The South Carolina Highway Patrol is the
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 ...
agency for
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
, which has
jurisdiction
Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United States, areas of jurisdiction apply to local, state, and federal levels.
Jur ...
anywhere in the state except for federal or military installations. The Highway Patrol was created in 1930 and is an organization with a rank structure similar to the armed forces. The mission of the South Carolina Highway Patrol includes enforcing the rules and regulations in order to ensure road way safety and reducing crime as outlined by South Carolina law. The Highway Patrol is the largest division of the
South Carolina Department of Public Safety
The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) exists to ensure the safety of South Carolina's citizens and visitors. The employees of the Department of Public Safety fulfill this mission by:
*Enforcing the traffic, motor vehicle and moto ...
and its headquarters is located in
Blythewood. This department also includes the
South Carolina State Transport Police Division, and the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services.
The Highway Patrol has many responsibilities. The primary job of the rank and file trooper is
traffic
Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation.
Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...
law enforcement. This includes
traffic collision investigation, issuing warning
tickets
Ticket or tickets may refer to:
Slips of paper
* Lottery, Lottery ticket
* Parking violation, Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start)
* Ticket system, Toll ticket, a slip of paper use ...
and citations for traffic violations, and finding, arresting, and processing impaired drivers. A state trooper is a sworn
peace officer
A law enforcement officer (LEO), or peace officer in North American English, is a public-sector employee whose duties primarily involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include campaign disclosure specialists, local police officers, pro ...
, and although their primary duty is traffic enforcement, they can perform other law enforcement functions.
Patrol structure
SCHP Commander
*SCHP Deputy Commander of Administration
*SCHP Deputy Commander of Operations
*Field Operations - Region One
**Troop One
**Troop Two
**Troop Three
**Troop Four
*Field Operations - Region Two
**Troop Five
**Troop Six
**Troop Seven
*Field Operations
**Troop Eight - Insurance Enforcement Unit
**Troop Nine - Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team
**Troop Ten
***Community Relations, Recruiting and Employment Unit
***Regulatory Compliance Unit
***Area Coordinated Enforcement (ACE)
***Training Unit
***Central Evidence Facility
***Telecommunications
*Administrative Operations
Highway Patrol duties
The agency has specific jurisdiction over all South Carolina state highways, U.S. Highways, Interstate highways in the state and all public roads. Local city police or the counties sheriff's department having a contract with an incorporated city have responsibility to investigate and enforce traffic laws in incorporated cities. However, the SCHP can still enforce traffic laws on any public road anywhere in the state regardless if it is in an incorporated or unincorporated city. SCHP has authority over any incident that would require a Trooper's response.
SCHP troopers are responsible for investigating and disposing of
car accidents, debris,
dead animals and other impediments to the free flow of traffic. They are often the first government officials at the scene of an accident (or obstruction), and in turn summon EMS/Fire (although, their dispatch often does this long before they are on scene),
tow truck
A tow truck (also called a wrecker, a breakdown truck, recovery vehicle or a breakdown lorry) is a truck used to move disabled, improperly parked, impounded, or otherwise indisposed motor vehicles. This may involve recovering a vehicle damaged ...
drivers or SCDOT personnel. The SCHP files traffic collision reports for state highways and within unincorporated areas. The patrol has around 800 employees, of whom 650 are sworn Troopers, and 150 civilians.
Specialized units
*The Multi-disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT): investigates complicated vehicle crashes, using state-of-the-art technology and analysis to reconstruct the scene.
*The Civil Emergency Response Team (CERT): responds to civil emergencies using specialized training, tactics and equipment.
*The ACE (Aggressive Criminal Enforcement) Team: works specifically to curtail trafficking and transportation of illegal drugs on South Carolina roadways and includes the K-9 Corps, which assists in tracking drugs. Also includes the Motorcycle Unit, and Safety Improvement Team.
*The Telecommunications Centers: work dispatching troopers to incident scenes and assist the public with emergency calls.
*The Insurance Enforcement Unit: works closely with the Department of Motor Vehicles to identify uninsured drivers and take them off the highways.
