This book gives an historical overview of all the fifty State Police and Highway Patrol organisations, together with the uniform and badge descriptions and state law enforcement museums where they exist. Includes 218 black & white, 226 coloured illustrations and 81 colour paintings of uniforms and badges.

Largely neglected by historians, political scientists, and criminal justice specialists, the available literature on the state police tends to be highly partisan and largely out of date. Based on legislative analysis and historical case study, this is an original contribution to our understanding of the development of the institution of the state police in the United States. Arguing that the creation of state police agencies was the result of a political process that reflected the interplay of a number of different forces, this is a rebuttal of rival interpretations of police development. The work should be of interest to criminal justice educators and political scientists on a college and university level, and to police historians.

"The purpose of this book is to aquatint you with badges, hat emblems, and shoulder insignia of the front line state law enforcement officers of America today, our state troopers. It will also give you some insight into the badges and insignia of the departments, and the difficult and expensive, yet interesting hobby of collection the memorabilia of the state troopers"--

Traces the beginnings of the New Mexico State Police and their vital services to the peoples of New Mexico.