Law Enforcement as a Career – State Police Officer
When stranded on the highway in the middle of nowhere, there’s no more welcome sight than the red and blue lights of a highway patrol cruiser. Rescuing stranded motorists is not the only duty of a state trooper, however. Although his or her main responsibility is to ensure public safety on the state’s roadways, a highway patrol officer’s job is like that of a deputy or municipal police officer. They patrol their assigned areas, enforce traffic laws, deal with accidents and other emergencies, and provide safety programs for the public. State troopers serve across the state, from rural communities to their state’s capitol city.
Some of the more specific duties of a state police officer are:
- observing and reporting public safety hazards, such as unsafe driving conditions
or roadway obstacles- investigating conditions and causes of accidents
- appearing in court as a witness in traffic and criminal cases
- writing reports
- assisting law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions
- conducting driver exams
- monitoring violations of commercial vehicle weight laws
- arresting persons who are driving while intoxicated
- executing search and/or arrest warrants
- enforcing drug laws