North Dakota Highway Patrol

North Dakota State Highway Patrol
Abbreviation NDHP

Patch of the North Dakota State Highway Patrol

Logo of the North Dakota State Highway Patrol
Agency overview
Formed 1935
Superseding agency North Dakota Highway Police
Employees 192 (as of 2004) [1]
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction* State of North Dakota, USA
Size 70,762 square miles (183,270 km2)
Population 639,715 (2007 est.)[2]
General nature
Operational structure
Headquarters Bismarck, North Dakota
Troopers 135 (as of 2004) [3]
Civilians 57 (as of 2004) [4]
Agency executive Colonel Michael Gerhart, Superintendent
Regions 4
Facilities
Districts 8
Airplanes 2007 Cessna T 206
Website
http://www.state.nd.us/ndhp/general.html
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The North Dakota State Highway Patrol is the state patrol agency for the state of North Dakota. It was established in 1935 by the North Dakota Legislative Assembly.

North Dakota state troopers, when hired, attend the Law Enforcement Training Academy at Bismarck. It is a 22-week program in which the recruits learn all Peace Officer Standards and Training as well as advanced traffic information.

Major activities of the State Patrol include: traffic enforcement, crash investigation, reporting road conditions, and enforcement of laws where state property is involved. A major duty of a North Dakota state trooper is the ability to work independently and exercise good judgement accordingly. This may differ from other peace officer agencies where operations are teamwork oriented.

Regions

North Dakota Highway Patrol Crown Victoria, K-9 Unit

There are four newly formed regions for the North Dakota Highway Patrol, which combine the former eight districts:

Troopers work within their regions, however they have equal jurisdiction throughout the state.

Highway Patrol symbol

The North Dakota Highway Patrol symbol is a profile of Red Tomahawk, a Teton Dakotah (Sioux) Indian who lived on his land near the Cannonball River on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near Mandan, North Dakota and who is famous for shooting Sitting Bull in the head.

Red Tomahawk, a subchief, served as a government policeman helping to create order in a time of turbulence. He was considered a champion of his people, a noble American, and a just man. Today his profile reminds travelers of the first people to roam the plains.

The North Dakota Highway Patrol officially adopted the profile of Red Tomahawk as the patrol vehicle door emblem and department symbol in 1951.[5]

Superintendents of the North Dakota Highway Patrol

North Dakota Highway Patrol Dodge Chargers
# Name Term
1 Frank Putman 1935–1937
2 H.G. Lund 1937–1938
3 Archie O’Connor 1939
4 Frank Putman 1939–1941
5 John Jeffery 1941–1943
6 E.M. Klein 1943–1953
7 Clark J. Monroe 1953–1961
8 Ralph M. Wood 1961–1978
9 James D. Martin 1978–1981
10 Norman D. Evans 1981–1985
11 Brian C. Berg 1985–1992
12 James M. Hughes 1993–2003
13 Bryan R. Klipfel 2003– 2007
14 Mark Nelson 2007–2009
15 James Prochniak 2009–[6]

Fallen officers

Since the organization was established, one North Dakota Highway Patrol officer has died while on duty.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ USDOJ Bureau of Justice Statistices Census of Law Enforcement Agencies 2004
  2. ↑ http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html 2007 Population Estimates
  3. ↑ USDOJ Bureau of Justice Statistices Census of Law Enforcement Agencies 2004
  4. ↑ USDOJ Bureau of Justice Statistices Census of Law Enforcement Agencies 2004
  5. ↑ NDHP History page
  6. ↑ "James Prochniak Superintendent, North Dakota Highway Patrol". governor.nd.gov. The State of North Dakota. Archived from the original on 2009-11-03. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
  7. ↑ The Officer Down Memorial Page
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