HISTORY OF THE INDIANA STATE POLICE

NOTE: The year 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the Indiana State Police.
  The Indiana State Police Department is one very rich in history and tradition and those of us still serving are very proud of our past and this momentous occasion.  In conjunction with this special time in our history, this is the first article in a series of 12 I am proud to write to share some of the history of this great department with every Hoosier that all troopers, past and present, have sworn to protect and serve.

How We Began

In the early days of the twentieth century the automobile was in its infancy.  With this new invention, criminals soon took advantage of the power and speed of the “horseless carriage” as a means of quick escape after committing their crimes.  Once they crossed county lines, the local sheriff had no jurisdiction in the neighboring counties, thus criminal apprehension was extremely difficult.  Additionally, in those early days, drivers’ licenses weren’t required and no safety equipment was required to be on vehicles such as lights, brakes, horns, etc.  As a result, there were high numbers of motor vehicle crashes that resulted in numerous injuries and fatalities along Hoosier roadways.

Eventually cars were required to have safety equipment but the local sheriffs still had no jurisdiction or authority to stop violators once they crossed the county line.  On July 15, 1921 the Indiana legislature created the Indiana Motor Vehicle Police.  The Motor Vehicle Police became the first law enforcement agency in the state to have statewide jurisdiction to enforce traffic laws.  Originally there were 16 members of the Motor Vehicle Police tasked with enforcing motor vehicle laws across the state.  Unfortunately, those 16 officers had only “limited” authority.  They were only authorized to enforce the “rules of the road” and motor vehicle laws.  Unless a car was stolen, improperly registered, or a driver was in violation of a traffic law, the Motor Vehicle Police had no other law enforcement authority.

As the 1920’s progressed, crime began to increase.  With prohibition, the gangsters of the period, and the onset of the Great Depression, the need for a statewide “full service” law enforcement agency was ever increasing.  Finally by 1927 the first steps toward creating the much needed full service statewide police agency began to occur.  In 1927 an act of legislation created a group of three “bureaus.”  One bureau reported and recorded crashes, one conducted criminal investigations, and the third was the Bureau of Criminal Identification and served as a clearinghouse for fingerprint identification which was becoming a widely accepted method of establishing the identity of individuals.

In 1932 the citizens of Indiana elected Paul V. McNutt, a Democrat, as Governor.  Governor McNutt immediately began to overhaul state government.  Through the Executive Reorganization Act of 1933, the governor took 167 state agencies and put them into eight new departments.  In addition, he consolidated the law enforcement bureaus into one agency with broad law enforcement authority thus forming the Indiana State Police Bureau.

Much as it was in 1935 and as it has been throughout the history of the Indiana State Police, not just anyone can become a trooper.  Today’s applicants must undergo a rigorous and competitive selection process and are highly scrutinized before they are offered the “privilege” of attending recruit training.  The selection process of today still consists of written testing, physical examination, background investigation, oral interview, and the applicant still has to be fingerprinted.  In addition, applicants must also submit to a polygraph examination, go through a psychological examination, and pass a physical fitness test as part of the selection process. 

Even after an applicant successfully completes all the steps of the selection process, there is still no guarantee they will become a trooper.  Since the first school in 1935, recruit training has increased and become more sophisticated and demanding.  Recruits today are still trained in all of the “traditional” law enforcement disciplines such as criminal law, traffic law, firearms, self-defense, First-aid and riot control are but a handful of the courses of training received.  However, today’s I.S.P. recruit training consists of other facets as well.  Today’s troopers are trained in psychology, emergency driving, “Verbal Judo,” and “Survival Spanish” to name a few.  Moreover, today’s recruit school is no less than 24 weeks long.  During the entire training period the recruit must study, maintain a high level of physical fitness and maintain their uniform, personal appearance and room in inspection condition at all times while conforming to strict “military” type discipline.

