Alabama Department of Public Safety

Alabama Department of Public Safety
Common name Alabama State Troopers

Alabama Department of Public Safety Seal

Badge of the Alabama Department of Public Safety.
Motto Courtesy, Service, Protection
Agency overview
Formed December 5, 1935
Preceding agency Alabama Highway Patrol (1935-1939)
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* State of Alabama, USA
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Alabama Criminal Justice Center
Montgomery, Alabama
Agency executives
  • Hugh B. McCall, Colonel
  • Kevin Wright, Lieutenant Colonel
  • Marc McHenry, Major
  • Neil G. Tew, Major
  • Terry Chapman, Major
  • Herman Wright, Major
Child agencies
  • Alabama Bureau of Investigation
  • Alabama Highway Patrol
Facilities
Posts 17
Helicopters UH-1-H "Hueys, Bell 206B Jet Ranger, OH-58A+(w/ NightSun and FLIR)
Planes Beech King Air 200, Cessna C-182
Website
Alabama DPS site
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.
The Alabama Criminal Justice Center, which houses the headquarters of the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Corrections

The Alabama Department of Public Safety is a law enforcement agency serving the U.S. state of Alabama. It is made up of five divisions: Administrative Division, Alabama Bureau of Investigation, Driver License, Highway Patrol Division, and the Service Division.[1]

History

The Alabama Department of Public Safety began as the Alabama Highway Patrol on December 5, 1935. The Highway Patrol was renamed the Department of Public Safety on March 8, 1939 and then included 4 divisions: Highway Patrol, Driver License, Accident Prevention Bureau, and Mechanical and Equipment.[2]

On January 17, 2011, Hugh B. McCall was appointed to the position of Colonel of the Alabama Department of Public Safety by Governor Robert J. Bentley, making him the first African-American to head the agency.

Rank structure

The Alabama Department of Public Safety rank structure is as listed:

Rank Insignia
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Corporal
Agent
Trooper

Organization

The Department of Public Safety is headed by a Director is appointed by the Governor of Alabama who is the executive officer of the Department and holds the rank of Colonel. The Director is aided in managing the Department by an Assistant Director, who is also appointed by the Governor and who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Each of the Department's five Divisions are headed by uniformed officers with the rank of Major.

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, 28 officers have died in the line of duty. The following list also contains officers from when the Alabama Department of Public Safety was the Alabama Highway Patrol.[3]

Officer Date of Death Details
Maury Young
Saturday, September 5, 1936
Motorcycle accident
William D. Raiford Sr.
Saturday, October 16, 1937
Motorcycle accident
Arvil O. Hudson
Tuesday, May 20, 1952
Vehicle pursuit
Henry Preston Bryant
Sunday, December 7, 1952
Vehicle Pursuit
Julian F. Draughon
Saturday, October 3, 1953
Motorcycle accident
Howard Brock
Friday, November 8, 1957
Vehicle pursuit
Joe F. Partin
Monday, July 25, 1960
Motorcycle accident
Anthony Scozzaro
Wednesday, December 13, 1961
Automobile accident
Thomas E. Maxwell
Thursday, October 4, 1962
Automobile accident
Raymond M. Carlton
Saturday, February 27, 1965
Automobile accident
Randolph G. Glover
Wednesday, July 19, 1967
Automobile accident
Brooks D. Lawson
Thursday, July 31, 1969
Struck by train
Thomas O. Gillilan
Wednesday, July 1, 1970
Gunfire
Harlan B. Blake
Saturday, October 10, 1970
Vehicle pursuit
Ormand Franklin Watkins
Sunday, April 11, 1971
Gunfire
Riley Delano Smith
Friday, December 17, 1971
Electrocuted
James B. Robinson
Sunday, December 10, 1972
Gunfire
Bobby S. Gann
Thursday, February 21, 1974
Gunfire
Kenyon M. Lassiter
Friday, April 19, 1974
Vehicular assault
Julian Douglas Stuckey
Thursday, June 27, 1974
Automobile accident
Johnnie Earl Booker
Thursday, November 2, 1978
Automobile accident
David E. Temple
Thursday, September 13, 1979
Gunfire
Simmie L. Jeffries
Friday, December 21, 1984
Automobile accident
Larry D. Cawyer
Saturday, May 25, 1985
Automobile accident
Elizabeth S. Cobb
Sunday, October 11, 1987
Gunfire
Robert William Jones
Thursday, October 3, 1991
Automobile accident
Willis Von Moore
Monday, February 26, 1996
Automobile accident
Brian Keith Nichols
Sunday, February 17, 2002
Automobile accident

Alabama Bureau of Investigation

The Alabama Bureau of Investigation is the investigative branch of the Alabama Department of Public Safety. The ABI provides investigation services in support of other members of the criminal justice system in Alabama. In addition to criminal investigations, the ABI also provides fingerprint services and a bomb squad, as well as the Alabama Fusion Center. The ABI is not a first responder agency and investigations are conducted upon request by a criminal justice agency. Members of the ABI also provide law enforcement services for operations with the other DPS divisions, such as in times of natural disaster and other special details.[4]

Highway Patrol

Alabama Highway Patrol

The Alabama Highway Patrol is a division of the Alabama Department of Public Safety and is the highway patrol agency for Alabama, which has jurisdiction anywhere in the state. It was created to protect the lives, property and constitutional rights of people in Alabama.

In 1971, the Alabama Highway Patrol became the first U.S. police organization to use down-sized vehicles for regular highway patrol duties when they purchased 132 AMC Javelins. This pre-dated, among others, the Camaros and Mustangs used by other departments years later.

See also

References

  1. Alabama DPS main page
  2. ADPS History page
  3. Alabama DPS BOI page

External links

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