Shenandoah State Police

Shenandoah State Police
Shenandoah State Police shoulder patch
Shenandoah State Police badge
Common name	State Police
Abbreviation	SSP
Agency overview
Formed	July 6, 1930 (1930-07-06)
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency	Shenandoah
Operations jurisdiction	Shenandoah
Constituting instrument	Article 7 of the Commonwealth Charter
General nature	Federal law enforcement
Operational structure
Headquarters	South Saint Albans, Kanawha
Sworn members	6,350
Agency executive	Joseph Vicker, Superintendent
Parent agency	Department of Justice

The Shenandoah State Police are a federal level law enforcement agency established in 1930 by Article 7 of the Commonwealth Charter of Shenandoah and have statewide authority to conduct law enforcement activities and criminal investigations within the nine states of the Shenandoahan Commonwealth. In general, the Shenandoah State Police perform functions outside the jurisdiction of the county sheriff or local police departments, such as enforcing traffic laws on state highways and interstate expressways, overseeing the security of the state capitol complex, protecting the governor, training new officers for local police forces too small to operate an academy, providing technological and scientific services, supporting local police and helping to coordinate multi-jurisdictional task force activity in serious or complicated cases in those states that grant full police powers statewide. Along with the Shenandoah Federal Protective Service. the Shenandoah State Police were created by the federal government as a result of uprisings surrounding organized labor in the coal and mine industries.

History

Article 7 of the Commonwealth Charter was ratified by the Shenandoahan Commonwealth Legislature and signed into law by Jonathan Canfield, who stated that the enactment of Article 7 "was mandatory in order to uphold the laws of our state.". Article 7 of the Commonwealth Charter empowers the federal government to appoint officers to detect, investigate and prosecute crimes committed by any subject, citizen, or foreigner against the government. The ratification of this article resulted in the creation of both the Shenandoah State Police and the Shenandoah Federal Protective Service,which became the second and third federal level law enforcement agencies. Article 2 of the Commonwealth Charter expressly allowed for the creation of the Shenandoah Customs and Border Control

Organization and services

The Shenandoah State Police are organized into nine divisions, sometimes referred to barracks, with one division being located in each of the nine states comprising the Commonwealth. Those barracks are divided to posts, the number of which vary from state to state. In addition, the Shenandoah State Police has a number of administrative and support divisions assigned to ti as well.

Superintendent of the State Police

The Superintendent of the State Police is tasked with the overall command and control of the Shenandoah State Police and holds the rank of colonel.

Deputy Superintendent of the State Police

The Deputy Superintendent of the State Police is tasked with the overall operational command of the Shenandoah State Police and reports directly to the Superintendent of the State Police. Traditionally, the Deputy Superintendent of the State Police will hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

Assistant Deputy Superintendent

The Assistant Deputy Superintendents oversees the various facets of the administration of the Shenandoah State Police. In general, a Deputy Superintendent will hold the rank of Major. There are several organizations within the Shenandoah State Police which are managed by a Assistant Deputy Superintendent, these include the;

• Executive Services unit, which includes the;
  • Media Relations Unit
  • Personnel Unit
  • Medical Unit
  • Criminal Statistics Reporting Unit

• Administrative Services Unit, which includes the;
  • Accounting Unit
  • Planning and Research Unit
  • Procurement Unit
  • Promotional Standards Unit
  • Legal Services Unit

• Communication and Support Services Unit, which includes the;
  • Dispatch and Communications Unit
  • Criminal Records Unit
  • Traffic Records Unit
  • Legal Services
  • Forensic Laboratory

• Training and Quality Support Unit
  • Training Academy
  • Recertification and Requalification Unit
  • Professional Standards Unit

• Field Operations Unit
  • Criminal Investigations Unit
  • Investigative Support Services
  • Criminal Intelligence Unit
  • Special Operations Unit
  • Executive Protection Unit

Field Operations Unit

Under the command of the Field Operations Unit there are nine Patrol Operations Divisions, one for each state in the Commonwealth. These are often referred to barracks, and each barracks is commanded by a State Police Captain, with the various posts reporting to it generally led by a Lieutenant or Senior Lieutenant depending upon the size of the geographic area or population of the area covered.

Special Operations Unit

Shenandoah State Police Special Operations Unit comprises the following units;

• Emergency Response Unit
• Aviation Unit
• K‐9 Unit
• Explosive Response Teams

The Shenandoah State Police Special Operations Unit consists of four full time Emergency Response Unit which are trained to respond extraordinary or particular dangerous situations not suitable to be handled by regular police officers. Shenandoah State Police Emergency Response Unit will often assist local law enforcement with dangerous situations as well. There are four ERU teams currently operated by the Shenandoah State Police; one team is located in Saint Albans and acts as a quick reaction force in the event of a terrorist attack or assassination attempt against government leaders. The remaining teams are located in Beckley, Tidewater, and Whitefield.

