LSP History
Louisiana State Police is an organization with an incredibly rich history.
Our motto, "Courtesy, Loyalty, Service," has given us direction
and inspiration. As the men and women of this organization prepare
for the future, we must reflect on the legacy and heritage left
by those who preceded us. When the Louisiana Legislature passed
a bill in 1936 creating the State Police, few observers could have
predicted the esteem this agency would enjoy in Louisiana and across
the nation. Louisiana State Police has emerged from a highway commission
in 1922 with a force of 16 men patrolling the highways on motorcycles
to its current status of a state police force of 1022 men and women
responsible for all elements of criminal and highway safety interdiction
in the state.
Louisiana's
first attempt at law enforcement on a statewide level came in 1922
in response to the arrival of the automobile. Louisiana had 2,700
miles of roadway and an estimated 102,000 vehicles. The Louisiana
Highway Commission was created and given the power to appoint inspectors
to enforce laws relating to the highways. The Commission operated
with the state divided into ten districts; sixteen officers patrolled
the entire state. During the two year period from 1922 to 1924,
114 serious accidents and 18,918 violations of motor vehicle laws
were reported.
By
1928 the Law Enforcement Division of the Highway Commission was
beginning to function as a true state police force. Structural changes
were made, dividing the state into three administrative districts
supervised by captains. The force had grown to 70 uniformed officers
with expanded duties such as managing traffic at large gatherings
of people. The officers were also called on in times of emergency
such as the "Flood of 1927." The men were commended for their meritorious
service in the evacuation of flood victims and patrolling the Mississippi
River levees. At this time an additional branch of law enforcement,
the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, was established to deal with
criminal activity not related to traffic laws. In 1932 the State
Highway Patrol was given the authority to carry firearms.
On July 28, 1936, the two divisions of law enforcement were combined
to form a modern, well equipped, and well-trained force known as
the Louisiana Department of State Police. The department thrived
under the direction of an appointed superintendent, General Louis
F. Guerre. His goal was to model State Police after J. Edgar Hoover's
famed "G-Men." This was accomplished to a great extent with the
establishment of a training school and a crime lab. High priority
was given to the crackdown on narcotics trafficking. Under Guerre's
administration, the state was redistricted into eleven districts.
A total of 146 State Police personnel were assigned to the patrol
districts, the training school, and the Bureau of Investigation.
It was during this era that the State Police adopted the slogan
"Courtesy, Loyalty, and Service." Guerre also established the State
Police headquarters at the old prison site on Jaybird Lane (now
South Foster Drive) in Baton Rouge.
In 1940 The State Civil Service System was established offering
"protection from political considerations" to State Police officers
as well as other state employees. This legislation, backed by reform
governor Sam Jones, was dismantled by Earl K. Long when he returned
to the executive office in 1948. State Police would not gain protection
under Civil Service again until 1952.
Another
major change came about in 1942 when the Louisiana Legislature abolished
the Department of State Police and made it a division of the newly
created Department of Public Safety. State Police accepted new responsibilities
in 1946 when the Drivers License Law was enacted requiring every
driver to hold a license for operating a motor vehicle. Prior to
this time, only the operators of commercial vehicles, trucks, and
buses were required to be licensed. Under the leadership of Colonel
Francis C. Grevemberg, State Police added an air patrol to its ranks.
This was the beginning of the use of aircraft to track down fugitives,
assist in emergency situations, and monitor speeders on the state's
highways. At the same time a stock patrol, officers on horseback,
was established to remove stray farm animals which might be grazing
or wandering along roadways. This team of officers would later play
a major role in providing security at rock concerts and civil rights
marches.
During
Colonel Grevemberg's administration, Louisiana first experienced
gambling raids. This crackdown focused on major syndicate-owned
casinos, prostitution rings, bookmaking operations, and even included
church bingo games. However, the campaign against gambling and associated
vices did not last long. When Earl K. Long took control of the Governor's
Office once again in 1956, he announced that State Police would
no longer "harass and intimidate the citizens." This attitude against
using state troopers in gambling raids prevailed through the administrations
of Governors Jimmy Davis and John McKeithen.
In 1961 the Legislature passed a new law requiring the inspection
of all motor vehicles. Then in 1962, the Legislature enacted a new
highway code which established a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour
on multilane highways and 60 miles per hour on other highways. Together,
these were considered important steps toward improving highway safety.
State
troopers faced what may have been their most challenging assignment
when they, along with the Louisiana National Guard, were called
to guard and protect civil rights marchers in Bogalusa. In 1965
and again in 1967, troopers had the task of trying to prevent the
violence and bloodshed that had scarred other cities across the
nation during the civil rights struggle. These demonstrations, in
addition to others occurring on college campuses across the country,
prompted State Police to add "Big Bertha" to its armory in 1968.
"Big Bertha" was a homemade anti-riot armored vehicle weighing thirteen
tons and costing $22,000 to construct.
Under the leadership of Colonel Stanley Berthelot, many changes
took place in the department, most of which were instituted in 1969.
The Louisiana State Troopers Association was created in an effort
to improve the quality of working conditions, to increase salaries,
and to serve as a means to address troopers' major concerns. Also,
at this time State Police increased the efficiency of its air patrol.
The airplane was augmented by three helicopters, providing more
versatility. Colonel Berthelot also added a Tactical Unit to the
force at headquarters and each of the eleven troop districts. This
was an entirely new concept for State Police, allowing the department
to respond to emergency situations which were beyond the capacity
of local police to handle.
