Trooper school

[fireplug]

not to indoctrinate a "police state".

i've offered it before and i'll offer again...i know a really good tin hat tailor that does amazing work with tin and knows its "kibosh" properties well! shaaaaaaa-rhee kibosh...clean!

I'll let you borrow my tin hat when the time comes.

If you don't see the current build up and militarization of our police forces going on in this country, well, you just aren't paying attention.
Really what's wrong with our country today, not enough people paying attention to what's going on right under their noses. Before you wake
up, they'll be doing "no knock" warrant search on your house because they suspect you of illegal activity. May not happen now, but it's well
on its way in the next few years. Liberty and freedom are taken away much easier than they are gained. Mostly from the apathy of people that marginalize others by labeling them as conspiracy theorists or tin hat wearers.

Again, if we need to get some new officers to replace retiring officers then let's do it, but I don't see any evidence that we need any Additional
officers. Same example I gave earlier. My county currently doesn't have any MHP assigned to it, yet on Tuesday I rolled up on a single car
accident that had Two, not one, but 2 MHP officers providing traffic control. (Again, something that county officers could have done). Maybe
I'm just not in a crime infested location and just don't see the need. That's why my original post asked, what was the urgency. I’m going to let this one go and just agree to disagree.

[GulfCoast]

I have no opinion one way or the other on needing a "Trooper School." And most Troopers seem to be good folks. However, I have personally had the "irrationally pissed-off Trooper ticketing me for not changing lanes for a stopped trooper" experience. I suppose he wanted me to force the line of power company trucks heading north for an ice storm that were solid packed in the left lane off the road??? Or get rammed from the rear for a sudden stop? Slowing to 20 MPH is not sufficient? Have they READ the statute? They really seem to have a bee in their bonnet over this issue. That is all.

[donia]

I'll let you borrow my tin hat when the time comes.

might do that. i have a few in different styles that do a bang-up job on their intended issues, but none for mhp or police states... i jest, seriously.

If you don't see the current build up and militarization of our police forces going on in this country, well, you just aren't paying attention.
Liberty and freedom are taken away much easier than they are gained. Mostly from the apathy of people that marginalize others by labeling them as conspiracy theorists or tin hat wearers.

oh, i've been paying attention for a while (and have even watched a few of jessie ventura's conspiracy shows ..yes, while wearing tin, just to be safe...again, i jest).
the last decade alone, and more accurately the recent times of the current administration, has proven your point about overall apathy, its exploitable power and its consequences on liberty and freedom from those exploits....don't completely agree with the marginalization by the apathetic "labeling" statement, but i respect where you're coming from with it. our freedoms and liberties are not being taken away because of labeling....they're being taken away due to apathy of the majority of voters that fail to educate themselves on the issues they vote on and the ultimate consequences of that vote.

....and just agree to disagree.

agreed

[bolivarduck]

From a LEO standpoint I have a few obsorvations... I do know they (MHP) are short on troopers for the numbers they are alloted. Now the governor wants to add troopers to create a "strike force" for violent crime areas. I can say we already have this and troopers are on the task force. Unless they are going to have a different approach, I don't see a reason to duplicate efforts. We target violent crimes fugitives everyday for the state and local departments and it just seems it would be more beneficial to the state to add to our task force as opposed to creating another. ...that is unless they will have a different approach... still looking for more info on this "strike force" the governor outlined to target violent offenders. If MHP would put one class through a year then they would keep up with retirements, etc... and if they did miss a year then it wouldn't impact them as badly. Just a few observations from my standpoint.

[Deltamud77]

I may be wrong, but I thought the strike force idea really incorporated all levels of law enforcement in the state and is something that is already going on...Phil just wants to make it a larger priority. I think they envision this to be worked in conjunction with federal task forces that are already operational in the state.

I personally believe this is just a mechanism to try to clean up Jackson, if it is not already too late.

I know there have been task forces in the Delta, such as in Clarksdale and Greenville, in which locals and MHP are federally deputized and they make federal arrests so that they can get criminal trials in federal courts, which leads to a lot higher conviction rate. I assume the same thing would be attempted with Bryant's task force idea.

[fireplug]

Just out of my ignorance, how many graduate out of a class on avg? Hugh, you probably know that one from your contacts. If only enough graduate
to cover the retirement rate, then I'd agree about the class every year.

[duramax]

This is why we need them. More shenanigans.

[edub20]

Just out of my ignorance, how many graduate out of a class on avg? Hugh, you probably know that one from your contacts. If only enough graduate
to cover the retirement rate, then I'd agree about the class every year.

I "think" it's usually around 50.

[bolivarduck]

My contacts say on average 40 to 50 out of 100 graduate. I can tell you guys that we have a great concept as far as task forces goes... We are congressionaly funded and made up of fed, state and local departments. We go after violent fugitives that many departments don't have the resources for one reason or another to apprehend. We stay extremely busy- in fact many of our guys didn't get to spend Christmas with their families because we were working in Tupelo last week following the officers being shot. I would just hate to see efforts duplicated when we have something in place that can simply be added to- no need to reinvent the wheel!

The article that I read made it seem like the governor wants to hire more troopers so the can make the "strike forces" a go.

Also, many don't know, but MBN agents are allowed to go through trooper school so they can get trooper retirement (yes, troopers have a different retirement system from all other state employees), so some spots in trooper schools are not troopers going to the road!

Monday I plan on checking with some of my contacts to see exactly what MHPs plan is for this "strike force." Honestly it will not surprise me if they tell me they just heard about it as well!

[JDgator]

I can tell you this - the cost of the troopers is nothing compared to the cost of the administrative salaries that go to the white collar workers. Compliance, special programs, liaison, outreach, human resources, accounting, procurement, etc. I bet there are three or four desk jockeys for every one LEO. And that poor guy on the beat is having to keep up with all the useless forms, paperwork, and feel-good sensitivity training that the office folks keep dreaming up.

[mudsucker]

Ya mean we do not have a Trooper School now?

[Law Duck]

"Trooper School" is not referring to a training facility. All certified law enforcement must go through some training program. (Our State run facilities are in Pearl, Moorehead and Tupelo, I believe) Troopers have a slightly different training they must complete. It is more detailed and lasts longer than the standard school. We have not had a new "class" of Troopers since 2010(I think). Before that there were 2 groups in 2006.
Someone made the comment earlier in this discussion that about half of the current Troopers are eligible for retirement or will be eligible in the next few years....I have heard several Troopers make that same statement, but don't personally know the statistics.
Another asked if we just don't have enough Troopers. Remember, there is at least one trooper on duty for a given area 24/7. The preferred method is for them to also have a partner on duty at that same time. I live in rural north Mississippi and our Troopers generally have 2 men working, but not always. They cover a 2 county area! Think about driving from one corner of a given county to the opposite corner or the neighboring county. If you were the person waiting for them to get there to help you I seriously doubt that you would be happy about their response time! So I guess whether or not we have enough Troopers depends on who you ask.
As for the "out of control" Troopers....not everyone is perfect. And yes I do believe they should be held accountable for their actions. All professions have some bad apples that give the good ones a bad name. I personally try to cut most LEO some slack...they are (in my opinion) underpaid and over worked. They put their life on the line almost every time they go to work!

Just my opinion. And as they say, take that and $1.50 and you can buy a coke....at some places.