undercover state trooper

English translation: undercover state highway patrol officer

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	undercover state trooper
Selected answer:	undercover state highway patrol officer
Entered by:	Sol

13:24 Jun 12, 2004

English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law (general) / law enforcement

English term or phrase: undercover state trooper

Dear colleagues,
I need a little help with the meaning of this word in different states of the U.S. Where I live, in Ohio, the term "state trooper" refers to "highway patrol", that is, they don't investigate crimes. Therefore, calling them "undercover" makes no sense, since they don't work undercover. At the most they might have an unmarked police car! Anyway, I would like to know if in the state where you live the term has a different meaning. I am not looking for a dictionary definition or a "catch it all", I already have that. Thanks. :)

Sol KudoZ activity Questions: 164 (none open) (2 without valid answers) (4 closed without grading) Answers: 2770 United States
Local time: 09:32

Useful references

Explanation:
Alaska
"Ivanoff murder investigation: ABI contingent in Nome

As soon as Police Chief Ralph Taylor asked the State Troopers last Tuesday to assume responsibility in the case of Sonya Ivanoff’s homicide investigation, five ABI investigators plus one crime lab technician from Anchorage boarded a Nome-bound plane. As of Monday, the crime lab technician has left, but seven ABI troopers are still in town.
Says Captain Matt Leveque, commander of the ABI, “For us, this will be a full-time commitment until the job is done.....
......According to the Alaska State Trooper’s public affairs officer Greg Wilkinson, “We have all these troopers up in Nome to talk to people, conduct interviews and collect information. We’re there to document and substantiate evidence to make an arrest. We’re there to separate fact from fiction."He stressed that the Alaska State Troopers are here to listen. Call us at 443-2835 in Nome or 1-800-443-2835 if you have any information, even if you don’t think it’s important,” Wilkinson says.
Local troopers are assisting the ABI specialists. A trooper van is manned and parked at the fire station in Icy View observing a nearby residence almost around the clock. Another van is parked by a different Icy View residence. Wilkinson as well as Trooper Fowler declined to comment on the observation"
http://nugget.nomenugget.com/20031009/

"Alaska Department of Public Safety
State Trooper

The Department of Public Safety's responsibilities include the enforcement of all criminal and traffic laws, identification and apprehension of violators, and the prevention of crime and traffic violations. They protect Alaska's fish and wildlife resources through enforcement of laws and regulations governing use of natural resources within Alaska and its adjacent waters. Other specialized functions include white-collar crime, criminal investigations, narcotics and alcohol, serving of warrants, prisoner transport, and search and rescue missions.

The DPS has approximately 350 commissioned officers posted throughout the state, many in remote areas. The Alaska State Troopers have three statewide bureaus. These are the Alaska Bureau of Wildlife Enforcement (ABWE), the Alaska Bureau of Investigations (ABI), and the Alaska Bureau of Drug Enforcement (ABADE).
http://www.lawenforcementjobs.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=detai...

http://www.pelhampolice.com/011504.htm
undercover state trooper participating in a narcotics investigating (New Hampshire)
is interesting too

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 19 hrs 4 mins (2004-06-13 08:28:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

typo. \'participating in a narcotics investigatION (New Hampshire)\'

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 14 hrs 7 mins (2004-06-14 03:31:36 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

(New Jersey State Police)

\"More than one hundred Troopers act as the law enforcement arm for the Division of Gaming Enforcement and the Casino Control Commission....

With the advent of casino gaming in Atlantic City in 1979, the Division was called upon to play a major role to ensure compliance and enforcement of state statutes under the Casino Control Act.\"

http://www.njsp.org/about/70s.html

(New Jersey)
\" Undercover troopers arrest 21 for marijuana at Bills-Jets game
Associated Press, 11/09/98 16:14
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Undercover state troopers targeting illegal drugs at Giants Stadium arrested 21 people on minor marijuana charges during Sunday\'s game between the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets.

State police also arrested 13 people on other offenses, including trespass and improper behavior, as part of what the agency described as Gov. Christie Whitman\'s ``quality of life\'\' anti-drug campaign.

