New York state police organization and operations

New York State Police: An Overview

The official history of the New York State Police traces back to 1917. It is difficult to believe, but well into the 20th century New York State had no unified state police force. It was not until 1913, when the murderer of a construction foreman named Sam Howell in then quite rural Westchester County escaped without consequence that a call to form such a force began. Sam Howell's employer began the drive to create a movement to form a New York State Police, specifically to provide police protection to rural areas. The local police knew the whereabouts of the murderers of Howell, but were too afraid to apprehend them ("NYSP Division of Police: History," NYSP, 2008).

The first state police consisted of 236 men on horseback and quickly gained respect because of its efforts in maintaining public safety during the labor strikes of the era and taking over the Motor Vehicle Bureau in 1926. Gradually, in the 1950s, the number of police patrols via automobile began to supersede those of mounted patrols, and the need to patrol the interstate and state highways for vehicle interactions increased. The New York State Police was an early pioneer of radio communication and raising aid for the indigent of New York State during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and provided protection for military personnel during the wartime period, despite the inevitable manpower drain the armed forces put upon the numbers of police ("NYSP Division of Police: History," NYSP, 2008).

However, during the 1950s and 1960s, the rise of illegal drug trafficking and social unrest increased the importance and numbers of the State Police and its need to work with federal drug agents to stem the problem. The 1970s was one of the most difficult decades for the force, bringing financial cutbacks and increased trafficking in illegal and stolen goods ("NYSP Division of Police: History," NYSP, 2008). Narcotics enforcement, along with using improved technology and forensic science, have proven to be the challenges for the force during the 1980s and 1990s ("NYSP Division of Police: History," NYSP, 2008). There have also been great improvements in finding abducted children, enforcing child payments mandated by the courts, and improving highway safety overall. Monitoring the trafficking of new, popular illegal drugs and containing drunk driving and DWI must continue in the future ("NYSP Division of Police: History," NYSP, 2008).

Requirements for hiring candidate for the New York State Police must be at twenty at the time of application and twenty-one at the time of his or her appointment, and no older than thirty, although this may be waived up to six years for a candidate that has performed active military service. The candidate must be a high school graduate (or possess an equivalent qualification, such as New York State High School Equivalency Diploma or a Military GED Certificate), a citizen of the United States and have never been convicted of a felony ("Qualifications for New York State Trooper," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).

After passing the exam and receiving a rank upon an eligibility list, the candidate may be offered a position. At this time the candidate must have completed 60 college credit hours at an accredited college or university at the time of his or her appointment. 30 college credits may be waived from the requirement, if the candidate has received an Honorable Discharge from the United States military after two years of active military service or successfully completed a Certified Police Officer Training Course ("Qualifications for New York State Trooper," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).

The candidate must also be a New York State resident with a valid New York State driver's license, be able to pass a Physical Ability Test (PAT) including, sit-ups, push-ups and a one-and-one-half mile run (the required number and time for these feats depends upon the candidate's sex and age) and conform to department height and weight standards at time of appointment. His or her uncorrected vision must be no worse than 20/100 in each eye and the candidate's vision, corrected, must be 20/20 in each eye. Color blindness is a disqualification. Tattoos, brands, body piercings and other body art shall not be visible while a member is in uniform or other business attire. He or she must be willing and able to work rotating shifts any day of the week, including holidays ("Qualifications for New York State Trooper," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).

The complete selection process consists of a written examination, on which a candidate must score above a certain percentile and be ranked accordingly, a physical and psychological evaluation, a background investigation and polygraph rest, and a medical examination ("Selection Process," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).

The training process

The basic school of training for New York State Troopers is 26 weeks of residential training, cumulating 1,095 hours of training. Classes are given to recruits in a number of areas, including police skills, police science, operations and public interaction relations. The areas of education span a wide array of issues, to include firearm training, first responder and emergency vehicle operations, criminology, DWI enforcement, domestic violence enforcement, department policy on sexual harassment, how to make an arrest, and penal and constitutional law, amongst other topics. Some of the areas of instruction are expected and traditional, such as how to minimize the use of deadly force, while others, such as issues of public relations and cultural and diversity issues, reflect the changing times and attitude of the force ("Basic School Curriculum," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).

After graduating from the 26-week schooling program, probationary members of the force proceed to a 10-week Field Training and Evaluation Program (FTEP), where they perform regular police duties under the supervision and instruction of Field Training Officers (FTOs). The normal FTEP runs 10 weeks (35-12hr days) and is divided into phases, an introductory, advanced, and final evaluation phase, where the recruit is observed ("Field Training," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).

FTOs are troopers who, "in addition to their assigned road patrol duties, have volunteered to assist in the on-the-job training of new troopers. They are carefully selected for their combined skills as experienced road troopers, patience, positive attitude, communication and writing skills, and ability to perform as positive role models," and are selected and matched specifically with new trainees "because their personal competencies are best suited to meet the needs of a particular trooper during the first critical weeks of his or her career ("Field Training," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008). The final phase of the field training is the probationary period, which lasts for one year after the graduation from the basic school, after which appointments are made permanent.

The starting salary and the promotional opportunities

During Police Academy training, the starting salary for a recruit is $50,374. This is raised to $61,525 upon graduation from the Police Academy, and follows with an increase to $65,358 and $77,218 after five years. There is additional salary compensation for officers serving in New York City and the following counties: Duchess, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester. These salary limits do not include overtime ("Salary and Benefits," NYSP Recruitment Center, 2008).