Iowa State Patrol
Page Module:Message box/ambox.css has no content.
This article needs additional citations for verification. (December 2009) |
Page Module:Infobox/styles.css has no content.
| Iowa State Patrol | |
|---|---|
| Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:InfoboxImage/data' not found. Patch of Iowa State Patrol | |
| Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:InfoboxImage/data' not found. Flag of Iowa | |
| Abbreviation | ISP |
| Motto | Courtesy, Service, Protection. |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1935 |
| Preceding agencies | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content.
|
| Employees | 9,253 (as of 2018)[1] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Iowa, US |
| Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:InfoboxImage/data' not found. | |
| Iowa State Patrol Districts | |
| Size | 56,272 square miles (145,700 km2) |
| Population | 3,238,387 (2025est.)[2] |
| General nature | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content. |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Troopers | 370 (authorized, as of 2018)[3] |
| Civilian employees | 96 Civilian employees (as of 2004)[4] |
| Agency executive | Page Template:Plainlist/styles.css has no content.
|
| Parent agency | Iowa Department of Public Safety |
| Facilities | |
| Districts | Post 16 |
| Website | |
| https://dps.iowa.gov/divisions/iowa-state-patrol | |
The Iowa State Patrol (ISP) is the state patrol organization in the state of Iowa. Currently, there are just over 267 officers in the patrol, roughly 183 troopers short of their authorized strength of 455.[5] The State is broken into 16 Districts. Their primary concern is enforcing motor vehicle laws, but they also assist with other incidents. These incidents include riots, prison disturbances, labor related disturbances, and providing security at sporting events. The Iowa State Patrol falls under the jurisdiction of the Iowa Department of Public Safety, which also runs the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, also known as DCI.
History
The State Patrol was created in 1935 as the Iowa Highway Safety Patrol after an act creating the Patrol was passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. More than 3,000 men applied for the role, but only 50 men got the job.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.[6] They got paid $100 a month and had to buy their own ammunition.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. On July 28, 1935, they officially began patrolling the highways.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found. Later that same year, the word Safety was dropped from the name, and the unit became known simply as the Iowa Highway Patrol. In 1972, the word "Patrolman" was replaced with "Trooper", and in 1975, the name had changed again to reflect the change that Iowans felt was needed; the Iowa Highway Patrol became known as the Iowa State Patrol. The change was quickly reflected by the difference in the uniform shoulder patches, and by the wording of the logos on the car doors.
On April 28, 1936, Oran H. Pape became the first Iowa State Trooper to die in the line of duty and was the first member of the Patrol to be murdered in the line of duty. Pape died after being taken hostage along Highway 61 in Muscatine County. Pape pulled over a stolen vehicle and was forced to get into the vehicle after being held at gunpoint. A struggle ensued which resulted in Pape being shot in the abdomen.[7]
In the early days of the Patrol, cars were painted black, with the State Patrol logo on the front doors. In the 1970s, the cars were repainted white, with the logo on the front doors. By the early 1980s, Patrol vehicles had a light tan color with the Iowa State Patrol logo on the sides of the vehicle. In 1998, the Patrol switched to a black and gold color scheme on their vehicles. Blue warning lights began to appear on vehicles beginning in 1999, also. The vehicle color scheme change was not particularly well received, however, with some critics feeling that the new color scheme had turned Patrol cars into moving advertisements for the University of Iowa's Hawkeye sports teams. The Patrol later switched back to the prior color scheme in 2001; however, the 2007 and newer patrol vehicles have been predominantly colored silver or white. The Patrol has mainly used the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor for a number of years. Prior to Chevrolet eliminating the model, Caprices were used as well quite extensively. Recently the Patrol has begun using the Dodge Charger (LX) Police Pursuit Version as well. For a short time, the Patrol also had motorcycle officers until the early 1980s due to the neglect, and later, lack of interest of a motorcycle division within the Patrol. The Patrol also uses several small airplanes for use as air traffic patrol, and to locate suspects fleeing on foot, into the wooded areas, and farm fields of rural Iowa.
Rank
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
Colonel
|
|
Major
|
|
Captain
|
|
Lieutenant
|
|
Sergeant
|
|
Trooper III (Senior Trooper)
|
|
Trooper II
|
|
Trooper I (Capitol/Post 16)
|
|
Peace Officer Candidate (Capitol/Post 16)
|
Another symbol of an ISP member's rank is the color of braids they wear on their hat. Trooper III: silver braids Sergeant: silver and black braids Lieutenant: gold braids
Iowa Capitol Police/District 16
In the year 2000, the Iowa Capitol Police Division was placed into the Iowa State Patrol and became District 16. District 16 maintains a highly visible security presence on the 167-acre (0.68 km2) Capitol Complex in Des Moines and the 6.5-acre (26,000 m2) Terrace Hill Governor's Residence, the official residence of the governor of Iowa.[6]
See also
References
Citations
Page Template:Reflist/styles.css has no content.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2018 – Statistical Tables". United States Department of Justice. October 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Iowa". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2018 – Statistical Tables". United States Department of Justice. October 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2026.
- ^ Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2004 Script error: No such module "webarchive".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Jordan, Eric (August 26, 2017). "Fewer Iowa State Patrol troopers means less service to Iowans". The Gazette.
- ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Iowa Department of Public Safety".
- ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Local bridge honors state trooper murdered on duty". The Gazette. Retrieved 2026-02-04.
Sources
Page Template:Refbegin/styles.css has no content.
- Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fisher, Scott M. (2013). Iowa State Patrol. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738598659.
External links
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Navbox/configuration' not found. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Navbox/configuration' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Authority control/config' not found.
