| New Jersey State Police | |
| Abbreviation | NJSP |
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| New Jersey State Police patch | |
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| Logo of the New Jersey State Police | |
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| Seal of the New Jersey State Police | |
| Motto | Honor, Duty, Fidelity |
| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1921 |
| Employees | 4,339 (as of 2004) [1] |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | State of New Jersey, USA |
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| NJSP Troops | |
| Size | 8,729 square miles |
| Population | 8,685,920 (2007 est.)[2] |
| Legal jurisdiction | New Jersey |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | West Trenton, New Jersey |
| Troopers | 2,768 (as of 2004) [1] |
| Non Sworn Employees | 1,571 (as of 2004) [1] |
| Superintendent responsible | Colonel Joseph R. Fuentes |
| Agency executive | Lt. Col. Thomas Gilbert, Chief of Staff |
| Facilities | |
| Troops |
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Troop A: Southern New Jersey (including the Atlantic City Expressway)
Troop B: Northern New Jersey Troop C: Central New Jersey Troop D: New Jersey Turnpike Troop E: Garden State Parkway |
| Website | |
| Official Site | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The New Jersey State Police (NJSP) is the state police force for the state of New Jersey. It is a general-powers police agency with state wide jurisdiction, designated by Troop Sectors.[3]
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History
As with other state police organizations, the primary reason for the creation of the New Jersey State Police was for the protection of rural areas that had never had law enforcement, beyond a local sheriff, who was often not able to provide suitable police services. Legislation for its creation was first introduced in 1914, but it would not be until March 29, 1921, with the passing of the State Police Bill, that a statewide police force was created. Senator Clarence I. Case was the driving force behind the 1921 legislation, however, the person with the most impact on the organization was its first Superintendent Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr. Schwarzkopf was a graduate of West Point and this training and his time in the military heavily influenced how he organized and trained his first group of troopers. The first State Police class reported for training on September 1, 1921 and consisted of 116 men out of an applicant group of 600. Training took place in Sea Girt, New Jersey on the same grounds as the current State Police Academy.[4]. Out of the 116 men who started training only 81 officers and troopers completed the three-month training program. According to the New Jersey State Police Website, "On December 1, 1921, the new troopers were administered the oath of office and on December 5, 1921, in a blinding snowstorm, started out on horseback and motorcycle to their posts throughout the state."
Core Functions
The New Jersey State Police is responsible for general police services, general highway and traffic enforcement, statewide investigation and intelligence services, emergency management, support for state and local law enforcement efforts, maintenance of criminal records and identification systems and regulation of certain commerce such as firearms ownership.[3]
Many municipalities in southern and north-western New Jersey lack local police departments, therefore the state police have the primary responsibility for providing police services to these towns for a yearly assessed nominal fee paid to the state government.[3]
The State Police are also charged with the responsibility of protecting the Governor of New Jersey and Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey.[3]
Motto and General Orders
Motto and Badge
"Honor, Duty, Fidelity", the motto of the New Jersey State Police was adapted from the West Point motto "Duty, Honor, Country". The triangular State Police logo and hat badge represents this motto. The badge has stars in each of its three corners and was created by New York jeweler Julius George Schwarzkopf, the father of founder Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf. The NJSP logo includes the year 1921, date of founding, in place of a badge number.[5]
General Order #1
The General Orders are the guiding principles of the State Police and provide historical bases for its rules and regulations. A full list of the orders can be found here General Order #1.
Academy
Training for recruits takes place at the State Police Academy located in Sea Girt, New Jersey. The academy is both physically and mentally demanding on the recruit. The recruits live at the academy during the week and are responsible for the upkeep of the barracks and academy grounds, as well as their equipment and uniforms. The curriculum consists of ten units of study that increase in difficulty and complexity over the 25 weeks of training.[6] Drop out rate for new recruits in the Academy is above or close to 30% per class. Some areas of study include:
- Curriculum: The New Jersey State Police Academy utilizes an Adult Based Learning methodology where the recruits are expected to be active participants in the learning process. Each recruit is provided a laptop computer with wireless internet access which is used for researching the numerous assignments and topics covered in the curriculum. The Academy has a full-time librarian on staff to assist recruits with research. The curriculum consists of ten units of instruction. Each unit focuses on a comprehensive aspect of law enforcement work that builds upon one another, beginning with simple tasks and culminating with complex issues. Each recruit is required to pass both a written and practical examination at the end of each unit. The written examinations require a minimum passing score of 70%. The practical examinations are hands-on scenarios that require recruits to demonstrate proficiency in the subject matter and skills covered in the unit. The curriculum relies heavily on scenario based training and research assignments. Recruits are provided with approximately a two hour study hall period every evening that is used to prepare for class, complete assignments, and study for examinations.[6]
- Physical Training: Three two-hour sessions per week. Running is a large component of the physical conditioning and reaches a maximum of five miles at an 8-minute pace. Muscular conditioning is also stressed and recruits must pass all physical tests.[6]
- Self-Defense: Consists of approximately 20 hours of active counter measures, 28 hours of defensive tactics, and 18 hours of PR-24 instruction.[6]
- Firearms: Recruits must show proper usage and care of all firearms issued by the state police, including the SIG P228 handgun and Benelli M1 shotgun. Recruits go through 60 hours of firearms training.[6]
- Water Safety: Consists of 40 hours of water safety and life saving instruction.
