Pennsylvania State Police

In 1924, a State Police training academy was built in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Cocoa Avenue. The site was located at the Hershey Inn and it remained at this location until 1960 when it was moved to 175 Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, Pennsylvania. The current location is fitted with kennels, stables and a range, among other facilities, and is located only a few miles from the original site. Once accepted into the Pennsylvania State Police Academy cadets endure a rigorous 28-week training period.[4] Cadets live at the academy in barracks style quarters and are only permitted to go home on designated weekends. Cadets who fail to complete physical training in required times or who show any other type of deficiencies may be restricted from going home. While attending training, cadets are put on an 18-month probationary period and can be dismissed at any point in their training by the commissioner under any form of incompetence, inefficiency, or general violation of rules and regulations.[5] The current drop-out rate for new recruits in the academy is approximately 20 percent per class.

The PSP owns and operates a myriad of facilities to conduct law enforcement operations across the Commonwealth. The following is the breakdown:

The uniform worn by PSP troopers is unique within Pennsylvania. In January 1988, the State Police changed the color of its uniforms. PSP troopers wore dark grey uniforms that confused them with some municipal police departments and Pennsylvania State Constables. By state law, no municipal (city, borough, or township) police department can wear the same exact uniform or color configuration as that of the PSP.

Ranks, insignia, and descriptions, Etc

Title	Insignia	Additional Information
Colonel (Commissioner)		The Rank of Colonel is held by the Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Lieutenant Colonel (Deputy Commissioner)		The Rank of Lieutenant Colonel is held by the Deputy Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Major		Majors are in charge as the Commander of an Area, such as Area III, encompassing several Troops.
Captain		Captains are in charge of a Troop, such as Troop B, encompassing several Stations.
Lieutenant		Lieutenants are Commanders in charge of a Station, such as Station 1 (located in Troop B of Area III).
Sergeant		Sergeants are Station Commanders, Supervisor of a unit, section, or specialty position.
Corporal		Corporals are Supervisors of Troopers, overseeing the patrol's daily calls for service.
Trooper First Class		This is a longevity promotion for Troopers with 12 years of service.
Trooper		Upon graduation from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, cadets are promoted to the rank of Trooper.
State Police Cadet		A State Police Cadet is a Commonwealth employee who is enrolled in but has not yet graduated from the Pennsylvania State Police Academy.

The department currently operates a mixed fleet of vehicles including the new law enforcement specific Ford Taurus, Ford Explorer, Crown Victorias and Dodge Charger, The PSP also owns and operates numerous helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.[8] PSP operates watercraft mainly on the Delaware River and Lake Erie.

Pennsylvania State Police Helicopter

The PSP Aviation Section consists of thirty-five trooper pilots and three full-time mechanics, using eight law enforcement specific Bell 407GX helicopters and six airplanes statewide. These aircraft are stationed in six aviation patrol units (APU).

The Pennsylvania State Police utilizes the SIG Sauer P227[9][10] semiautomatic pistol chambered in .45 ACP as their service pistol.[11]

Other firearms include the Colt AR-15 (including the LE6920 and LE6940), 12-gauge shotguns (including the Remington 870 pump), and gas grenade launcher.[12]

The current less-lethal weapons the PSP is utilizing consist of Electroshock weapon technology,[13] pepper spray (OC), and expandable ASP straight batons.

The Pennsylvania State Police is the largest internationally accredited law enforcement agency in the world. This distinction was awarded to the Pennsylvania State Police on July 31, 1993, by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), an independent, non-profit organization based in Fairfax, Virginia.[14]

Accreditation is a process used by professional law enforcement agencies to facilitate the creation, verification and maintenance of high-quality policies and procedures, via voluntary compliance with performance standards. CALEA's 446 standards address nine major law enforcement topics: role, responsibilities, and relationships with other agencies; organization, management, and administration; personnel structure; personnel process; operations; operational support; traffic operations; prisoner and court-related services; and auxiliary and technical services.[15]

Key
  shaded rows with "SHP" in the Notes cell denotes the officer was a member of the Pennsylvania State Highway Patrol.

The following is a chronological listings of Commissioners of the Pennsylvania State Police:[16]

Pennsylvania Constabulary 1905

Pennsylvania Constabulary at McKee's Rock 1909

• PSP Troopers are widely recognized for wearing the strap of their winter campaign hats under their chins, a tradition that goes back to the early 1900s, which was based on British and Irish Bobbies.
• The PSP is one of only a handful of state police agencies that do not wear badges on their uniforms.
• The PSP was nationally recognized as the premiere state police agency in the early years of the 20th century. State troopers from North Carolina and Kentucky attended the training academy so they could start PSP-style state agencies in their respective states. NC trooper cadets at the academy in Raleigh and KY trooper cadets in Frankfort are frequently reminded they have a familial connection to the PSP through their training process history.
• The PSP was patterned after a military organization and PSP troopers have sometimes been referred to as "Soldiers of the Law and Order".[18] Divisions of the force are called "troops", and officers are known as "troopers", a title usually reserved for members of the United States Cavalry, and reminiscent of the early beginnings of the department when officers patrolled on horseback. Regional headquarters, at which single troopers were once required to live, are referred to as "barracks". The original concept was that the troopers did not apply to join the PSP but "enlisted" for two-year periods, after which they could be honorably discharged or apply for reenlistment. The longstanding two-year enlistment periods were phased out in 1961.
• Married men were initially barred from becoming state troopers. After 1927, troopers were allowed to marry after they had completed their first two-year enlistment if they had approval from the police superintendent. The PSP allowed married men to enlist in 1963.[19]
• PSP does not allow ride-alongs. Even state police cadets cannot "ride along" prior to graduating the academy. This is done for numerous safety and liability reasons.[20]

