Ceremonies

Memorial Ceremony

In 1996, Colonel Whittington directed the construction of a permanent memorial on the Headquarters compound in Baton Rouge which would be dedicated to Troopers killed in the line of duty. In 1997, the Section began conducting a formal ceremony to remember our fallen comrades. After the establishment of the Honor Guard in 1998, the ceremony became more formal and meaningful to organization members and families alike.

Each year, coinciding with the National Memorial Ceremony in Washington, D.C., we continue to conduct a formal ceremony at the Headquarters Memorial. Family, friends, and employees are invited to attend the event to acknowledge the sacrifice made by 24 Troopers who gave their lives protecting the citizens of Louisiana.

Awards Ceremony

Each year, the Louisiana State Police takes time to recognize those men and women who have put forth extraordinary efforts and who might otherwise go unnoticed for their selfless acts and service to the community. State Police honors those heroes, both troopers and civilians, by holding this special once-a-year ceremony.

Awards presented each year by the Department of Public Safety Superintendent include a citizen’s award for exceptional bravery. This award is given to deserving citizens for acts of bravery which result in the saving of a human life or the attempt to do so at the risk of one’s personal safety.


State Police awards which are presented to outstanding troopers include: Meritorious Service, Exceptional Bravery, Professional Excellence, Injury in the Line of Duty and for Life-saving. A special award, known as the Blue Max Award, is awarded to the trooper with the most stolen vehicles recovered resulting in an arrest. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) teams up with State Police every year to present its award to the trooper who arrested the most DWI violators over the past year. In addition to these awards, we will also select one trooper from both the Uniformed Patrol Section and the Bureau of Investigation Section (plain clothes) and present them with our annual Trooper of the Year and Plainclothes Trooper of the Year awards.

Retirement and Promotions Ceremony

The Retirement and Promotions Ceremony is our time to honor those men and women who have dedicated their lives to making this state a better place to live. We recognize these devoted individuals for their careers of courage, loyalty and selfless service to the State of Louisiana. Their contributions to our agency and to the public will always be remembered. While we honor those troopers who are leaving us, we also take the time to recognize the men and women of the Louisiana State Police who are stepping up to take their place.

Louisiana State Troopers who are formally promoted to new positions as leaders and administrators of our agency are honored for their commitment to further their careers and bring with them many years of experience, training and talent. They are the future of the Louisiana State Police. They will ensure our agency moves forward with its long-standing tradition of professional excellence and service to the citizens of Louisiana.