Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Academy

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is the highway patrol agency for Mississippi, which has jurisdiction over most of the state and federal highways in the State of Mississippi. It was formed in 1938 to enforce traffic laws on state and federal highways.

Brief History

The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol (known as the "Highway Patrol") was created in 1938, with troopers first patrolling the highways on motorcycles. Automobiles were the principal evforcement vehicle in the 1940s and since. The original uniform worn by the Mississippi troopers was a gray shirt with navy blue epaulettes trimmed with gold. The shirt had an MHP patch only on the left shoulder, which was unlike the patch worn today. It was oval to almost round in shape with "Highway Safety Patrol" in gold around the upper perimeter. The center had the state seal and "Virtute et Armis", the state motto, in gold within a red scroll was around the lower perimeter. The trousers were light blue with a darker blue stripe down the leg bordered by gold piping. The shoulder patch was changed in 1956 to a different patch and was worn on both shoulders. The new patch was a curved side triangle displayed point down with "Mississippi" across the top, "Highway Patrol" immediately below it and "Virtute et Armis" along the two sides at the point.

The uniform was changed in the 1960s. Red piping replaced gold for the shirt epaulettes as well as bordering the dark blue stripe on the pants leg for all Troopers below the rank of Lieutenant. This led to the nickname “Red Leg” given to Mississippi Troopers, signifying that they are not upper echelon administrative employees, but rather “Road Men," troopers who worked enforcement on the highways.

During the 1966 Meredith Mississippi March for Freedom which registered over 3000 African Americans to vote in Mississippi, the Mississippi Highway Patrol escorted thousands of civil rights activists from Memphis TN to Jackson MS. Leaders of major civil rights organizations, Dr. Martin Luther King of the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference), Floyd McKissick of CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and Stokely Carmichael of SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) attended the protest. Guarded by the Mississippi Highway Patrol, the marchers were not attacked on their main route. The March concluded on June 26 with a rally of 15,000 people in Jackson, while over a thousand officers in the Mississippi Highway Patrol, National Guard, and local law enforcement agencies guarded the capitol building.

In 2000 the Mississippi Highway Patrol appointed L.M. Claiborne to become the first African American Colonel of the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Colonel Claiborne began his career with the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol in December 1980, as a Trooper assigned to Troop H, Louisville, Mississippi. He was promoted to the rank of Trooper First Class in December 1985 and in December 1987 to the rank of Staff Sergeant assigned as the Accident Reconstructionist in Troops H and G. In March 1989, Colonel Claiborne was among the first Highway Patrol Officers to attend training for and become a Crime Scene Investigator with the rank of Sergeant First Class. Claiborne was then promoted to Captain over the training division where he served until his promotion to Colonel.

The Academy

Entry into the ranks of the Mississippi Highway Patrol requires the completion of a 18 to 20 week training program held at the MS Law Enforcement Officers Training Academy. Typically over 500 applicants apply to each class, though only 100 cadets will begin the training. Less than 50 will graduate as Troopers. Academy curriculum includes academics, law, EVOC, first aid, physical training, boxing, ground fighting and advanced officer survival. The training places extreme pressure on each cadet to test his or her will to “Never Quit”. A sign in the classroom reads, “MORE SWEAT IN TRAINING LESS BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY.” Cadets attend the academy at Pearl, MS, and live on the academy grounds sequestered from outside contact. Weekend leave may be granted upon completion of all academic and physical requirements. Weekend leave may also be canceled at any time at the request of the academy staff. Upon graduation, new Troopers are assigned to various counties throughout the state according to the needs of the Highway Patrol. Mississippi employs an average of 550 Troopers statewide.

The Organization

The Mississippi Highway Patrol falls under the Department of Public Safety. The Colonel is the highest ranking officer in the Highway Patrol. Numerous departments exist within the patrol, including the Drivers License division, which is charged with the responsibility of testing and issuing drivers licenses to the residents of Mississippi. The patrol also provides a highly trained SWAT team equipped to respond to incidents throughout the state. The MHP also maintains a Special Operations Group, or SOG team, of approximately 80 troopers from all nine districts. The SOG team responds to civil disturbances, prison/jail uprisings, hurricane disasters or any emergency situation which would require more manpower than the SWAT team could provide. The SOG team is capable of deploying 100 troopers for 2 to 3 weeks without being resupplied. The patrol also hosts an 18 person Aggressive Traffic Enforcement and Motorcycles team, known as the A-TEAM. The A-TEAM is equipped with Harley Davidson police package motorcycles, and deploys to various counties to strictly enforce the traffic laws in areas with a high accident or fatality rate. The A-TEAM also provides escorts for VIPs and special events. Other departments include a drug interdiction team, motor carrier division, accident reconstruction team, honor guard detail, and training division. The Mississippi Highway Patrol uses Ford Police Interceptors and Dodge Chargers in addition to its motorcycles.

District stations

  • Troop C - Jackson, District 1
  • Troop D - Greenwood, District 2
  • Troop E - Batesville, District 3
  • Troop F - New Albany, District 4
  • Troop G - Starkville, District 5
  • Troop H - Meridian, District 6
  • Troop J - Hattiesburg, District 7
  • Troop K - Biloxi, District 8
  • Troop M - Brookhaven, District 9

Rank structure

  • Colonel
  • Lieutenant Colonel
  • Major
  • Captain
  • Lieutenant
  • Master Sergeant
  • Sergeant First Class
  • Staff Sergeant
  • Sergeant
  • Corporal
  • Trooper First Class
  • Trooper
  • Cadet

Demographics

  • Male: 98%
  • Female: 2%
  • White: 69%
  • African-American/Black: 31%

The Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol has the highest percentage of African American officers of any State Police Agency in the United States.

The Pistol Team

The Mississippi Highway Patrol is home to a world class pistol team. Led by Lt. Philip Hemphill, the pistol team has won numerous competitions in the United States. From 1962 to 2006 the Mississippi Highway Patrol has won the team competition at the National Police Shooting Championships 10 times, more than any other department in the nation. The Los Angeles Police Department and US Border Patrol follow with nine wins each. In 2009 MHP Capt. Hemphill set a record with his tenth win as overall champion in the National Police Shooter Competition.

See also

  • List of law enforcement agencies in Mississippi
  • State police
  • State patrol
  • Highway patrol


References

  1. ^ USDOJ Statistics
  2. ^ http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html 2007 Population Estimates
  3. ^ USDOJ Statistics
  4. ^ USDOJ Statistics
  5. ^ http://www.dps.state.ms.us/dps/dps.nsf/Divisions/hp?OpenDocument", Mississippi Highway Patrol
  6. ^ "Press Release: New Troopers Graduate; First Class in Three Years"
  7. ^ Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics, 2000: Data for Individual State and Local Agencies with 100 or More Officers
  8. ^ ""
  9. ^ "Press Release: Hemphill World’s Best Shootist, Still Again"

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