- Driving: Driving consists of approximately 21 hours of instruction and each recruit is required to show proficiency in the operation of marked troop transportation.[6]
Rank structure
| Title | Insignia |
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| Colonel / Superintendent |
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| Lieutenant Colonel |
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| Major |
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| Captain |
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| Lieutenant |
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| Sergeant First Class / Det. SFC |
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| Staff Sergeant |
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| Sergeant / Det. Sgt. |
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| Trooper I / Detective I |
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| Trooper II / Detective II |
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| Trooper / Detective |
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Uniform
In addition to its distinctive triangular badge, Troopers wear a distinctive uniform for regular patrol duties, which is normally reserved for "Class A" functions in nearby state police forces (Delaware, New York, and Pennsylvania). Its origins, according to common NJ folklore and Col. Schwarzkopf's diaries, are in German uniforms of the inter-war period which were found to be sufficiently smart and imposing, while practical. The winter uniform consists of a light blue Army-style coat, known as a blouse, with brass buttons, and gold triangular patches, with "N.J." on the right lapel and "S.P." on the left. The blouse is worn over a dress shirt, light blue for sergeants and below, white for lieutenants and above, and a navy blue necktie, with navy blue trousers or riding breeches bearing a gold stripe on each side. During the summer, the coat is replaced with a long-sleeve blue shirt, while a necktie is still worn. For safety reasons, only clip-on ties are worn. A saucer-shaped cap (as opposed to a "Smokey Bear" hat worn in Delaware and Pennsylvania and a Stetson hat in New York and Maryland) is worn, with two straps—one going over the crown, giving the uniform a distinctive, almost German Army-like appearance, appropriate to the uniform's origin. The New Jersey Transit Police Department, virtually all municipal police forces, and several county sheriff's offices have a variation on the cap whereas in most of the nation an 8-point cap is worn. Unlike most other police agencies, the Troopers' badge is only worn on the hat. For this reason, it is extremely unusual to ever see a Trooper without his cover on. Enlisted troopers wear the rank on the sleeves while officers wear their rank on shoulder epaulets. Both winter and summer uniforms are worn with the full Sam Browne Belt, which was adopted by Col. Schwarzkopf, as the belt gave the wearer a proper "brace" (known by General of the Armies John Pershing as the "West Point Brace;" appropriate at the time since both Pershing and Schwarzkopf were both graduates). It can also be used to stop violent bleeding, which can save lives.[7]
Current Organization
The current organization of the New Jersey State Police is[8]:
- Office of the Superintendent, which is currently held by Col. Rick Fuentes.
- Administration Branch, which consists of the Administration Section, Information Technology Section, and the Division Human Resources Section
- Homeland Security Branch, which consists of the Emergency Management Section and the Special Operations Section.
- The Investigations Branch which consists of the Intelligence Section and the Special Investigations Section
- The Field Operations Branch, which consists of Field Operations Sections which are further divided into the following five troops:[9]
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- Troop A: Southern New Jersey (including the Atlantic City Expressway)
- Troop B: Northern New Jersey
- Troop C: Central New Jersey
- Troop D: New Jersey Turnpike
- Troop E: Garden State Parkway
Demographics
As of 2007, the demographics of the New Jersey State Police was as follows:[10]
- Male: 97%
- Female: 3%
- White: 85%
- African-American/Black: 8%
- Hispanic: 5%
- Asian: 1%
- Native American: 1%
Law Enforcement Accreditation
The New Jersey State Police, as of July 2007, received a coveted law enforcement accreditation after more than a year of intense reviews and grading. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) bestowed the honor at a meeting of their commissioners in Montreal, Quebec.[11]
The award is the culmination of a two-year process that included on-site inspections from a national team representing the commission. Assessors examined files, conducted panel interviews of staff members, inspected facilities, and performed ride-a-longs with troopers.
