Duties of a State LE Agency?

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BerettaNut92

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I have an idea how local LE agencies are run but have no idea what state agencies do. Do they start off in the prison system the way (some?) county LE agencies start you off in the jail? Are you doing traffic for the first few years? Forever?

Asking specifically about the Arizona and Texas Departments of Public Safety :)

(just thinking aloud for now, gotta take care of an ...ahem... medical issue before I decide anything)

Mandatory gun content: what agencies have AR-15s in the vehicle and which agencies let you choose your own sidearm?
 
In CA, the closest we have to at state trooper are the officers of the CHP. After successful completion of their academy, they go straight into the field. I would guess that each state would differ depending on their needs.
 
From the Tx DPS homepage:
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/

The mission of the Texas Department of Public Safety is:
1. To supervise traffic on rural highways

2. To supervise and regulate commercial and "for hire" traffic

3. To preserve the peace, to investigate crimes, and to arrest criminals

4. To administer regulatory programs in driver licensing, motor vehicle inspection, and safety responsibility

5. To execute programs supplementing and supporting the preceding activities
Click to expand...

DPS troopers attend the DPS Academy in Austin, Texas, and they go straight to patrol after graduation. You'll work the highways until you qualify for a slot doing something else.

DPS and the prison system (TDCJ) are two completely different animals.

In addition to supervising and regulating traffic, DPS provides services for counties that aren't big enough to have crime labs of their own.

They also help co-ordinate crimes which involve two or more counties or districts.

The Capitol police are DPS officers, as is the protective detail for the Texas Governor and such.

Last I checked, the DPS offered mutual aid SWAT services for smaller agencies, but the time-delay involved in getting the DPS area SWAT team together means I've never really seen it in action.

Of course, the Texas Rangers are part of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Texas DPS issues the SIG 226 in .357SIG to it's uniformed officers, and the SIG 229 in .357SIG to it's plainclothes officers.

Texas Rangers are issued the P229, but I haven't seen a Ranger carrying one - mostly they carry some model of the 1911A1.

Highway Patrol officer use the Ruger Mini-14 instead of the AR-15 - sorry Skunky.

Hope that helps.

LawDog
 
what agencies have AR-15s in the vehicle
Click to expand...
I don't know about Oregon State Police, but the Newberg PD (which I am applying to be a reserve for) carries semi-auto MP5's in the cars. They have the parts to be full auto, but don't have them installed.
 
Every state is different
in Ohio, the state investigative agency, BCI, is very hard to get in and requires about 6+ yrs of local LEO experience to join
in Georgia I had read that you can get in to the GA Bur. of Inv. right after college
If I recall correctly, VA requires 2 years as a state trooper or a law degree to be a state investigator (i forget the name of the agency though)
everyone is different and goofy in its own way
BSR
 
Texas:
1 1/2 mile run in 15 minutes or less;
25 push ups in 1 minute or less; and
40 sit ups in 1 minute or less.
no minimum weight :D

In y'alls experience, is there room to grow in a state agency? I'm a computer technician. Fun job, but no future.
 
Hey Skunk,

DPS has information technology people just like everybody else, and the benefits are pretty good. Check the DPS web site for openings. I have seen the DPS SWAT Team in action, and I have been to several schools with their guys. High Speed. To stay on the gun-related thing, TDCJ uses AR-15s :).

Just my .02,
LeonCarr
 
Skunky,
computer techs are highly valued in law enforcement expecially now as computer crimes go
and ok, if you get taken in as a sworn officer, you might end up as a desk jockey playing with computers all day, but you also get to do cool stuff
you have the potential to be very valuable to a LEA
go for it!
 
Go Federales Skunk. As a speshull agint you can carry everywhere including on airplains. You also get a wider array of toys to play with too. Just don't get assigned to NY, Washington DC (OK, you live in VA if you do) or SF. High cost of living.

Oh, CHP has AR-15s in their trunks. Problem is that once out of the Academy (& it's a tough academy), you go to LA (which you probably don't mind since you're in the area). Then you work your way north until your promoted (and you're back in LA). Sorry, but handguns are limited to your choice of the standard issue departmental S&W in 40.
 
Lots of feds other than special agents carry everywhere.

There are so many placed federal law enforcement can take you I don't think you could find a decent list if you tried. (Unfortunately.) The opportunities for advancement at the federal level far their exceed state and local counterparts, for the most part.

Anyway, most state agencies I am aware of start folks out as troopers/highway patrolmen/whatever they call them. Most retire there, too. (They'll typically arrest more folks in a year than a criminal investigator in 10, for what it is worth. Mileage varies, of course.) Some move on into state versions of federal agencies, if you will, with the Texas Rangers being the most famous example.

These days, ARs seem to be found more places than not, though often times they are not standard issue to everyone.

Best of luck to you should you decide on a career of service and protection.
 
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