North Dakota Highway Patrol
The North Dakota 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 Highway Patrol | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | NDHP |
Agency overview | |
Formed | 1935 |
Employees | 192 (as of 2004) [1] |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | North Dakota, USA |
Size | 70,762 square miles (183,270 km2) |
Population | 762,062 (2019 est.)[2] |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Bismarck, North Dakota |
Troopers | 139 (as of 2008) [3] |
Civilians | 57 (as of 2004) [4] |
Agency executive |
|
Regions | 4 |
Facilities | |
Aircraft | 2007 Cessna T 206 |
Website | |
https://www.nd.gov/ndhp/ |
"The mission of the North Dakota Highway Patrol is to make a difference every day by providing high-quality law enforcement services to keep North Dakota safe and secure."
North Dakota state troopers, when hired, attend the Law Enforcement Training Academy in Bismarck. It is a 22-week program in which the recruits learn all Peace Officer Standards and Training as well as advanced traffic information. Troopers are assigned to many different post locations within the four regions upon graduating from the Academy.
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
The state is divided into four regions. Each region is commanded by a regional commander and contains two offices located in the major cities of the region.
- Northeast Region: Grand Forks and Devils Lake
- Southeast Region: Fargo and Jamestown
- Southwest Region: Bismarck and Dickinson
- Northwest Region: Minot and Williston
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. The North Dakota Highway Patrol officially adopted the profile of Red Tomahawk as the patrol vehicle door emblem and department symbol in 1951.[5]
Special Assignments
Troopers can serve in special roles including the following:
- Aviation
- Crash Reconstruction Team (CRT)
- Cultural Liaison Officer
- Dignitary Protection
- Drug Recognition Expert (DRE)
- DUI Enforcement Team
- Emegency Response Team (ERT)
- Honor Guard
- K9 Program
Superintendents of the North Dakota Highway Patrol
# | 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 | 2009–2014[6] |
16 | Michael Gerhart, Jr. | 2014-2018 |
17 | Brandon Solberg | 2018- |
Fallen officers
Since the organization was established, one North Dakota Highway Patrol officer has died while on duty.[7]
Officer | Date of Death | Details |
---|---|---|
Patrolman Beryl E. McLane | Struck by vehicle | |
Vehicles
Current and historical patrol vehicles used by the North Dakota Highway Patrol.
References
- USDOJ Bureau of Justice Statistices Census of Law Enforcement Agencies 2004
- https://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html 2007 Population Estimates
- USDOJ Bureau of Justice Statistices Census of Law Enforcement Agencies 2004
- USDOJ Bureau of Justice Statistices Census of Law Enforcement Agencies 2004
- NDHP History page
- "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.
- The Officer Down Memorial Page