The Executive Reorganization Act of 1933 created the Indiana State Police as we know it today by consolidating the three state law enforcement bureaus into one agency.  Governor McNutt recognized a need to keep politics out of the state police bureau as much as possible.  The 1935 Reorganization Act called for the creation of a bipartisan state police board.  On June 10, 1935 Governor McNutt appointed the first Indiana State Police Board consisting of two Republicans and two Democrats.  The original Board members were Albert Rabb, Horace D. Norton, Claud R. Crooks, and Carl M. Gray.

The first job for the Board was to enforce the merit system which had just been created and at the same time, attempt to take politics out of the state police.  Since the head of the Indiana State Police is a governor’s appointee, the bipartisan board helps to maintain a balance between any possible political motives a superintendent may have against the best interest of the Department and the public.  In addition, the board can still provide some civilian influence and a broader, more neutral perspective over certain issues that may be viewed more narrowly by a career law enforcement officer.

Since the creation of the Board, one of its functions has been to review policies and procedures and make sure the Department fulfills its statutory obligations.  The Board approves appointments, retirements, promotions, and awards and gives input on equipment needs or issues and the addition or construction of new posts among other infrastructure concerns.  The Board also serves as a liaison between the Department and the Governor’s office.

Another important function of the State Police Board is the role it plays in the Department’s disciplinary process.  A state police employee has the right to appeal disciplinary decisions made by supervisors and commanders up the chain of command all the way to the Board.  A police officer is and should be held to a higher standard than the public, yet without giving up certain rights.  When an appeal is taken all the way to the Board, the issue is heard from the very beginning as if that hearing is the first hearing for the accused employee.  However, if the Board finds there has been misconduct or a violation of Department policy, it may impose a more severe penalty than the original penalty imposed by a commander.

The original State Police Board consisted of four individuals.  Today’s Board consists of six members, three Republicans and three Democrats.  There is one board member representing each State Supreme Court District.  The members serve staggered four year terms therefore making it impossible for any governor to completely change the make up of the board during his or her term.  Since the implementation of the Indiana State Police Board in 1935, it has played a significant role in the reputation of the Indiana State Police Department as a premier law enforcement agency.

The current Indiana State Police Department is broken down by geographical districts.  Each district encompasses a certain number of counties.  Today there are 18 districts throughout the state, plus headquarters; but in the early days there were far fewer districts.  Originally there existed the North District, located in a house in Tremont in Porter County.  The Central District was located in the basement of the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis.  The South District was located in a house in Seymour.  In addition, Post 1 was located in Michigan City sometime before 1937; Post 2 was located in Ligonier; Post 3 was in Lafayette; Post 4 was in Anderson; Post 5 was originally located in Rockville and by 1938 moved to Putnamville; Post 6 was originally located in Rushville but moved to Connersville by 1938; Post 7 was located in Seymour and Post 8 was originally located in Evansville but moved to Jasper in 1938.

By 1941 there had been a realignment of districts that created some change in locations.  There were nine districts, plus headquarters.  The districts at that time consisted of Post 1 at Dunes Park (in Chesterton, IN), Post 2 at Ligonier, Post 3 at Lafayette, Post 4 at Pendleton, Post 5 at Putnamville, Post 6 at Connersville, Post 7 at Seymour, Post 8 at Jasper, and Post 11 at Charlestown, along with Headquarters located in Indianapolis.  Those districts remained in place until 1953 when Superintendent Frank Jessup began a move to decentralize the districts which created nine sub-districts. 

The purpose behind Superintendent Jessup’s decentralization effort was an attempt to realign the counties and reduce the sizes of the existing 10 districts into more manageable units of four or five counties.  The decentralization effort was pretty much completed by the end of 1959.  The sub-districts added included Post 1A in South Bend, Post 1B in Schererville, Post 2A in Ft. Wayne, Post 3A in Peru, Post 3B in Kentland, Post 4A in Redkey, Post 5A in Terre Haute, Post 6A in Versailles, Post 7A in Bloomington, and Post 8A in Evansville.  The sub-district program continued and in 1965 Post 10 (Toll Road) was commissioned.  LaPorte became Post 10A and LaGrange became Post 10B giving the Indiana State Police 11 districts and 11 sub-districts.  In 1971 the districts were organized into area commands and the posts were renumbered and there were no longer any sub-districts.