In
1971 the Narcotics Education Unit was established to enlighten young
people and their parents about the dangers of drug abuse. The "Festival
of Life," which attracted 60,000 concert goers in June of 1971,
proved that drug use among young people had become so widespread
that it was impossible to arrest every offender.
In 1972 Colonel Donald Thibodeaux was appointed by Governor Edwin
Edwards as Superintendent of State Police. Colonel Thibodeaux led
the department through many reforms, most of which are still in
effect today. He began the reorganization of the State Police structure
by adding three regional offices to supervise the eleven troop districts.
During Thibodeaux's administration, personnel in the department
increased by 235, and in 1976 Louisiana recorded its lowest highway
fatality rate in history, 4.1 deaths per one hundred million miles.
Among the new sections formed by Colonel Thibodeaux were the Internal
Affairs Unit, which investigates any complaints lodged against members
of the State Police; the Merit Board, which reviews the applications
for promotion in the department; and the Explosives Control Unit,
which oversees all matters concerning explosives and investigates
incidents involving suspicious devices.
Colonel
Grover "Bo" Garrison took office in November 1976 and was reappointed
to the position in 1980 by Governor Dave Treen. Garrison was one
of only two Superintendents of State Police to survive a change
in administration. Colonel Garrison led State Police to its highest
staffing level of 960 troopers in 1984. Many factors contributed
to this tremendous growth, including the availability of funding
and increased emphasis on narcotics enforcement and countering drug
smuggling. Smuggling had become a tremendous problem in Louisiana
during the late 1970's and early 1980's as a result of increased
federal patrols along the Florida coast. This higher concentration
of officers in the Florida area caused smugglers to shift their
operations to ports along the inner Gulf Coast. State police still
focus a great deal of attention on narcotics enforcement today.
After 1984 the economic picture changed dramatically for Louisiana.
Oil prices plunged worldwide and South Louisiana saw a dramatic
shutdown in oil production. The loss of oil and gas revenues caused
state government to begin trimming its operation. Although the Department
of Public Safety was affected by the economic crunch, it began to
take on added responsibilities. In 1986 the Charitable Gaming Unit
was formed to regulate bingo, raffles, and other charitable fund
raisers. At the same time, the Racing Investigations Unit was put
into place to maintain the integrity of pari-mutuel racing in the
state. The Motor Carrier Safety Section was given the responsibility
of regulating the trucking industry on Louisiana's highways.
Continued budget cuts in 1988 resulted in the closure of Troop H
in Leesville and Troop K in Opelousas and the consolidation of the
State Police structure into three regional commands with three troops
in each region. Also, the Criminal Investigation Bureau was reorganized
and reduced in size, severely affecting investigations. The three
regions were given additional responsibilities as narcotics enforcement
was moved from headquarters to the region areas. As the 1980's came
to a close, the Louisiana State Police was a much leaner organization.
Through budget cuts, the department was able to maintain its many
responsibilities with manpower of 650 troopers patrolling the state's
highways.
In 1992 the department took over a new and much more complex responsibility:
riverboat and video poker gaming. Operating with a small contingency
of troopers, the Louisiana State Police began formulating the tough
licensing process for all who either wished to own a river boat
casino or operate a video poker franchise. Although the task seemed
overwhelming, experienced "highway patrolmen" quickly adjusted from
law enforcers to regulators. The department began to flourish with
new equipment and more manpower as a result of being the chief watchdog
of the new gaming industry. With this newly added equipment and
manpower, the department was able to take on a different role in
law enforcement, that of assisting all law enforcement agencies
by using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).
AFIS provides law enforcement with a tool that instantly identifies
a person through his fingerprints which are imperative to criminal
identification and arrest. Also, a totally updated 800 megahertz
radio system was implemented which allows multi-agency or jurisdiction
coordination among all law enforcement agencies.
With the successful completion of several academy classes, the purchase of up-to-date technology such as AFIS, and the growth of the Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police began the process of regaining much of the strength lost as a result of the budget cuts of the late 1980's. In 1996 Mike Foster was inaugurated as Louisiana’s 53rd governor, and he quickly appointed W. R. “Rut” Whittington to the Superintendent’s position in January of that same year. Foster would be an aggressive supporter of State Police.
Colonel Whittington realigned the senior command level in the organization by creating several unclassified Deputy Superintendent positions, implemented ethics training throughout the agency, and emphasized a shift in cadet training. The new approach to training was based on emerging innovations in adult education and focused on improving the individual problem solving skills of all commissioned personnel. Whittington retired in 2000 but left behind an agency which had been greatly improved and influenced by a supportive governor.
After those prosperous years, the department was faced with severe
budget and manpower cuts shortly after the installation of newly
appointed superintendent, Colonel Terry C. Landry in the summer
of 2000. Colonel Landry faced many challenges during the first several
months of his administration. However, under his leadership, the
department remained strong and the members aligned themselves with
Colonel Landry in his resolve to raise the Louisiana State Police
to levels that surpass the expectations of the state's citizens.
The State Police and Department of Public Safety headquarters relocated
to a new, 165 acre compound on Independence Boulevard in 2002 after
the compound on North Foster Drive was transferred to the Baton Rouge
Community College.
On January 12, 2004 Colonel Henry L. Whitehorn was sworn in as Deputy
Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Superintendent of the State
Police.
On July 19, 2007 Colonel Stanley Griffin was sworn in as Deputy
Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Superintendent of the State
Police.
On January 14, 2008 Colonel Michael D. Edmonson was sworn in as Deputy
Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Superintendent of the State
Police.
On March 25, 2017, Colonel Kevin W. Reeves was appointed the 26th Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police. He also serves as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety Services.
Troop History
Historical Documents
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