New York State Police

❧

Wikipedia

New York State Police
Patch
Patch
Seal
Seal
Shield of New York State Police
Shield of New York State Police
Flag of the State of New York
Flag of the State of New York
Common nameNew York State Troopers
AbbreviationNYSP
MottoExcellence Through Knowledge
Agency overview
FormedApril 11, 1917; 108 years ago (1917-04-11)
Employees5,711 (as of 2018)[1]
Annual budget$926,123,000 (2018)
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionNew York, U.S.
Troops of the New York State Police
Size54,556 sq mi (141,300 km2)
Population19.4 million
Legal jurisdictionState of New York
Governing bodyNew York State Executive Department
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersBuilding 22 W. Averell Harriman State Office Building Campus
Albany, New York, United States
TroopersIncrease 5,034 (2025)[2]
Non-sworn members711
Agency executive
Facilities
Troops11
Website
Official Site

The New York State Police (NYSP) is the state police of the U.S. state of New York; it is part of the New York State Executive Department and employs over 5,000 sworn state troopers and 711 non-sworn members.

The New York State Police are responsible for patrolling state highways, rural communities, and providing law enforcement services across the state.

History

George Fletcher Chandler, the first Superintendent of the New York State Police

Establishment

A number of proposals to create a state police force occurred during the early 1900s, but faced considerable opposition from trade union interests. They feared the police would be used against union organizing, as was happening in several other states, particularly with the Coal and Iron Police in Pennsylvania.[3]

The New York State Police was established following the 1913 murder of Sam Howell, a construction foreman in Bedford, Westchester County, and failure of the local police to arrest suspects he had named before his death.[4][5]

In March 1917, the New York State Legislature passed a bill to establish a state police force and appropriated $500,000 in funding.[6] The bill was signed into law on April 11, 1917 by New York Governor Charles Seymour Whitman.[6]

20th century

The division's first superintendent was George Fletcher Chandler, who was appointed by Governor Whitman. Chandler is credited with much of the division's early organization and development. Chandler coined the term "New York State Troopers." He was an early advocate of officers carrying their weapons exposed on a belt, which was not common practice at the time.[citation needed]

In 1920, the New York State Troopers had a conviction rate of 94.6 percent.[7]

On January 1, 1980, the Long Island State Parkway Police merged with the state police; this resulted in the official establishment of Troop L. In October 1997, the New York State Capital Police was consolidated and absorbed into the state police.

Since February 1994, the agency has accepted DNA evidence for forensic investigation and analysis. The New York State Police Forensic Investigation Center (FIC) opened in November 1996. The Crime Laboratory performs DNA analysis for state investigations and for local law enforcement. It includes a new DNA Data Bank Section that compiles DNA records from violent felons sentenced to prison in New York State. These records can be searched and compared by computer to other evidence collected in unsolved crimes.[8]

21st century

In December 2019, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the New York State Park Police was to be merged with the New York State Police. The merger was expected to take about six months.[9] Cuomo resigned in August 2021, and by January 2022, New York officials announced that the two police forces would remain separate.[10]

From its establishment in 1917 until 2024, a total of 162 officers and 2 K9s have died in the line of duty.[11]

Structure and organization

New York State Police building, Guilderland, New York
NY State Police unit at the scene of a motor vehicle accident, Delaware County, New York

The NYSP divides New York state geographically into eleven "Troops," each comprising a specific geographic area, usually several counties. Each is supervised by a "Troop Commander" usually of the rank of Major.[12] NYSP Troops cover the following counties and regions as listed:

Troop Region(s) Covered Counties Covered
A Buffalo Niagara Region
Eastern Great Lakes Region
Finger Lakes
Genesee Valley
Western New York
Western Southern Tier		 Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans, Wyoming'
B Adirondack Mountains
Champlain Valley
North Country
Thousand Islands		 Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Upper Hamilton, St. Lawrence
C Catskill Mountains
Central New York Region
Eastern Southern Tier
Finger Lakes
Mohawk Valley region
Penn-York Valley		 Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins
D Central New York
Mohawk Valley region
North Country
Tug Hill		 Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego
E Central Southern Tier
Eastern Great Lakes Region
Finger Lakes
Genesee Valley
Western New York		 Cayuga, Chemung, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Wayne, Yates
F Catskill Mountains
Hudson Valley (west) and Highlands
New York metropolitan area		 Greene, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster
G Adirondack Mountains
Capital District		 Albany, Fulton, Lower Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, Washington
K Hudson Valley (east) and Highlands
New York metropolitan area		 Columbia, Dutchess, Putnam, Westchester
L Long Island
New York metropolitan area		 Nassau, Suffolk
NYC Long Island
New York City
New York metropolitan area		 New York City (Bronx, Kings (Brooklyn), New York (Manhattan), Richmond (Staten Island), Queens)
T Capital District
Catskills
Central New York
Finger Lakes
Hudson Valley (west)
New York metropolitan area
Western New York		 New York State Thruway, (Interstate 84, 1991–2010)[13][notes 1]

Each Troop encompasses 2–4 "Zones" which are referred to simply by a Zone number. There are up to several "sub-stations" located within each zone.