The following is an excerpt from The Connersville News Examiner dated October 19^th, 1937 regarding the construction of the “new” Connersville State Police Post that was about to be built.

United States senator Frederick Van Nuys today wired the News Examiner to the effect that President Roosevelt had approved the WPA allotment of $16,494 for the construction of the building and improvement of the grounds at the South edge of the corporate limits of Connersville on a site generously donated by Marion K Jemison.  The allotment will include money for installation of plumbing, heating, and electrical facilities, landscaping, construction of a driveway and other work.

Mayor Dentlinger started work on the project several months ago and early June announced that he had been virtually assured that Connersville would receive first consideration in the erection of the new barracks.  With the offer of Mr. Jemison to donate the land for the site obstacles in the way of the project were removed and it was then a matter for the state police head and the state police board.  The approval today is the last site in the campaign and it is expected work will be started on the new barracks as soon as possible.

The new building will be built according to plans and specifications of the state police board and will conform to the style used in barracks buildings.  Mr. Jemison has donated land with frontage of 365 feet and a depth of 250 feet and also granted an easement to the state of an additional 130 feet which will be used for the radio station which is contemplated in connection with the new barracks.

The building will be located 170 feet from the road and a u-turn drive will be constructed in front of the structure.

The city is fortunate to be getting the new barracks as it will mean Connersville will have the protection of two police departments.  The new barracks will replace the state police post now in operation south of Rushville.

There four state police barracks at present and three more are to be constructed the local project to be the first of the three additional posts.

Connersville was selected as the site because of the location and due to the fact that the city police department has a radio station.  Records show there have been no holdups within 50 miles of any of the stations which have radio facilities.

Those are the words etched on the memorial stones at every Indiana State Police facility throughout the state.  On the reverse side of those stones are etched the names of 45 Indiana State Police employees who have given their lives in service to the citizens of Indiana.  That number includes 43 troopers, a Motor Carrier Inspector, and a DNA analyst.  Whether they were killed in a traffic crash, plane crash, by a heart attack, or killed in a violent assault, each was a hard working individual who believed in what they were doing and were steadfast in their dedication to serving the citizens of Indiana.

The Indiana State Police was just in its infancy when its first trooper was killed in the line of duty.  On December 21, 1933, following a tip that Dillinger gang member Edward Shouse would be at the Frances Hotel in Paris, IL to plan a bank robbery, several members of the Indiana State Police, including Tpr. Eugene Teague, along with Illinois police officers were waiting for Shouse.  When Shouse and two female accomplices arrived at the hotel, Tpr. Teague struck Shouse's car with his vehicle. As Shouse attempted to escape, a gun battle ensued and Tpr. Teague was killed in the crossfire.

Most recently, Tpr. Daniel Barrett of the Peru District was killed January 27, 2008 in a crash as he attempted to catch up to a traffic violator on U.S. 31 in Fulton County.  Tpr. Barrett was just 25 years old when he died and had been with the Indiana State Police less than one year.

Since the early days of the Indiana State Police a memorial service has been held each May at all Indiana State Police districts to perpetuate the memory of those who have died in the line of duty.  The service serves as means of paying tribute to those who died in the line of duty, that their sacrifice was not made in vain, and as a reminder to those of us left behind that we should strive to maintain the level of professional service to the public our departed comrades so unselfishly gave their lives for.

As one of the oldest posts in the state, the Connersville Post is rich in history and has lost three troopers in the line of duty.  The first was Herbert Smith who was killed  on 12-5-46.