*Community Relations Office: includes uniformed troopers and civilian staff around the state dedicated to educating the public and media about the Highway Patrol and highway safety.
*Governor's Security Detail: works with the State Law Enforcement Division to provide security for the South Carolina Governor and his or her family.
*Emergency Management Unit: monitors emergency traffic issues and coordinates hurricane evacuation efforts
Rank structure
The SCHP uses a paramilitary rank structure.
Demographics
*Male: 97%
*Female: 3%
*White: 85%
*African-American/Black: 14%
*Asian: 1%
In the line of duty
Throughout the years of the Patrol, 51 Troopers have died performing their duty.
Fallen Troopers
Special programs
Auxiliary Trooper Program
*Auxiliary Troopers assist highly trained, seasoned state troopers in enforcement support on daily patrols; to assist with traffic and crowd control at special events; and provide support during natural disasters such as hurricanes.
*Auxiliary Troopers receive more than 130 hours of training for certification by the South Carolina Highway Patrol.
*To maintain auxiliary status, the Auxiliary Trooper serves minimum of 20 hours per month or 60 hours each quarter of the calendar year.
Fatality Victims Memorial
*Th
Fatality Victims Memorialis a website that families of those persons killed on South Carolina highways can put information about their loved ones.
Child Safety Seatbelt Demonstration
Trooper Public Speaking Program
Vehicles used
The South Carolina Highway Patrol use many different varieties of marked, semi-marked, and unmarked vehicles, like many other law enforcement agencies in South Carolina and the rest of the United States. Most vehicles are a part of fleets, usually late 1990s to as recent as 2010
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 Ford ...
or the modified versions of the Crown Vic (as it is commonly called), The
Ford Police Interceptor
The Ford Police Interceptor is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford. First used in 1992, the range consists of existing Ford models modified and sold for use as police cars and other car-based emergency vehicles.
Though Ford has histori ...
. Also used are 2007 to present
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 ...
of modified LX and
SRT-8 body styles, and starting in 2012, the
Ford Taurus
The Ford Taurus is an automobile that was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company in the United States from the 1986 to 2019 model years. Introduced in late 1985 for the 1986 model year, six generations were produced over 34 years; a brief hiat ...
and
Ford Explorer
The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light ...
, and
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 ...
. They also used Chevrolet Caprices, Ford Mustang SSP's, and Ford Crown Victorias.
Sidearm
In 2017, the South Carolina Highway Patrol issues the
9mm Glock Model 17M.
Troopers were previously issued the
Glock
Glock is a brand of polymer- framed, short recoil-operated, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military and police service by 1982 after it was th ...
Model 37
.45 GAP
The .45 GAP (Glock Auto Pistol) or .45 Glock (11.43×19mm) is a pistol cartridge designed by Ernest Durham, an engineer with CCI/Speer, at the request of firearms manufacturer Glock to provide a cartridge that would equal the power of the ...
and the Glock Model 22
.40 S&W.
The last revolver used was the Smith & Wesson Model 66 .357 magnum which is a derivative of the
Smith & Wesson Model 19
The Smith & Wesson Model 19 is a revolver produced by Smith & Wesson that was introduced in 1957 on its K-frame. The Model 19 is chambered for .357 Magnum. The K-frame is somewhat smaller and lighter than the original N-frame .357, usually known a ...
See also
*
Orangeburg massacre
The Orangeburg massacre refers to the shooting of protesters by South Carolina Highway Patrol officers in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on the South Carolina State University campus on the evening of February 8, 1968. About 200 protesters had prev ...
*
List of law enforcement agencies in South Carolina
This is a list of law enforcement agencies in the state of South Carolina.
According to the US Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2022 'Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies,'' the state had 272 law enforcement agencies employing 11,674 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
Mark H. Coates Highway
Interstate 95 (I-95) is a major Interstate Highway, running along the East Coast of the United States from Florida to Maine. In South Carolina, I-95 runs approximately parallel to the Atlantic Ocean shore although about inland, from Hard ...
References
External links
South Carolina Department of Public SafetySouth Carolina Troopers Association
{{Authority control
State law enforcement agencies of South Carolina
Government agencies established in 1930
1930 establishments in South Carolina