The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-04-05
State Police Force
 Expanding In State
Commissioner Sunderland Reviews Early History of Nutmeg States Troopers; Gen. Assembly Aiding

other duties charged to the State Police, expanded physical facilities, scope of records obtained and mair- tained on file for use, man-power and means of training recruits, have and are still being added. Such facilities, for more efficient police work on the state basis in cooper ation with local departments and the law enforcement agencies of other states and the federal govern ment, are continually improving the service the State Police render in the public interest. A f1nger-print identification bureau was establish ed in November of 1885. The scope of the training school for recruits mintained at the Ridgefield Barracks was extended in 1886.
 Three classes, totaling Seventy-two new state policemen have been grad- uated to the force from the Ridge field school since its expansion. A fourth class, comprising twenty seven men, entered the school on March 2 this year for three months training period, close on the heels of the twenty-five men who were graduated to the force from the third instruction period that ended in January this year.
 When the present class has com pleted its studies another group of twenty-seven young men, all se- lected, as the departments recruits for training are selected, in accord ance with merit system regulations, will start their schooling in mid- summer. With the addition of the recruits from these two classes, Con- necticut's state police force, now numbering I'll men and officers will be raised to the statutory limit of 225.
 Gradual Increase
 From 1903 to 1921, the man. power of the force grew from an original complement of eight men to eighteen. In the 1921 reorganiza- tion when thirty-two men were add ed, the force was uniformed for regular daily duty, and each officer equipped with car. The depart ment assumed at that time the eX- animation of applicants for motor vehicle drivers license, a duty full filled until 1881.
 In the fourteen years betWeeen 1921 and 1885 the state police per- sonnel was increased gradually from 50 to 125 officers and men. Fur ther, barracks to the number of eight in addition to the original headquarters station at Hartford were leased or purchased by the state. These barracks have come in time to be linked by "teletype" Serv- ice direct with the Connecticut de- partment of motor vehicles and those local and out-of-state police departments having this instantan- eous telegraph-controlled typewrit- ten means of intercommunication. Short wave communication may be another link in the future.
 Still Growing
 The 1885 session of the general assembly raised the statutory man. power limit of the force from 125 to 175 and made provision for the construction of another barracks at Colchester. This new barracks, to- gether with a new headquarters sta tion and barracks at Hartford, con- struction of which was begun in 1886 and completed in part last year, will soon be ready.
 When. in 1887 the general assem- ply again increased the departments personnel by fifty policemen, to a statutory limit of 225, and with the stipulation that seventy-five man daily highway patrol be maintained, it also authorized an additional barracks at Litchfield. Plans are now being prepared by the Con- necticut department of public works. This, when in operation, will bring the number of branch barracks to ten. these being located at Ridge field, Canaan, Stafford Springs, Danielson, Groton, Colchester. Vest brook, Westport, Beacon Falls, and as stated, Litchfield.
 AlI-Time High
 Although it was financially im- possible to meet the 1885 statutory requirement. of a force of ITS men, by addition to the state police of adequately trained men, before Jan uary of this year, the department maintained an average daily patrol of forty-six men in the year 1886 and an average of fifty-one men last year. With the addition to the force of the twenty-seven graduates of the Ridgefield school in January of this year, the department was able to provide an all-time high in highway patrol man-power during February, seventy-two men doing traffic pa trol as an average for each day of the month.