What is the difference between a Police Officer and a State Trooper?

Question

Please forgive me for this question as I am from England and we only have Police Officers proberly the nearest thing we have are the Traffic Police, are they similier?

Answer 1

Don't be sorry for the question, it's a very good one actually, especially if you're not from the US. Police Officers and State Troopers have many similarities. However, their principle differences most frequently arise from differences in jurisdictions, or what areas they have authority over (and are responsible for protecting). Police officers are usually confined to their local jurisdiction. If I'm from Smithtown, the Smithtown police department is confined to policing Smithtown, unless a neighboring town requests their assistance. They cannot (at least in my home state) police state highways/freeways and interstate freeways. They usually don't serve as "bodyguards" or "police escorts" for state-government officials, but may do so for local officials (example: the mayor of a large city will likely have a city, not state, police escort/motorcade).

State police, on the other hand, have jurisdiction over an entire state. However, they often must demure to local police in terms of handling local arrests. Their main jurisdiction involves ensuring the free protected flow of commerce within the state. This means protecting (enforcing laws on) state highways/freeways and interstate freeways (within that state, they cannot cross into another state without permission and have diminished authority when they do). They also serve in many states as police escorts/bodyguards/motorcades for state governors, leutenant governors and other state officials.

Hope that helps :-)

Answer 2

Police officer is a general term for all law enforcement officers, particularly those who work for a city. State Troopers are police officers who work for the state, not the city. They have jurisdiction over the entire state, whereas city policemen only have jurisdiction within the city limits, unless requested to join in on police matters with other neighboring cities.

Answer 3

Nothing to forgive... good question!

While all police officers in any given state are certified by the State Government... State Troopers are police officers that are both certified and EMPLOYED by the State Government. The average "cop on the beat" in the US is employed by a local government agency and responsible for a specific town, borough, city, county, ect.

Most of the states started employing their own officers to patrol state highways. In some states, State Troopers also serve as the "cop on the beat" in certain (mainly rural) areas of the State. In others, they remain primarily responsible for patrolling highways. Even in areas that there is local law enforcement, the State Troopers often assist the local police in their normal duties, often working out of a local police station.

State Troopers also often act as specialized investigators in some states that take over or assist during investigations of major crimes. They may run centralized support functions for law enforcement statewide, and serve as a major part of the state government’s emergency management plan during a major crisis. They often manage security at the State Capitol to include protection of the governor and other vip state officials.

State Troopers are often more para-military in culture and have a higher "esprit de corps" than a local police department or sheriff's office. In many (but not all) cases the State Trooper job has a higher salary, better training, and newer equipment than the locals. As a state agency, they are less likely to find their managers and supervisors affected by the whims of local politics. (For example, the State Trooper wouldn't have to worry about arresting the mayor's brother.)

I'm as unfamiliar with the Traffic Police in the UK as you are with the State Troopers... but I would say that State Troopers are more than a "traffic cop".

In the UK everything your government does is very centralized. In the US its the opposite. Your bureaucracies are top heavy... ours are bloated at the bottom. (Come to think about it... our government is bloated at all levels... but thats for a different thread:))

Answer 4

Very similar. The primary difference is that State Troopers are employed directly by the state, & handle traffic & highway laws & activity fairly exclusively.

A police officer on the other hand will also be involved w traffic & vehicle incidents, but will also respond to citizen calls for police , robbery , burglary ,assault , murder , rape , etc essentially the entire spectrum of law enforcement.

Answer 5

A Police Officer is usually under the jurisdiction of a city's police department (e.g. Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police Department). A State Trooper is under the jurisdiction of the state, which is a larger entity than a city (e.g. California, Oregon, Texas)

Answer 6

a police officer works for a city and his jurisdiction is with the city. A state trooper works for the state and has ability to go from city to city and also to work where there is no city...like out in the country on freeways etc.

Answer 7

It varies from state to state. In some states the State Police have authority throughout the state in others local self rule prevents it. In most cases the State Police have traffic enforcement responsibility on limited access highways, ie Freeways, Turnpikes.

Answer 8

they are all police officers there are no differences. state troopers have statewide jurisdiction and local officers only have police powers within their city or town unless extended by mutual aid agreements with bordering towns etc.

Answer 9

State troopers patrol state roads and highways.. Police patrol cities, Sheriffs patrol counties...

Answer 10

Police are City officials and have limited authority
State Troopers patrol and have jurisdiction statewide