Georgia State Patrol
The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) was established in March 1937 in the U.S. state of Georgia and is a division of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. GSP troopers investigate traffic crashes and enforce traffic and criminal laws on the state's roads. History. The Department of Public Safety was created as Georgia citizens complained about increased traffic fatalities, crime, and a need for a larger law enforcement agency with statewide arrest powers. Georgia lawmakers decided to create the State Patrol. In 1937, Governor E.D. Rivers appointed Philip H. Brewster, Sr. as its first permanent commissioner. That  summer the first Trooper School was held at Georgia Tech. Eighty troopers graduated the first year. To date, the Georgia State Patrol has graduated 106 Trooper Schools. Other divisions of the Georgia DPS. Capitol Police. Officers with the Capitol Police Division investigate criminal incidents and traffic crashes; manage street closures for events; patrol the streets on Capitol Square and those adjacent to other state buildings; provide courtroom security for Georgia's Supreme Court and Court of Appeals; conduct security assessments and surveillance detection; and deliver personal safety training for state employees and others. Executive Security. The Executive Security Division is , by law, responsible for two distinct functions: executive security and executive protection. Executive Security The Executive Security Unit provides facility security for the Governor's Mansion and provides personal security for the residents. Executive Protection Operating under a lieutenant colonel, this unit provides continual security for the governor, lieutenant governor, the speaker of the House, and the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, and their families. the lieutenant colonel is Tommy Waldrop. Motor Carrier Compliance. The Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) performs driver and vehicle inspections of commercial motor vehicles at roadsides, inspection stations, and at carriers' terminals. The  inspections range from "full" vehicle and driver inspections—which include mechanical components—to "driver only" inspections. These may also include inspections of vehicles transporting hazardous materials. This division consists of the following units and programs: Vehicles. The GSP currently uses Dodge Chargers which are painted in the blue and gray scheme (it also has cars in black or grey). When these cars are retired, they remain in their scheme unlike the Florida Highway Patrol that paints the tan part of their vehicles before being auctioned off to the public. Former models used were the Chevrolet Caprice, Ford Crown Victoria Police  Interceptor, Pontiac LeMans, BMW 528i (one still kept by the state), Ford Mustang and Ford Thunderbird. Fallen officers. Since the establishment of the Georgia State Patrol, 26 officers have died in the line of duty. Controversies. A Georgia state trooper shot and killed a 60-year old black man in the head in 2020 and was subsequently arrested on counts of murder and assault. Less than a second elapsed between the time the officer left his car and shoot the victim. The officer was not indicted.