Nearly all of the suspects are men from New Jersey and New York in their 30s and 40s, according to a list released Monday by state police.

All were freed on their own recognizance and escorted from the stadium after being fingerprinted and photographed, state police spokesman John R. Hagerty said.\"

http://www.pdxnorml.org/981109.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 15 hrs 9 mins (2004-06-14 04:33:43 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

(Rochester, NY)
an undercover state trooper \"really\" working undercover, posing as a drug dealer in order to be arrested http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/1122V22ERBR_millan2...

(Springfield, Massachusetts)
\"SPRINGFIELD - Five Springfield men were arrested late yesterday after robbing an undercover state police officer at gunpoint while he was negotiating an undercover purchase of Oxycontin from one of the men, with four of the men fleeing the scene in an SUV and being apprehended by another state police officer who single-handedly halted the car and ordered the men to the ground.

The arrests took place during a three-month Oxycontin investigation conducted by undercover state troopers assigned to Attorney General Tom Reilly’s Office

....After finalizing plans for the drug deal, Alves asked the undercover trooper to wait for him while he went to retrieve the Oxycontin. Alves then walked into the nearby woods. Then, three other men allegedly working with Alves appeared, surrounded the trooper\'s car, and robbed him at gunpoint. The men allegedly stole the $3,500 that the undercover trooper was going to use to make the Oxycontin purchase and fled back into the woods
....Another undercover female state trooper working as part of the undercover surveillance team heard her fellow officers’ calls for backup over the radio and spotted the suspects as they fled in the SUV. The female trooper followed the SUV for approximately five to ten minutes before she was able to box in the truck on Peer Street in Springfield and single-handedly ordered the suspects, two of whom were carrying guns - one a 25 caliber and the other a 45 caliber - out of the car and to the ground....\"
http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=986&id=1244

it seems clear that (at least in a number of states) State troopers may perform a variety of roles, not confined to Highway patrol / traffic police work - and including investigation of various sorts of crime.
It also seems clear undercover state troopers do sometimes work \"undercover\" in the classic sense - acting the part of criminals or non-police officers for a purpose, eg: in pre-planned \"sting\" operations (see above).
The activities taking place at the stadium (E.Rutherford, New Jersey)
might be more general \"plain-clothed detective\" work (simply being disguised as non police-officers, without pre-planned targets).

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 15 hrs 31 mins (2004-06-14 04:55:56 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Finally,

from Ohio (!)

\"Patrol arrests Lisbon woman for attempted heroin conveyance.
Troopers and Department of Rehabilitation and Correction investigators obtained information that McIlvain planned to have heroin conveyed into the Mansfield Correctional Institution.

At about 1:45 p.m. today, she sold approximately three grams of heroin
to an undercover trooper
at a pre-arranged location in Richland County with the understanding the drugs would be conveyed into the prison.\"

\"The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigates criminal activity on state owned and leased property.\"

OSHP Statistics
http://statepatrol.ohio.gov/media/2002/mr0206.html
Ohio State Trooper - Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP)
statepatrol.ohio.gov/jointheOSHP.htm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 15 hrs 36 mins (2004-06-14 05:01:07 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

PENNSYLVANIA
http://www.r2kphilly.org/r2klegal/press/pr-111600.html

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 15 hrs 42 mins (2004-06-14 05:07:18 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

So even in Ohio, in some circumstances, undercover state troopers (OSHP) investigate crimes.

Selected response from:

DGK T-I
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:32

Grading comment

Thank-you very much Dr. Giuli, the references were indeed very useful, especially "The Ohio State Highway Patrol investigates criminal activity on state owned and leased property."
Since it confirms that the state troopers ARE the highway patrol, and also that they do investigations.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +6

they do investigate crimes, therefore may work undercover

Alexander Demyanov

I don't live in the USA

John Bowden

in unmarked cars

RHELLER

Plain cloth police officers

humbird

Useful references

DGK T-I

plain clothes policeman

Orla Ryan

Discussion entries: 5

Answers

26 mins confidence:

