Connecticut State Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection

Connecticut State Police Patch STATE OF CONNECTICUT
Department of Public Safety
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, Connecticut 06457		  
Contact: 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2008

CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE
READY TO CELEBRATE 105TH ANNIVERSARY

   The year 2008 marks the 105thanniversary of the Connecticut State Police, the oldest state police agency in the United States.

   The State Police plans a 105thanniversary celebration dinner and ball at the Mohegan Sun on Saturday, May 17, 2008.  The event will be hosted by the Connecticut State Police Academy Alumni Association and will mark 105 years of outstanding, professional police service by the agency.

   The State Police graduated its 119th training troop earlier this week, adding another 41 Troopers to its ranks. The men and women of the State Police now number 1,231 Troopers.

   There are 12 State Police barracks located throughout the state and the agency is the primary law enforcement agency for 82 of the 169 towns in Connecticut.  Many Troopers are assigned to some of the dozens of specialized units, including Major Crime Squad, Narcotics Task Force and Traffic Services. The Connecticut State Police is the third largest police force in New England.

   More than a century ago, the very beginnings of DPS were founded when, in 1901, legislators authorized the governor to name a state Fire Marshal to investigate fires of suspicious origin.

   Two years later, in 1903, lawmakers created the first state police department in the country, consisting of five men who drew a salary of $3 a day to enforce state liquor and vice laws.  As the number of highways and vehicles grew, State Police Troopers were charged with making them safe for travel.

   In the 1940s, the agency was revolutionized by establishing a three-way mobile communications network and increasing the strength of the department.  The state was divided into areas which encompassed 11 stations and several advanced and specialized units were created. The uniform was redesigned and the Bureau of Identification, the forerunner of the present-day, state-of-the-art Forensics Lab was established.

   Also during that time, a training academy was constructed, weapons registration was required by gun owners and the Resident State Trooper program was founded. The nation's first motor vehicle radar detection system was instituted by the Connecticut State Police in 1946.

                                                -end-