Troopers--Highway Police

[arcop223]

Friend of mine back home tells me the Highway police are merging in to the State Police. Any one else know about this?

[SSPD]

Not going to happen, it failed in the legislature.

[BM150280]

I was told by the recruiting officer that if it passed in the legislation, there would be two graduating classes a year instead of just one. Is that going to happen or was it turned down also?

[SSPD]

I think everything hinged on it passing or failing. A trooper told me yesterday that it failed, so I would asume everything stays the way it is. It won't be to long until the highway patrol will merge with the state police. But I think the legislators want some other things to happen first.

[BM150280]

I think everything hinged on it passing or failing. A trooper told me yesterday that it failed, so I would asume everything stays the way it is. It won't be to long until the highway patrol will merge with the state police. But I think the legislators want some other things to happen first.


Do you think that would be a positive thing for ASP or negative? Just in your own opinion....

[SSPD]

I think overall it wouldn't really matter. Both agencies have their own set of problems and I don't think one agency needs to inherit them. I feel a better approach would be to establish a Dept. of Public Safety that would have these agencies as seperate entities under their (DPS) control.

[bhamlet08]

What committee did it fail in?

[dharwood]

It was referred to Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs. They were scheduled to have a meeting today, but it was cancelled.

[Mays]

Highway Patrolmen in Arkansas are like unicorns. I rarely RARELY ever saw them. It's easy to forget that agency exists.

[Matto]

Highway Patrolmen in Arkansas are like unicorns. I rarely RARELY ever saw them. It's easy to forget that agency exists.
It's because they run the scales primarily, so you won't see them that often.

[Mays]

It's because they run the scales primarily, so you won't see them that often.

bingo...either that or behind an 18 wheeler.

[bhamlet08]

I see tons of them in Central Arkansas. Nice car, good looking uniform, higher pay and equipment than the troopers....good outfit...hate to see them go.

[Watchman]

They tried to merge them about 15 years ago and it failed then.

Seems like this comes up every so often.
The thing is the Highway Patrol is run by the D.O.T.
The ASP is state owned.

It always appears to be a good thing up front to merge them...escpecially to the legislators until they get to checking about the particulars of it.Merging the two would not be as easy as it seems.

While the ASP does a lot of traffic stops with trucks, it the Highway Patrol that puts the hurt on them.