Ranks

Insignia Rank
Superintendent
First Deputy Superintendent
Colonel

(Deputy Superintendent)

Lieutenant Colonel

(Assistant Deputy Superintendent)

Staff Inspector
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Technical Lieutenant
Chief Technical Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
First Sergeant
No Insignia Senior Investigator

(Plain Clothes)

Zone Sergeant
Sergeant Station Commander
Technical Sergeant
Sergeant
No Insignia Investigator

(Plain Clothes)

Trooper

Uniforms

NYSP during a parade

Trooper uniforms are made of grey wool, with the exception of the Gore-Tex jacket. Prior to 1958, uniforms (shirts, jackets and britches) were woven of equal parts white fiber and black fiber to symbolize the impartiality of justice.[citation needed] The NYSP do not wear a badge on their uniform shirts.[14]

Equipment

Current equipment

Name Type Caliber Origin Notes
Glock 47Pistol9mm AustriaEquipped with Aimpoint Acro P2 & Streamlight TLR-7 HL-X weapon-mounted light.
Remington 870Shotgun12 Gauge United StatesStandard Issue

Previously issued equipment

Cameras

The New York State Police is one of only five state police agencies in the United States that does not equip its state police vehicles with dashboard cameras. New York State Troopers, as of April 5, 2021, have been receiving body-worn cameras.[17]

Aviation

New York State Police helicopter parked at a helipad in New York City 2020

The New York State Police has three Bell 407 single engine utility helicopters, six Bell 430 twin engine helicopters, three Bell UH-1 “HUEY 2” Single engine utility helicopters and one UH-1H “HUEY 1” Single engine utility helicopter. Their other aircraft are two Cessna 206 Stationair Single engine airplanes, one Cessna 172 Single engine airplane, one Partenavia 68 Twin engine observation airplane, one Sikorsky S-76 (used for transporting the governor), and two Beech King Air twin engine turboprop airplanes. All of these aircraft operate under the call sign “GrayRider”.[18] In 2025, New York State Police placed an order for one Airbus H160 and three Airbus H145 helicopters, in addition to two Airbus H145 helicopters ordered in 2024.[19]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ NYSP Troop T was responsible for protecting Interstate 84 from 1991 to 2010 because the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA) maintained Interstate 84. However, due to the transfer of maintenance from NYSTA back to the NYSDOT in October 2010, NYSP Troop T no longer patrols Interstate 84 as patrolling duties were reassigned to Troop F and Troop K.

References

  1. ↑ "NYS DOB: FY 2018 Executive Budget | Agency Appropriations | State Police, Division of". www.budget.ny.gov. Retrieved 2018-06-10.
  2. ↑ "176 New State Troopers Include Local Graduates". 6 February 2025.
  3. ↑ Van de Water, Frederic Franklyn (1922). Grey riders : the story of the New York state troopers. University of Michigan. New York : Putnam's Sons. p. 28.
  4. ↑ "Sam Howell Murder". New York State Police. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  5. ↑ "Sam Howell Remembered". New York State Police. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  6. 1 2 "The Wells-Mills Bill". New York State Police. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  7. ↑ Van de Water, Frederic Franklyn (1922). Grey riders : the story of the New York state troopers. University of Michigan. New York : Putnam's Sons.
  8. ↑ , Troopers, NY
  9. ↑ Slattery, Denis (3 December 2019). "Gov. Cuomo says New York State Police will absorb State Park Police Officers in union-backed move". nydailynews.com.
  10. ↑ "Officials: New York State park police, troopers to stay separate". Newsday. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-05-20.
  11. ↑ "New York State Police, NY". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 2025-04-12.
  12. ↑ NYSP site http://www.troopers.ny.gov/Contact_Us/Troop_Information/
  13. ↑ Rife, Judy (October 11, 2010). "DOT takes over maintenance on I-84". Times Herald-Record. Middletown, NY. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2010.
  14. ↑ "The Ultimate Guide to the State Police Uniforms of All 50 States". WizardPins. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
  15. ↑ "Glock 37". New York State Police.
  16. ↑ "Switch to Semi-Automatic Pistol". New York State Police.
  17. ↑ "N.Y. State Police lag behind agencies nationwide". Sentinel and Enterprise. Associated Press. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  18. ↑ "Current Equipment". New York State Police. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  19. ↑ "New York State Police orders Airbus H160 and three H145 helicopters | Airbus". www.airbus.com. 2025-03-12. Retrieved 2025-03-13.