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Gangsters, Gunfire, and Political Intrigue: The History of the Indiana State Police by Marilyn Olsen.
Year 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the Indiana State Police. The Department is rich in history and tradition. Those of us still serving are very proud of our Department's past, and to present this special era this is the first, in a series of twelve articles, I am proud to share with Madison Came Running Readers.
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.
Indiana State Police Training.
After the Indiana State Police formed in 1933 it largely consisted of basically untrained, ill equipped traffic officers left over from the Motor Vehicle Police. The first formal “academy” or recruit school began July 15, 1935 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis. The applicants were given physicals, underwent a “character” investigation, took a written exam, were fingerprinted, and were personally interviewed by the Superintendent and members of the State Police Board before they were accepted to attend the training. There are conflicting accounts of exactly how many candidates were selected but it was somewhere between 80 and 100. The recruits were housed and slept on Army cots on the second floor of the horse barn and ate their meals at the State Fair Hotel near Gate 6. The training lasted five weeks and again, there are conflicting accounts, but between 60 and 70 passed the rigorous training program to become the first formally trained troopers. The following year the Indiana State Police moved its recruit training to the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington where recruit schools would be held for the next 40 years. In 1976 the Indiana State Police began training its troopers at the then “new” Indiana Law Enforcement Academy located near Plainfield, IN. This location remains the I.S.P. recruit training facility yet today.
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.
Almost At The Beginning
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.
Throughout their careers Indiana State Troopers undergo continuous in-service training in an effort to stay up-to-date in the latest law enforcement knowledge, techniques and ever changing technology. Today’s Indiana State Trooper is dedicated to the service of the citizens of Indiana and strives to maintain the reputation and high level of professionalism those in the illustrious history of this great department worked so hard to achieve.
The Indiana State Police Board.
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.
Governor Paul V. McNutt
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.
Indiana State Police Posts
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 18 districts today include Lowell, Lafayette, Peru, Toll Road, Ft. Wayne, Bremen, Redkey, Terre Haute, Bloomington, Jasper, Evansville, Connersville, Versailles, Seymour, Sellersburg, Pendleton, Indianapolis, and Putnamville with General Headquarters being located in the Indiana Government Center Complex in Indianapolis.
Versailles Post Data Written By Sergeant Noel Houze:
Locally the Versailles District (now District 42) covers six counties in southeastern Indiana and includes Dearborn, Decatur, Jefferson, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland Counties. The Versailles Post was originally commissioned on August 15, 1956 as a sub-district to Post 6 in Connersville. Land was purchased from Herman Werner at the intersection of then new S.R. 129 and U.S. 421. A Gunnison pre-fab home was selected so the post would blend in with the surrounding residential area. Sgt. Cecil Melvin was chosen to serve as the first commanding officer at the new post. He was assisted by Corporals Norman Huelson and Russell Powner. Serving as the district detective was Frank Benz. The new post originally served as the offices to 16 sworn and civilian Indiana State Police personnel.
Versailles Post Yesterday
Over the next 35 to 40 years the Versailles District grew in the number of personnel assigned. In 1995 with the passage of riverboat gaming and the projected arrival of two gaming boats - initially in the Versailles District - with a third one projected in the near future, there was a need for more manpower than the Versailles District had ever before seen. A new facility was going to be necessary to provide adequate office space for the growing district.
The planning for a much needed, larger facility was many years in the making. Because the new post would require all the land on which the original post was located, destruction of the original post was necessary. In August of 1995 the district was temporarily relocated to a residence located behind the original post. After numerous delays the old post was finally destroyed and a new post was under construction. Finally on January 5, 2000 district operations began in the current building. A modern 14,000 square foot concrete building now serves as the district offices for over 70 sworn and civilian Indiana State Police employees. In addition to the much needed additional office space, the new facility has a modern laboratory, training room, conference room, two garage bays, a wash bay, a processing bay and a more secure evidence storage area.
Versailles Post Today
Connersville Post Data Added By Sergeant John Bowling:
The following is an excerpt from The Connersville News Examiner dated October 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 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 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.
Connersville was selected as the site because of the location and because the city police department had a radio station. Records show there have been no holdups within 50 miles of any department with radio facilities.
Connersville Post Today
Some Gave All
“As we that are left behind grow old they shall not grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM.”
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.
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.
In its 52 year history, the Versailles District has suffered the loss of one of its troopers on two different occasions. On December 18, 1966 just after 3:00 a.m. Tpr. William R. Rayner was patrolling I-74, just east of Greensburg, in Decatur County when he stopped a 1959 Chevrolet for improper taillights. Unbeknownst to Tpr. Rayner, the occupants of the vehicle were escapees from a Kentucky prison driving a stolen car. After Tpr. Rayner approached the car and made contact with the occupants he ordered them out of the vehicle.
Immediately after the passenger exited the vehicle on the driver’s side, he grabbed for Tpr. Rayner and then shot and killed the trooper. Tpr. Rayner’s assailant was subsequently shot and killed by a Decatur County deputy sheriff who was riding with Tpr. Rayner that night. The driver escaped on foot but was captured several hours later after an extensive manhunt. Tpr. Rayner, a 1954 graduate of Milan High School, was 30 years old at the time of his death and left behind a wife, Rhea Dawn and two sons. His wife was pregnant at the time of his death and later delivered a third son.
On April 25, 1997, just before 1:00 p.m., Tpr. Andrew P. Winzenread responded to a report of a female walking west along I-74 east of the New Point exit in eastern Decatur County. Upon arrival he discovered her vehicle had run out of gas so Tpr. Winzenread transported her to the nearby truck stop to obtain fuel. When the two arrived back at her vehicle Tpr. Winzenread opened the back door on the driver’s side of his police car to retrieve the can of gasoline. An eastbound semi tractor-trailer ran off the traveled portion of I-74 and sideswiped the trooper’s car, striking the trooper and killing him instantly. Tpr. Winzenread was 26 years old at the time of his death and left behind a wife, Cynthia and a one month old daughter.
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 and click on the “In Memoriam” link on the left side of the page.
To be continued.
*NOTE: The sources of the above historical information: Gangsters, Gunfire, and Political Intrigue: The History of the Indiana State Police by Marilyn Olsen and Indiana State Police 1933-1983 by Esther Kellner.
