Wisconsin State Patrol (WI)

Overview

In 1939, the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) was created, including an enforcement division which was the beginning of the State Patrol. The MVD later spawned the Department of Transportation, but the State Patrol stayed a bureau of the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) until late 20th Century. At that time, the Bureau of State Patrol became it's own division within DOT - the Division of State Patrol, with the Superintendent answering directly to the DOT Secretary and the Governor.

Effective 2005, The Division of State Patrol no longer has 7 districts. The division along it's parent agency, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, have been re-organized. The move realigned DOT, DSP and DMV boundaries to match each other. What were State Patrol "Districts" are now addressed as a "Post" by what region it is in, and what city it's located in.

The new regions and State Patrol posts are:

• Southwest Region
  • DeForest Post
  • Tomah Post
• Southeast Region
  • Waukesha Post
• Northeast Region
  • Fond Du Lac Post
• Northcentral Region
  • Wausau Post
• Northwest Region
  • Eau Claire Post
  • Spooner Post

Operations

The State Patrol handles day-to-day operations under the following:

• Bureau of Field Operations
  • Provides traffic law enforcement services and promotes highway safety, accomplished by troopers and police communications operators located in State Patrol Posts statewide
• Bureau of Communications
  • Engineers, administers, operates and maintains sophisticated wireless communications and information systems. These systems include a digital microwave backbone, State Patrol and DNR voice communications systems and the Mobile Data Communications Network (MDCN) serving 160 law enforcement agencies across the state. Of historical note, the WSP BOC installed the first statewide public safety microwave network starting about 1953.
• Bureau of Transportation Safety
  • Provides a department-wide focus for safety program and safety policy analysis, carries out public outreach on safety issues, administers the statewide chemical testing program, oversees motor carrier safety and weight facilities (SWEFs), and inspects and regulates motor carriers, school buses and ambulances.
• Office of the Academy
  • Provides diverse training for State Patrol and DNR recruits, federal and local law enforcement officers, and state employees. The facility, located at Fort McCoy, is used by other agencies for training programs as well.

Wisconsin State Patrol Radio Network user ID's

• Southwest Region
  • 1xx DeForest Post Troopers
  • 11xx DeForest Post MCE Inspectors
  • 5xx Tomah Post Troopers
  • 55xx Tomah Post MCE Inspectors

• Southeast Region
  • 2xx Waukesha Post Troopers
  • 22xx Waukesha Post MCE Inspectors

• Northeast Region
  • 3xx Fond Du Lac Post Troopers
  • 33xx Fond Du Lac Post MCE Inspectors

• Northcentral Region
  • 4xx Wausau Post Troopers
  • 44xx Wausau Post Inspectors

• Northwest Region
  • 6xx Eau Claire Post Troopers
  • 66xx Eau Claire Post MCE Inspectors
  • 7xx Spooner Post Troopers
  • 77xx Spooner Post MCE Inspectors

• Central HQ
  • Car 1 Superintendent
  • Car 2 Colonel
  • Car 3-5 Bureau Majors
  • Any unit that has a radio number below 100 is referred to as "Car xx"

• WSP Academy
  • Car 23, Car 51-66 Technical Reconstruction Unit (TRU)

• Other State Agencies
  • Cxxx DNR Conservation Wardens
  • Rxxx DNR Park Rangers
  • Jxxx DOJ Agents
  • EMxx WEM