State Police, Division of

Agency Web Site: https://www.troopers.ny.gov/

Mission

The mission of the State Police is to ensure highway safety, to prevent crime and enforce the law and to provide high quality support to law enforcement agencies across the State. Mission priorities include: reducing the number of deaths, injuries and property damage caused by motor vehicle accidents; reducing violent crime on a statewide basis; providing disorder control and public security at man-made and natural emergencies; providing support to local law enforcement agencies, through resources such as the Community Narcotics Enforcement Teams and the Computer Crimes Unit; and serving a crucial role in the State’s counter-terrorism efforts by collecting and analyzing information relating to the prevention and detection of terrorist threats and activities throughout the state, sharing this vital information with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) and our Federal, State and local law enforcement partners to act in a coordinated way aimed at early identification of and response to terrorist threats and activities.

Organization and Staffing

The Division, headed by a Superintendent who is appointed by the Governor, is organized into eleven Troops, all of which are overseen and supported by Division Headquarters located in Albany. Each Troop encompasses a geographic area of the State, except for Troop T which provides police services on the New York State Thruway. Troop NYC provides investigative and administrative services to Drug Enforcement and Criminal Task Forces and the District Attorney's offices throughout NYC. State Police also deploys Uniform Force personnel to transportation hubs throughout the NYC area as well as the 9/11 Museum. The remaining nine Troops provide patrol coverage and criminal investigation services in cooperation with the local law enforcement community throughout the rest of NYS. Factors that affect the extent of State Police’s presence throughout the State vary depending on the area’s population, highway mileage, and availability of county and local law enforcement agencies.

Budget Highlights

The FY 2025 Executive Budget recommends $1.2 billion in All Funds appropriations for the Division ($1.09 billion in State Operations and $145 million in Capital funds), a net decrease of $68.2 million from FY 2024. This year-to-year decrease is mainly attributed to the removal of the $100 million Capital appropriation for the purchase and renovation of a forensic laboratory. This is offset by $25.2 million to support the creation and deployment of a dedicated team to build cases against organized retail theft rings.

The FY 2025 Executive Budget recommends a workforce of 6,521 FTEs, an increase of 101 from the previous fiscal year. This increase is for the creation of a new State Police enforcement unit to combat retail theft.

Program Highlights

The Division is divided into three principal branches: Uniform Force, Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Technical Police Services. These branches play an integral role in the State’s public safety efforts while working cooperatively with numerous criminal justice entities to reduce crime, protect the public and guard against acts of terrorism.

Uniform Force

The Uniform Force has two primary responsibilities: protecting the citizens of New York State and promoting highway safety. In some areas of the State, Uniformed Troopers serve as the primary law enforcement agency and respond to various types of criminal activity such as burglaries, missing children, assaults, robberies, and homicides. In areas where the State Police is not the primary law enforcement agency, Troopers work cooperatively with local law enforcement to provide supplemental law enforcement support.

Bureau of Criminal Investigation

The Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) is the “plain clothes” investigative branch of the Division. BCI Investigators concentrate on cases related to narcotics, child abuse, auto theft, consumer product tampering, organized crime, violent crime and working with Federal and local law enforcement to support counter-terrorism efforts. In addition, BCI resources are regularly deployed to assist local law enforcement agencies that may lack the resources or technical expertise required to conduct major criminal investigations.

Technical Police Services

The Technical Police Services program is primarily comprised of Communication Specialists and Forensic Scientists. Communication Specialists are the frontline of communication between the public and State Police personnel. They answer emergency and non-emergency phone calls to identify the scope and type of assistance needed for the caller, and they are responsible for all radio communications within Troop jurisdiction. Forensic Scientists and Lab Technicians support the State Police Crime Laboratory System which provides statewide support to all criminal justice agencies. There are four laboratories across the State, including the Forensic Investigation Center located in Albany, that provide a full range of forensic science services, controlled substance examinations, toxicology analyses and trace evidence examinations.

Note: Most recent estimates as of 01/16/2024