I don't live in the USA

Explanation:
so I apologise if it turns out I'm way off the mark, but I imagine "undercover" is supposed to mean "in an unmarked car", i.e. traffic police (as they're called in the UK) who drive an ordinary car, not a police car, but are on duty and can stop motorists who are breaking the law, exceeding speed limits etc. We have a lot of them in the UK, as people automatically slow down and drive more carefully when they see a police car.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-06-12 14:06:32 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

According to google, \"undercover traffic cops\" is a commonly-used phrase, so that might also be the meaning here

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-06-12 14:07:42 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

According to google, \"undercover traffic cops\" is a widely-used phrase, so that might be what\'s meant here, if \"state trooper\" = \"traffic cop\"

John Bowden
Local time: 14:32
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

Thank-you, but I am really looking for differences in meaning within the U.S.

The asker has declined this answer
Comment: Thank-you, but I am really looking for differences in meaning within the U.S.

35 mins confidence:

plain clothes policeman

Explanation:
Like John, I do not live in the USA, but that's the phrase that comes to my mind anyway.

Orla Ryan
Ireland
Local time: 14:32
Native speaker of:

English

Grading comment

Thank-you, but I am really looking for differences in meaning within the U.S.

The asker has declined this answer
Comment: Thank-you, but I am really looking for differences in meaning within the U.S.

42 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

they do investigate crimes, therefore may work undercover

Explanation:
"State trooper" is a policemen serving on State Police force, as opposed to city or town police. Even though to a layman it may seem that all they do is hiding behind bushes with radars, they do investigate "statewide" criminal activity, that is, crimes not falling under jurisdiction of local police

Alexander Demyanov
Local time: 09:32
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

Russian
PRO pts in category: 28

1 hr confidence:

in unmarked cars

Explanation:
Sgt. John LeLacheur, a New Hampshire state trooper, said police will use all their resources - aircraft, motorcycles, cruisers and unmarked cars. ...
www.yorkweekly.com/news/05292004/maine/18662.htm

... money has been obtained to allow the state to buy 12 unmarked cars for the ... in uniform, so motorists know they are being pulled over by an actual state trooper. ...
www.driveandstayalive.com/info section/ news/x_030909_aggressive-drivers-tracked.htm

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs 8 mins (2004-06-12 15:33:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

I live in the U.S. and have specifically seen these in Illinois.

RHELLER
United States
Local time: 07:32
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 32

8 hrs confidence:

Plain cloth police officers

Explanation:
I found this question quite intriguing, so I made a little research. However what I am quoting here is not the case of State Trooper. It is a matter of local police departement in Arizona Metropolitan area. In a nutshell, undercovers are police officers in plain cloths, do everything an officer in uniform does, and therefore they are armed even in plain cloth (how heavily they can arm with T-shirt with jeans? It is everybody's guess). Nevertheless they are on duty.
Whether they can make arrest while they are clothing like that? Next quote shall lead you to the answer.

-- I've been giving Copwatch trainings for years, attending Midnight Special seminars, and asking lawyers for advice, and here's what I've learned:

The police are allowed to lie, they're allowed to go undercover, and they don't ever have to tell you the truth. They do not have to tell you you're being arrested in order to arrest you; they do not have to say what bureau they're with. Whether or not cops need to identify themselves when asked is a matter of local, rather than Constitutional, law.

In short: Don't assume that when you're arrested/detained/harrassed by undercovers, you have more legal protection than usual. Observe your right to remain silent, and organize when you can. --

Hope this gives you an answer you are looking.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-06-12 22:01:06 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As you already have guessed, I live in Phoenix, Arizona.

Reference: http://ftaaimc.org/en/2003/11/1190.shtml

humbird
Native speaker of:

Japanese,

English

18 hrs confidence:

Useful references

DGK T-I
United Kingdom
Local time: 14:32
Specializes in field
PRO pts in category: 50

Grading comment

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:

ProZ.com term search

Search millions of term translations

undercover state trooper

English translation: undercover state highway patrol officer

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

Your current localization setting

Select a language

undercover state trooper

English translation: undercover state highway patrol officer

Answers

KudoZ™ translation help

You have native languages that can be verified

Your current localization setting

Select a language