Mississippi Department of Public Safety

Last updated
Department of Public Safety
Seal of Mississippi (2014).svg
Department overview
Headquarters1900 E Woodrow Wilson Ave
Jackson, Mississippi
EmployeesApprox. 1 400 (2021) [1]
Annual budgetApprox. $147 000 000 [2]
Department executive
  • Sean Tindell [3] , Commissioner
Website www.dps.ms.gov

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety is an administrative department of the Government of Mississippi, headquartered in Jackson. It is responsible for the state Highway Patrol and commercial vehicle enforcement; specialized investigations and controlled drugs and substances enforcement; issuing driver's licenses and firearms permits; and the state Capitol Police. [3]

Contents

History

The position of "Commissioner of Public Safety" was first created in 1938, with the establishment of the Mississippi Highway Safety Patrol. [4]

The Department expanded in the early 1970s, when the Bureau of Narcotics was established in 1971 to conduct specialized enforcement and carry out investigations into the abuse, trafficking, manufacturing, and mishandling of controlled substances. [5] Initially under the control of the State Board of Health, the Bureau of Narcotics was transferred over to the control of the Department of Public Safety in 1972. [6]

Organization

Highway Patrol

A Highway Patrol patrol car. MS state trooper cruiser Walls MS 2012-04-01 001.jpg
A Highway Patrol patrol car.

The Mississippi Highway Patrol, formally called the Highway Safety Patrol, is led by a director at the rank of colonel. The director also serves as assistant commissioner of the Department of Public Safety. [4] The Highway Patrol is responsible for general policing on highways across the state, investigating major incidents through its Bureau of Investigations, [7] issuing driver's licenses and firearms permits through its Driver Service Bureau, [8] and some commercial vehicle enforcement. [9]

Bureau of Investigations

The Bureau of Investigations is led by a Lieutenant Colonel of the Highway Safety Patrol, and its membership is composed of officers seconded from the Patrol. [7] The Bureau is responsible for assisting local agencies in conducting complex investigations, maintaining the state Criminal Information Centre, investigating cases of human trafficking, inspecting salvage vehicles, operating the state's Victim Assistance Program, and providing executive protection to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Speaker of the House. [7] Since 2021, the Bureau has also been responsible for investigating police shootings in the state, with the exception of shootings involving members of the Highway Safety Patrol. [10]

Bureau of Narcotics

The Bureau of Narcotics is an independent DPS agency responsible for enforcing regulations and legislation concerning the "abuse, misuse, sale, and trafficking of controlled substances." [5] The Bureau is led by a director at the rank of colonel, appointed by the Commissioner of Public Safety. [5]

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References

  1. "Mississippi DPS expands police power with takeover of MDOT, Capitol Police, city interstates". The Columbian Progress. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  2. "Mississippi lawmakers set FY 2023 budget with extreme surplus". The Delta Democrat-Times. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Welcome". Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  4. 1 2 "Administration". Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bureau of Narcotics". Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  6. G E Neasman; H A Brown; L G Marlow. "Performance Evaluation of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics" (PDF). National Institute of Justice. Retrieved January 23, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. 1 2 3 "Bureau of Investigation". Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  8. "Driver Service Bureau". Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  9. "Motor Carrier Safety Division". Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  10. Kayode Crown. "MBI Will Not Release Names of Mississippi Police Who Shoot People, Negating Transparency Efforts". Mississippi Free Press. Retrieved January 23, 2024.