The Patrol Board was made up of E.E. Wheeler, the Chairman of the State PUC, Charles Vail, Chief Engineer of Highways and James H. Carr, the Secretary of State. In 1935, the Colorado State Courtesy Patrol was added as the Division of Patrol, to the Division of Highways. The Patrols title was changed in 1945 to Colorado State Highway Patrol. The Patrol Act also created a Port of Entry or Welcome for inspection of trucks of Interstate Commerce. In 1936, 30 POE Officers were hired to collect road taxes which collected sum $500, 000. In 1953, a reorganization created the Department of Highways. In 1968, another name change to Highway Department happened with the subdivisions of Highway, Planning and Patrol, which the CSP fell under. In 1983, the Department of Public Safety was created and the CSP was transferred under the Director of Public Safety.
The patrol was met with opposition from the public when it was formed, as well as from other law enforcement agencies, who thought the patrol would endanger their jurisdiction. Therefore, Colorado legislature carefully outlined the duties of the agency in the Patrol Act, which states that "it shall be their duty to promote safety, protect human life and preserve the highways of Colorado by the intelligent, courteous, and strict enforcement of the laws and regulation of this state relating to highways."
This became the motto of the Colorado State Patrol.
The notorious Ludlow Massacre near Trinidad in 1914 sullied any attempts in forming a state police. While a police organization was not involved, Colorado did not want a police force to act upon the orders of the governor, especially in a labor strike. Today, Colorado State Patrol officers are not allowed to act as guards in strikes or labor disputes.
The
Colorado Rangers
The Colorado Rangers Law Enforcement Shared Reserve (known publicly as the Colorado Rangers) is a governmental police agency in the U.S. state of Colorado. Colorado Rangers are sworn, Colorado P.O.S.T. Certified police officers who serve as forc ...
were founded in 1861. These officers were state officers and were known to augment local police and sheriffs. Governor William E. Sweet signed an executive order on January 29, 1923, cutting off funding and effectively disbanding the Rangers. Fulfilling a campaign promise, on April 1, 1927 Governor Billy Adams repealed the Department of Safety Act, thus officially disbanding the Colorado Rangers, and with it, all statewide law enforcement in Colorado. Colorado Rangers were subsequently reorganized as a statewide law enforcement shared reserve.
In 1915, Colorado voted to become a “dry” state to begin January 1, 1916. Stories have Adolph Coors dumping thousands of gallons of beer into Clear Creek on the first day of 1916. National Prohibition began on January 20, 1920 as the Volstead Act/18th Amendment. Prohibition lasted in Colorado until December 5, 1933 with the repeal of Prohibition or the 21st Amendment.
With state prohibition, Colorado created Prohibition Agents to enforce state liquor laws in 1915. Most agents were local police and sheriffs deputies. In 1923, the Colorado Law Enforcement Department was created as an extension of the Prohibition Department and to assist police and sheriffs in case of emergencies. Due to questions about the Governor using Colorado officers in labor disputes, the department was downsized to a Chief (Lewis Scherf) and five agents in 1929. Members of the department were mostly Colorado Peace Officers or citizens serving in an honorary capacity. In 1933, the Law Enforcement Department was totally abolished.
The State Department of Safety was created to protect/augment military war industries in Colorado in 1917. The department was to be abolished after World War I and was folded into the Colorado Rangers.
The Motor Vehicle Department, Auto Theft and Colorado Motor Police all have their beginnings in the 1920s. All to be disbanded in 1935, with the creation of the Colorado State Highway Courtesy Patrol.
In 1935, the Colorado State Courtesy Patrol was added as the Division of Patrol, while the highway maintenance was re named Division of Highways.
In 1953, a reorganization created the Department of Highways. In 1968, another name change to Highway Department happened with the subdivisions of Highway, Planning and Patrol.
In 1983, the Department of Public Safety was created and the CSP was transferred under the Director of Public Safety.
Weapons and tools
Until the switch to auto-loading semi-automatic pistols, the CSP carried blue steel, 4-inch barreled
Colt Python
The Colt Python is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver manufactured by Colt's Manufacturing Company of Hartford, Connecticut.Dougherty, Martin ''Small Arms: From the Civil War to the Present Day'', New York City: Fall River Press, 2005, page 48. It ...
revolvers. CSP then went to the
Smith & Wesson Model 4006 .40 S&W in a Melonite (black) finish with the agency's seal engraved in the slide. CSP troopers now carry the
Smith & Wesson M&P
The Smith & Wesson M&P (Military and Police) is a polymer- framed, short recoil operated, locked breech semi-automatic pistol introduced in the summer of 2005 by the American company Smith & Wesson. It uses a Browning-type locking system. Whil ...
.40.
All CSP troopers are issued an
ASP baton and
OC, with Tasers started being used in 2011.
Starting in 2019, all CSP troopers were issued a Sionic Patrol Rifle chambered in .223.
In 2020, the CSP transitioned to the Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 .40.