Investigative Support Services

The Investigative Support Services Unit works in conjunction with the Criminal Investigations Unit, Patrol Operations Units, and the Communication and Support Services Unit by providing detailed and specialized support services to criminal investigators. Its units include;

• Insurance Fraud Unit
• Polygraph Unit
• Drug Diversion Unit
• Digital Forensics Unit
• Technical Operations Unit
• Cold Case Unit
• Special Victims Unit

Barracks

• Barracks 1 - South Saint Albans, Kanawha
  • Post 11 - Saint Albans
  • Post 12 - Dunbar
  • Post 13 - North Hills
• Barracks 2 - Hurricane, Huntington
  • Post 21 - Hurricane
  • Post 22 - Ravenswood
• Barracks 3 - Wheeling, Cumberland
  • Post 31 - Cumberland
  • Post 32 - Summersville
  • Post 33 - Canaan
  • Post 34 - Davis
• Barracks 4 - Beckley, Appalachia
  • Post 41 - Beckley
  • Post 42 - Buckhannan
  • Post 43 - Martinsburg
  • Post 44 - Teaysport
  • Post 45 - Delbarton
• Barracks 5 - Morgantown, Monongalia
  • Post 51 - Tidewater
  • Post 52 - Morgantown
  • Post 53 - Fairmont
  • Post 54 - Louisburg
  • Post 55 - Spencerton
  • Post 56 - Pherson
  • Post 57 - Monongah
• Barracks 6 - Elkins, Blue Ridge
  • Post 61 - Elkins
  • Post 62 - Blue Ridge State Junior College - Elkins Campus
  • Post 63 - Davidsburg
  • Post 64 - Parkersburg
  • Post 65 - Blueleaf Springs
• Barracks 7 - Whitefield, Oak Hills
  • Post 71 - Whitefield
  • Post 72 - Philippi
  • Post 73 - Winfield
  • Post 74 - Griston
• Barracks 8 - Point Pleasant, Cheaha
  • Post 81 - Point Pleasant
  • Post 82 - Lumberport
• Barracks 9 - Clarksburg, Marion
  • Post 91 - Clarksburg
  • Post 92 - Bramwood

Ranks

Title	Insignia
Superintendent - Colonel
Deputy Superintendent of the State Police - Lieutenant Colonel
Major
Police captain
Senior Lieutenant
Lieutenant
First Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Officer First Class
Senior Officer
Police officer

Laboratories and forensic assistance

The Shenandoah State Police also runs several forensic laboratories and provide scientific investigation services to local law enforcement agencies, including laboratory facilities in  Whitefield, Oak Hills, Saint Albans, Kanawha, and Martinsburg, Appalachia. Services offered to criminal justice agencies include biochemistry, drug, firearm investigations, latent prints, questioned documents, toxicology and trace evidence. The Shenandoah State Police participate in a educational program along with the Shenandoah Federal Protective Service and the Blue Ridge State University School of Forensics and Investigative Sciences to allow students access to laboratories operated by both the Federal and State Police.

Recruitment and training

Shenandoah State Police cadets undergoing training at the Federal Police Officer Training Center in South Saint Albans

Candidates for the Shenandoah State Police receive their training at the Federal Police Officer Training Center, located in South Saint Albans, Kanawha. The training center is located near the agency's headquarters, also situated in in South Saint Albans. Upon appointment, cadets undergo an intense 25 week training program to become certified law enforcement officers. The Federal Police Officer Training Center also hosts classes for departments from across the nation which can not afford to maintain their own academies. In addition, the Shenandoah State Police conduct several training classes per year in rural areas across the nation to assist in training new municipal police officers and sheriff's deputies. In 2017, 57 percent of all graduating law enforcement officers nationwide were trained by the Shenandoah State Police.

Equipment

Uniforms

Shenandoah State Police officers wear a forest-green uniform and campaign hat.

Vehicles

A Riegel Police Interceptor of the Shenandoah State Police with Government House in the background

Shenandoah State Police vehicles are composed of a variety of makes with blue and gold colors accompanied by the agency's logo on the side front doors. For many years, the agency has used Riegel Kronprinz for the road. In recent years however, State Police has phased in new Riegel Police Interceptor and Police Interceptor Utility into its fleet. The agency also uses unmarked vehicles that are usually assigned to command staff members. Starting in 2001, the Shenandoah State Police equipped both its marked and unmarked vehicles with all-0blue lighting configuastions

Weapons

Officers of the Shenandoah State Police are issued McLear semi-automatic pistols. Officers have a choice between the McLear 9190 full sized pistol, or the McLear 9191 compact pistols in 9x19 mm. Command staff and detectives may receive subcompact McLear pistols, such as the McLear 9192.

All officers with the Shenandoah State Police are trained to use the Grady Repeating Arms M-2 pump-action shotgun, and each vehicle is equipped with a single shotgun. Some officers are also trained on and equipped with the Redhawk Firearms PCC-80, Redhawk Firearms M-3 Assault Rifle or Redhawk Firearms M-3 Carbine. Officers also utilize a variety of less-lethal options, such as the Tintreach conducted electrical weapon, telescoping batons, and OC spray