Whats the difference between Police and State Troopers

[congo]

Please forgive my ignorance, my only intel comes from tv - Super Troopers didnt have much educational use.

Please explain

[Toad149]

Depends on the state actually. In my state, MO, Troopers handle primarily only the highways and the traffic crashes / problems on them. In the rural areas they handle more conventional LE jobs as local cops are fewer and further between. In some states they are actually State Police and deal more with the normal police duties of domestics, stealings, and other crimes of the non traffic sort.

[1042 Trooper]

A police officer works for a local municipality or county with limited jurisdiction to that city or county.

A state trooper works for the state. He is sometimes called a state police officer, state trooper, highway patrol officer or, as in Califirnia, a Traffic Officer. In all cases he has staewide jurisdiction for all criminal and traffic law.

[retired]

A police officer works for a local municipality or county with limited jurisdiction to that city or county.

A state trooper works for the state. He is sometimes called a state police officer, state trooper, highway patrol officer or, as in Califirnia, a Traffic Officer. In all cases he has staewide jurisdiction for all criminal and traffic law.

In California all sworn peace officers have state jurisdiction, and the CHP hasn't been classified as "traffic officer" for many years.

[ateamer]

State troopers are all highway.

[sob153]

One thinks they are gods

[irishdep]

What the difference between Police and State Troopers?
about $10 dollars an hour
Between my dept. and the troops anyway.
My brothers a troop so I hope they can get what they can. lol

[MikeUD]

In Delaware, Delaware State Police have full jurisdiction anywhere in the state. In New Castle County, which has their own department, DSP handles schools, business complexes and shopping centers, highways, and a few residential areas that happen to be on Sate roads. The County Police handle all residental developments. Excepting, of course, the incorporated cities which have their own departments....they handle everything inside of it and DSP and NCCPD assist if needed. Down south, in Kent and Sussex counties, DSP handles everything that isn't within an incorporated city. There are Sheriff's departments in all three counties, but the officers are not considered "police officers" (as far as I'm aware, I may be wrong on this).

As for the naming difference...just convention, I think. Most state police departments originated as highway patrol, and the "trooper" name stuck around.

Shawn's "hat rule" doesn't work here, as numerous departments have campaign or stetson hats, while others have a more "traditional police" style hat, like NYPD's.

In NJ, the State Police is divided in to a few troops. Troop A, B, and C (one for each third of the state) completely handle areas where there is no local police coverage. Troops D and E handle the highway patrol of the NJ Turnpike and Garden State Parkway respectively.

[Camo Cop]

One has powdered sugar from donuts on the front of their uniform, the other has crossiant crumbs and jelly.

I have bear claw crumbs.

Our State Police Troopers concentrate on speeding and DWI. They have other divisions that work gaming, narcotics, auto theft, fraud, etc... They don't normally respond to callouts for domestic disturbances , barking dog complaints, etc... They don't normally take an initial complaint for a burglary, theft, murder, etc...

The city police do all of the above.

Our various Sheriff's Deputies do all of the above except that some don't run radar because the local sheriff doesn't want his deputies to make the voters angry.

[GrayPatriot]

State police have bigger guns

We do everything and anything includig the barking dogs and domestics...

[PABear31]

The original state police in Pennsylvania patrolled rural areas of the state on horseback and were organized in Troops along the lines of the organzational structure of the American cavalry. Originally, rank structure in the PA State Police followed the US Army's with the front line officers designated as Privates. The public and the press of the day referred to the officers as Troopers because that was the traditional way to refer to cavalry soldiers. In our traditional oath of office we refer to ourselves as "Soldiers of the Law".

[drock]

State troopers are all highway.

Not quite. In some areas, they are the only police around.

:100th post!:

[Bushum]

Not quite. In some areas, they are the only police around.

:100th post!:

His post was just making reference to Super Troopers.

[1042 Trooper]

What the difference between Police and State Troopers?
about $10 dollars an hour
Between my dept. and the troops anyway.
My brothers a troop so I hope they can get what they can. lol

That used to be the case here too, but now the WHP is top $$$ dog.

[AZLawDawg]

to add on to Toad's post: the MO gov is considering bumping the troopers up to full state police powers. They mostly do that now in rural areas but lack the state definition for "police". My LAPD buddy still calls him a flare dropper, tho.

oh yeah.....the difference between troops and local? That darn Sam Browne....

lol "flaredropper", I'm gonna have to use that one.