2000

Trooper Michael Evans pleaded guilty in October 2000 to sexual crimes committed against six women and teenage girls while on duty. He was sentenced to between five and ten years in custody.[21][22]

2007

In September, 2007, Trooper Kevin Foley was arrested for the murder of a dentist, Dr. John Yelenic, in Blairsville, Pennsylvania.[23]

2008

In July, 2008, Trooper Kevin Coleman was charged with protecting a prostitution ring based out of the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.[24]

2009

In May 2009, Trooper Shawn Dillard was found guilty by a federal court of using his position to protect an interstate prostitution ring based out of the Gables Truck Stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. This was the same investigation that led to the arrest of Trooper Coleman.[25]

2011

In early 2011, as a result of a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the state police agreed to stop issuing tickets to people who swear. Press reports indicated the state police had issued as many as 700 such citations a year.[26]

2012

In January 2012, Lieutenant Barry Eugene Staub, the commander of the state police barracks in York was arrested for driving while drunk. He retired when charges were brought against him.[27]

2014

In March, 2014 Trooper Barry M Seafoss, Jr. pleaded guilty to killing a woman while driving drunk in 2012. He was sentenced to between six and 23 months' confinement.[28]

2017

Trooper Ryan Luckenbaugh was sentenced by Judge Scott A. Evans to 9 to 22 months in county prison on his official oppression, simple assault and harassment convictions. Luckenbaugh kicked a handcuffed man in the face while the man sat on the sidewalk and lied about it on official reports.[29]

2021

Trooper Robert E. Covington Jr., of Olyphant, PA, for his alleged involvement in illegal activity occurring at Sinners Swing Gentlemen's Club in Mayfield Borough, Lackawanna County. Covington, 48, is a 13-year veteran of PSP and was assigned to the Bureau of Gaming Enforcement, Pocono Downs Wilkes-Barre Office. He had been on restricted duty during the investigation and is currently suspended without pay pending resolution of the charges against him.

Multiple Troopers Facing Charges

2022

Trooper Joshua Ravel from the York barracks was charged with DUI while on duty after he showed up for his shift and drove from York to Lancaster and back for a special assignment. He was taken to the supervisors office where he appeared under the influence, and a chemical breath test revealed his blood alcohol content to be .144. A review of the dash camera footage from his cruiser showed he was unable to maintain his lane of travel several times during the drive.

Trooper Joshua Burney from the Lewis Run barracks in McKean county was charged with DUI while on duty after a colleague noticed he smelled of alcohol and had red, glossed over eyes. Trooper Burney was taken back to the barracks where preliminary field sobriety tests and a breath test showed signs of impairment. A blood draw test showed his blood alcohol content to be .086. A review of the dash camera footage from his cruiser showed he was unable to maintain his lane of travel several times during his response to an emergency call in Mount Jewett Borough.

Both troopers were suspended without pay pending to outcome of their cases. Trooper Burney was the second trooper to be charged with DUI on duty within 4 months along with Trooper Ravel. Both were on the job for the PA State Police for less than 2 years. Trooper Ravel graduated from the academy in June 2020, and Trooper Burney graduated August 2021.

2023

Trooper Michael J. Brown stationed at the Mansfield barracks was charged with vehicular homicide. An investigation into a crash indicated he attempted to pass a vehicle illegally across the double yellow lines on U.S. Route 6 in Sullivan Township in February. As a result, Brown's vehicle, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, struck an oncoming GMC Acadia, killing the driver, 47-year-old Christine Woodward.

Pa. trooper involved in crash that killed Troy teacher charged with vehicular homicide

• H. Beam Piper's 1965 science fiction novel Lord Kalvan of Otherwhen's eponymous character begins the story as a PSP Trooper.
• An undercover PSP Trooper played by Sarah Jessica Parker co-stars with Bruce Willis playing a Pittsburgh Police River Rescue Squad officer in the 1993 movie Striking Distance.
• A PSP Trooper is played by Harland Williams in the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber.
• The PSP were featured in the sixth-season CSI: NY episode "Redemptio" as well as the ninth-season Law & Order episode titled "Hate".
• The PSP is featured in the 2004 TV film Boa vs. Python.
• Featured in the 1997 movie For Richer or Poorer.
• Stephen King's novel From a Buick 8 features Troop D in a fictional town named Statler.
• The PSP were featured in the 2010 movie Unstoppable, in which a runaway train passes through numerous townships within the state of Pennsylvania.
• Multiple PSP troopers and the department were featured in the Netflix series Evil Genius, which covered the murder of Brian Wells and the bank heist surrounding it.
• PSP Criminal Investigators were featured in the first-season episode of TV series Cold Case Files, titled "Little Girl Lost".
• PSP featured extensively, including fairly accurate depictions of uniforms and vehicles, in the film Angel Has Fallen.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pennsylvania State Police.

• List of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania
• List of Pennsylvania state agencies
• State Police of Crawford and Erie Counties, a separate volunteer organization predating the PA State Police
• Pennsylvania Capitol Police
• Highway patrol
• State patrol
• State police

• Official website