State patrol has long history

Katharhynn Heidelberg

MONTROSE - It began as a courtesy service to motorists when the automobile was largely a novelty. These days, the Colorado State Patrol still ranks courtesy as a priority, but its duties and responsibilities have expanded to meet the increased traffic flow and the laws governing driving.

The CSP, to put it simply, is in charge of enforcing all laws on Colorado's highways and at extreme personal risk to the troopers who've hit the road for a career.

"We predominately work traffic, covering accidents outside of municipalities. Our focus is primarily on traffic-related issues," CSP Cpt. Clark Bates, who heads Troop 5C in Montrose, Delta and Gunnison, said.

But it's a mistake to think of the trooper (or any other officer) as a glorified "traffic cop," because CSP officers do much more than hand out tickets. "If we get involved in something based on traffic - a felony or something - we do handle it," Bates said. "Anything that comes out of traffic, we will handle. Most of your crimes, a vehicle is involved in some way. We do make a lot of felony arrests based off of traffic stops."

That includes assaults, car thefts, drugs; misdemeanors such as drunken driving (with 165 DUI arrests by 5C last year alone) and more - and the duties are not without danger.

"There have been many officers who have been shot or run over while working," Bates said, speaking of the state patrol in general.

"A lot of things we have to concern ourselves with is other traffic. We're standing out alongside the road in a precarious position and we have to watch a lot of traffic going by. And obviously, you always have the threat of guns being involved."

Bates had his own harrowing tale. It is standard for the CSP to assist other law enforcement agencies when asked and Bates and another officer dutifully responded to a request from the Delta County Sheriff to help out when a past domestic disturbance turned deadly.

A male suspect, armed with a shotgun, attempted to leave the scene and, said Bates, "I did not want to allow him on the highway."

The man managed to force his way past the troopers' vehicles when they attempted to block him and - in a heart-stopping moment - aimed the gun at them.

Bates leapt into his patrol car and passed the suspect in reverse, blocking him at a fence line. He used his unit as cover and again, the man tried to point the gun before putting it into his own mouth.

Bates then switched gears, trying to talk the suspect down. The man was eventually arrested.

Dramatic - but all in a day's work for Troop 5C.

History and structure

The state patrol traces its beginnings to 1935, when the state Legislature created the Colorado Courtesy Patrol to assist what was, at the time, the few motorists on state roads. The CCP didn't do much by way of law enforcement, as at the time, there weren't many traffic laws.

The organization, now a branch of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, changed its name to the Colorado State Patrol in the 1940s.

"Technology has changed. Automobiles have changed, but we're basically the same department," Bates said. "Courtesy is still an integral part of what we do."

For every traffic stop, patrol troopers hand out a business card bearing their names and office contact information. These allow motorists to make complaints - even compliments.

"Unfortunately, we get more complaints than compliments. They (drivers) tend not to be in the best of moods," Cpl. Duane Larson, a patrol supervisor for 5C, said.

The state patrol is divided into different districts and, within those districts, into different groups of officers called "troops" that serve a given area.

Troop 5C is one of three in District 5, with the other troops located in Durango (also Region 5 headquarters) and Alamosa.

Service is not limited to the troop's primary town. "Mine goes from Utah to the top of Monarch (Pass), to the top of Red Mountain Pass and north to the Mesa-Delta county line," Bates said.

Explosive growth in the Montrose area has stretched Bates' troop thin. "Naturally, our department has not been able to keep up with that," he said.

The vast space and swelling population are covered by three sergeants, two corporals 15 troopers and two civilians, who perform administrative duties.

As captain, Bates is in charge of all of Troop 5C and answers to the major in Durango who has overall charge of District 5. Majors in turn report to lieutenant colonels - and if this all sounds militaristic, it's because it is.

"Our rank structure is paramilitary," Bates said. "It's a paramilitary organization."

State patrol officers are certified as peace officers by the state after going through an intensive, 22-week academy in Golden, Colo. The candidate must pass background and polygraph checks as well as physical and written tests prior to admission to the academy, at which point, he or she becomes a "cadet appointment." Once hired by a troop, the officer has in-the-field training, plus ongoing training throughout his or her career.

Enforcement and duties

The state patrol is empowered to enforce all laws, anywhere in Colorado, anytime, though it typically leaves roadways in municipalities to city police departments.

"If we stop a car within the city limits, it's usually for a pretty flagrant violation," Larson said.

The CSP keeps a close eye on traffic for signs of motorists intoxicated by alcohol or other drugs. Though DUI arrests are down, Bates said, drunken driving remains a pervasive threat on local and state roadways.

"It is a major contributing factor to fatality and injury accidents," he said, pointing to statistics that showed drugs or alcohol to be the leading cause of fatal crashes covered by 5C - last year alone, five fatalities were attributed to DUI.

The state patrol also has departments devoted to hazardous materials (pick a highway and think of how a toxic chemical spill would impact traffic flow and public safety), auto theft investigation and special details that provide security for the governor, his family and state capitol grounds.

The CSP is also responsible for truck-safety enforcement and conducts Commercial Vehicle Safety (CVSA) inspections.

"We do have our hands in a lot of other duties," Bates said.

Sometimes, even the basic courtesy duties fall into the "above and beyond the call" category. Though a driver involved in a traffic accident near Gunnison went home, Bates said his troopers knew something wasn't right, especially after they saw blood in her car.

They tracked the woman down to her home, where they found her lying on the floor in critical condition. "Had they not done that, she probably would not have survived," Bates said.

Patrol pride

A plus-minus equation factors into any job and the CSP is no exception. As is the case with most law-enforcement jobs, troopers work nights, holidays and weekends, sacrificing precious family time to keep the public safe.

"We work alone, and we're out night and day," Bates said. "It takes a special person to do that."

The upside is the freedom of the road. "We trust our people to do the right things," Bates said of on-duty officers, who can choose their patrol areas. "There's an awful lot of pride in this organization."

Contact Katharhynn Heidelberg via e-mail at katharhynnh@montrosepress.com