While on patrol, Trooper Smith stopped a car for a traffic violation. When the driver could not produce the car's registration, the trooper asked the driver to follow him to Shelbyville. On the way to town, Trooper Smith radioed for a check on the license number, suspecting the car was stolen. Pretending to have car trouble, the suspects stopped their car and the trooper stopped his police vehicle. As he approached the suspects' vehicle, they opened fire hitting Trooper Smith three times. The trooper returned fire before crawling back into his vehicle, where he died.

The second was Trooper Robert Clevenger.  Trooper Clevenger was in pursuit of a motorist when the chase led to a T-intersection. Due to the dust created by the other vehicle, Clevenger was unable to see the embankment ahead of him and struck it head-on. At the scene, investigators found the license number of the car Clevenger had pursued and were able to locate the vehicle owner, a parole violator.

The third was Robert Lietzan who was killed on 3-30-69.  Responding to a complaint of a man firing shots at a family in a camping area in rural Franklin County, Trooper Lietzan and other police officers arrived on the scene to find the suspect in a barricaded position. As police called for the suspect to surrender, he fired several shots into the group of officers, fatally wounding Trooper Lietzan.

For a complete listing of Indiana Troopers killed in the line of duty and a summary of their deaths, visit the Indiana State Police website at www.in.gov/isp and click on the “In Memoriam” link on the left side of the page.

In 1973 the Career Camp opportunities were expanded to include the young ladies as the female role in law enforcement was growing nationally.  The initial camp was a three day camp that met with such success it was expanded to five days the following year.

In 1979 the Indiana District of Optimists teamed up with the Indiana State Police to co-sponsor Respect for Law Camp.  Respect for Law Camp offers opportunities for fifth and sixth grade students to participate in a camp experience that is law enforcement oriented, yet the content is geared toward the younger camper.  Safety programs, law enforcement demonstrations, and physical activities provide the campers the opportunity to interact with troopers in a less regimented atmosphere than the Career Camp.  The three day camp is held on several different college campuses throughout Indiana each summer.

Sgt. Alder was also concerned about the history of the Indiana State Police.  So many photos, antiquated equipment, books, and other articles of memorabilia was stored haphazardly in cabinets, closets, drawers, and boxes in different locations throughout the state.  He had the idea of a centralized location to store these priceless items and preserve the history of the department.  Although by the late 1980’s Sgt. Alder had been retired from the state police for several years, he got the idea to request a parcel of unused state owned land near the Indianapolis Post as a location to build a museum.  The museum would serve as an excellent location to preserve all the I.S.P. memorabilia and at the same time allow it to be displayed for the public to enjoy.  This museum could also serve as the central office for the Indiana State Police Youth Services Program.

Though Sgt. Alder’s idea seemed like a logical solution to what he believed to be a problem, it lacked one very important element.  Where would the money come from?  Sgt. Alder, not one to give up on an idea, approached the Indiana State Police Alliance with his proposal and the Alliance agreed to fund $100,000 to get the project started.  Although that amount of money would not complete the project, Sgt. Alder continued seeking donations and other means of raising funds.  Finally on April 13, 1992 a ground breaking ceremony was held and the new Indiana State Police Youth Education and Historical Center was officially under construction.  The project was completed about one year later with the official grand opening.  Today the Youth Education and Historical Center serves as the central office for the Indiana State Police Youth Services Program and its displays include old Indiana State Police cars, photos, brochures, and other memorabilia from I.S.P. history.  The museum, which is free, is open to the public during normal business hours Monday through Friday and group tours can be arranged. 
For more information on the Indiana State Police Youth Education and Historical Center or Indiana State Police Youth Services Programs, visit the Indiana State Police website at www.in.gov/isp.  There are links for both the museum and youth camps located on the left side of the page.

After getting parole, it didn’t take long to hook up with some old prison mates and begin to earn his title as “gangster.”  Over the next 12-15 months Dillinger’s exploits would eventually earn him the title of Public Enemy #1.  Most of his crimes were committed in the Midwest including his home state of Indiana.  A new police department by the name of the Indiana State Police would pursue Dillinger throughout the state of Indiana and even across state lines before Dillinger would eventually be gunned down in
Chicago, IL in 1934.