Accreditation brings several significant benefits. Primarily, it improves public safety services by comparing the New Jersey State Police to the best procedures currently used by law enforcement and raising any non-compliant areas up to those standards. Additionally, it creates accountability to a respected benchmarking group that knows the work of modern policing. Public trust is bolstered by way of the transparency involved in the whole CALEA accreditation process.
In popular culture
Bruce Springsteen's album Nebraska (1982) contains the dark song "State Trooper", in which a traveller on the New Jersey Turnpike, a desperate man who has committed unknown crimes, hopes that he won't be pulled over by a State Trooper. This song was used in The Sopranos.
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- New Jersey Turnpike ridin' on a wet night 'neath the refinery's glow, out where the great black rivers flow
- License, registration, I ain't got none but I got a clear conscience 'Bout the things I done
- Mister state trooper, please don't stop me
- Please don't stop me, please don't stop me!
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Controversy
Racial Profiling
In the late 1990s, both the Maryland and New Jersey State Police agencies were subject to allegations of racial profiling which claimed that black motorists were being pulled over disproportionately on the New Jersey Turnpike and on Interstate 95, for no reason other than race alone. In New Jersey many rank-and-file state troopers testified that their supervisors had ordered them to engage in this practice. A nationwide scandal erupted, which ultimately resulted in a federal monitor watching over the New Jersey State Police. In a "consent decree," the New Jersey State Police agreed to adopt a new policy that no individual may be detained based on race, unless said individual matches the description of a specific suspect.[12][13]
New Jersey Turnpike Shooting
On April 23, 1998, Troopers James Kenna and John Hogan opened fire on a van they stopped for speeding on the New Jersey Turnpike. The four passengers in the van were unarmed. The troopers said they fired, wounding three of the four minority men inside, when the van lurched back toward them. This also started the investigation of possible racial profiling within law enforcement in New Jersey.
Trooper Robert Higbee
On September 27, 2006, Trooper Robert Higbee was attempting to stop a speeding car, driven by Joshua Wigglesworth, when he unintentionally ran a stop sign at the intersection of Stagecoach and Tuckahoe Roads in Marmora, an unincorporated part of Upper Township, New Jersey. He then collided into a minivan occupied by sisters 17-year-old Jacqueline and 19-year-old Christina Becker, which then collided into another vehicle occupied by Robert Taylor and his son Michael. Jacqueline and Christina Becker were pronounced dead at the scene. Higbee was suspended without pay and was indicted and tried on 2 counts of vehicular homicide in the deaths of Jacqueline and Christina Becker, and was acquitted on all counts.[14] Higbee is trying to get back to full status with the State Police.[15] The mother of Jacqueline and Christina Becker has settled a civil lawsuit for $2 million, while Taylor has filed a lawsuit against Higbee and the New Jersey State Police.[16] [17]
See also
References
- ^ a b c USDOJ Statistics
- ^ 2007 Population Estimates
- ^ a b c d NJSP Functions
- ^ New Jersey State Police Academy
- ^ NJSP Motto
- ^ a b c d e f NJSP Academy
- ^ NJSP Uniform
- ^ NJSP Division Organization
- ^ Road Stations and Troops
- ^ Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers, United States Department of Justice, March 2004. Accessed May 19, 2007.
- ^ NJSP Accreditation
- ^ Joint Application For Entry of Consent Decree
- ^ Eradicating Racial Profiling
- ^ Fellow troopers showed support throughout trial, philly.com, June 9, 2009, accessed June 19, 2009
- ^ Acquitted N.J. State Trooper Robert Higbee seeks to get back on the job
- ^ Speeder says he heard, saw trooper crash into minivan, pressofatlanticcity.com, May 12, 2009, accessed May 18, 2009
- ^ Witness in Higbee trial describes "crazy driving", philly.com, May 12, 2009, accessed May 18, 2009
"The 20s History Begins". New Jersey State Police. http://www.njsp.org/about/20s.html#top. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
"Core Functions". New Jersey State Police. http://www.njsp.org/about/functions.html. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
"General Order #1 General Orders". New Jersey State Police. http://www.state.nj.us/njsp/about/genorder_1.html General Order #1. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
"History of the Badge". New Jersey State Police. http://www.njsp.org/about/badge.html. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
"Academy". New Jersey State Police. http://www.njsp.org/recruit/academy.html. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
"NJ State Police Awarded National Accreditation". New Jersey State Police. http://njsp.org/news/pr072807.html. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
"CALEA Accreditation Letter" (PDF). New Jersey State Police. http://njsp.org/news/pdf/pr072807-calea-letter.pdf. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
External links
- New Jersey State Police website
- Road Stations and Troops
- New Jersey State Police Cars and other vehicles
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