Vehicles and aircraft
![Colorado State Patrol Dodge Charger Patrol Vehicles](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Colorado_State_Patrol_Dodge_Charger_Patrol_Vehicles.jpg)
In 2009, after many years of using
Ford Crown Victoria
The Ford Crown Victoria ("Crown Vic") is a full-size sedan that was marketed and manufactured by Ford. The successor to the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, two generations of the model line were produced from the 1992 to 2012 model years. The Fo ...
patrol cars, the CSP began to introduce
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over seven generations since 1966.
The first Charger was a show car in 1964. A 1965 Charger II concept car resembled the 1966 production version.
The Charger has ...
s into its fleet. The CSP also uses
Chevrolet Tahoe
The Chevrolet Tahoe, and its badge engineered GMC Yukon counterpart, are full-size SUVs from General Motors, offered since 1994 and 1991, respectively. Since 1982, Chevrolet and GMC sold two different-sized SUVs under their 'Blazer' and 'Jimmy ...
s, Ford Police Interceptors (both
sedan and
utility
As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosopher ...
models) and
Chevrolet Caprice
The Chevrolet Caprice is a full-sized automobile produced by Chevrolet in North America for the 1965 to 1996 model years. Full-size Chevrolet sales peaked in 1965 with over a million sold. It was the most popular car in the U.S. in the 1960s ...
s. The Hazardous Materials and Motor Carrier Safety sections use
Ford F-150
The Ford F-Series is a series of light-duty trucks marketed and manufactured by Ford since the 1948 model year. Slotted above the Ford Ranger in the Ford truck model range, the F-Series is marketed as a range of full-sized pickup trucks. ...
trucks.
The CSP operates five fixed wing aircraft.
* One
Beechcraft King Air
The Beechcraft King Air is a line of American utility aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air line comprises a number of twin-turboprop models that have been divided into two families. The Model 90 and 100 series developed in the 1960s ...
* One
Cessna 340
The Cessna 340 is a twin piston engine pressurized business aircraft that was manufactured by Cessna.Montgomery, MR & Gerald Foster: ''A Field Guide to Airplanes, Second Edition'', page 106. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992.
The Cessna 33 ...
* Three
Cessna 182
The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engined light airplane built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats in the baggage area.
Introduced in 1956, the 182 has been produced in a ...
s
The Colorado State Patrol Motor Operations unit used
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...
motorcycles up to 2010. From 2010 to 2012 the
Kawasaki Concours
The Kawasaki Concours, known as the GTR1000 in some markets, is a 1,000 cc sport touring motorcycle manufactured between 1986 and 2006 by Kawasaki. In 2007 it was replaced by the larger displacement Concours 14, also known as the 1400GTR.
...
was phased in. In 2015, CSP switched to the
BMW R1200RTP Police motorcycle. Motor Officers are assigned to individual field troops and ride year round.
Activities
Specific duties include:
*Enforcing all traffic the laws of the state of Colorado on approximately of state highways and more than of county roads.
*Directing, controlling and regulating motor vehicle traffic on public roadways.
*Inspecting vehicles for safety-related equipment violations.
*Inspecting vehicles carrying livestock for brand inspection certificates.
*Providing community education and administer safety programs to the public.
*Regulating road closures for special events, inclement weather, or when necessary to prevent further injury or damage following an emergency.
*Promulgating and enforcing rules and regulations for commercial motor vehicles.
*Operating a statewide law enforcement telecommunications system.
*Performing criminal interdiction on Colorado highways, focusing on the transport of illegal drugs.
*Assisting in state homeland security efforts.
*Providing emergency assistance in the event of major disasters, civil protests, or when requested by local law enforcement.
Rank structure
Commissioned officers
Non-commissioned officers
Special programs
Alive at 25
A community program designed to impact the future of traffic safety, ''Alive at 25'' focuses educational effort to youths between the ages of 14 and 25. Its emphasis is to identify and eliminate at-risk driving behavior.
Specialty units
CSP specialty units include:
*Vehicular Crimes Unit
*Aircraft Section
*Canine Team (narcotic and explosive detection)
*Executive Security Branch
*Hazardous Materials Section
*Homeland Security Section
*Smuggling and Trafficking Interdiction Section
*Investigative Services Section
*Motor Carrier Safety Section
*Motorcycle Unit
*Evidence Section
Fallen troopers
Since its establishment in 1935, 30 troopers have died while on duty or while employed with the Colorado State Patrol.
Line of Duty Deaths
*Struck by Vehicle/Vehicular Assault: 10
*Automobile Crash: 8
*Gunfire: 7
*Vehicle Pursuit: 1
*Motorcycle Crash: 1
*Drowning: 1
*Exposure to Toxins: 1
*Fall: 1
See also
*
Highway patrol
A highway patrol, or state 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 prima ...
*
List of law enforcement agencies in Colorado
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the U.S. state of Colorado.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2008 ''Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies,'' the state had 246 law enforcement agencies employing 12,069 s ...
*
State of Colorado
*
State patrol
A highway patrol, or state 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 primar ...
*
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 ...
References
External links
Colorado State Patrol websiteAlive at 25 website
{{authority control
Organizations based in Lakewood, Colorado
State law enforcement agencies of Colorado
Government agencies established in 1935
1935 establishments in Colorado