Indiana State Police Superintendent Al Feeney had no law enforcement background and appointed Captain Matt Leach to head up the Indiana State Police in their pursuit of Dillinger.  Leach, who had worked for many years as an officer with the Gary, IN Police Department, first became aware of Dillinger in the summer of 1933 after Dillinger began robbing Indiana banks.  

Over the next several months Dillinger would taunt Leach.  Dillinger made phone calls to Leach including one call saying, “You almost surprised me in Gary, gumshoe.  Nice try.”  Dillinger even sent him a book once entitled, “How to be a Detective.” 
Despite all the taunting, Leach continued his relentless pursuit of Dillinger and his gang.

In January of 1934 Dillinger and a couple of his gang members robbed a bank in Chicago and then headed to Tucson, AZ to hook up with other gang members.  Dillinger kept up his taunting of Leach by sending him post cards saying, “Wish you were here.”  Eventually Tucson police managed to catch up to Dillinger and his gang members and took them into custody.

After the capture of Dillinger in Arizona, Leach flew to Tucson to escort Dillinger back to Indiana. He was to be held at the Lake County Jail in Crown Point, IN.  Despite Leach’s urging to hold Dillinger in the more secure state prison in nearby Michigan City, Lake County officials declared their jail to be “escape proof.”  Although there is not an exact historical confirmation, it was Dillinger’s escape from the Lake County Jail that was said to have been accomplished when he carved a gun from a piece of wood and threatened the guards into letting him out.  It was after this escape Indiana State Police intensified their efforts in their pursuit of Dillinger.

Indiana State Police efforts to capture Dillinger and his gang members remained a top priority.  The pursuit of Dillinger had already resulted in the death of Eugene Teague, the first Indiana trooper killed in the line of duty in December 1933.  Teague was killed in Paris, IL when Illinois and Indiana police staked out a hotel after receiving a tip Dillinger gang member Edward Shouse was meeting accomplices there to plan a bank robbery.

One of the first Indiana troopers, George Daugherty recalled the hunt for Dillinger in a 1976 article in the Anderson Sunday Herald.  According to Daugherty, the lack of manpower, a shortage of effective equipment, and no communications in vehicles made the hunt for Dillinger a nightmare.  Daugherty says they (Indiana State Police) never got a day off.  The Chicago Worlds Fair was going on at the time and troopers were covering six or seven counties at once.  They were inundated with calls from people saying they had spotted Dillinger.  Although nine out of ten calls were false, they still had to follow up on them according to Daugherty.  Daugherty even commented that his involvement in the Dillinger case didn’t even end with Dillinger’s death.  He said he was among a contingency of troopers assigned to the security detail at Dillinger’s funeral.

The pursuit of John Dillinger ended in 1934 in Chicago.  Dillinger was set up by Anna Sage, a Romanian immigrant facing deportation.  She struck a deal with the FBI and agreed to help them capture Dillinger.  On July 22, 1934 she and Dillinger would travel to the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable and William Powell in the movie Manhattan Melodrama.  Since Dillinger had undergone plastic surgery, FBI agents weren’t sure they would be able to recognize him.  Sage would be with Dillinger when they exited the theater so he could be identified.  Sage was wearing an orange dress but in the lights outside the theater it looked red thus earning her the moniker, the “Lady in Red.”  When FBI agents approached Dillinger from behind he spotted them and began to run as he reached into his pocket to retrieve his gun.  The agents opened fire killing Dillinger.

While the Indiana State Police were not responsible for the final apprehension of Dillinger, their exhaustive efforts in pursuit of Public Enemy #1 is but just one chapter in that of their long and distinctive 75 year history.

*NOTE: The source of the above historical information:
Gangsters, Gunfire, and Political Intrigue: The History of the Indiana State Police by Marilyn Olsen.