Tennessee Highway Patrol
| Tennessee Highway Patrol | |
|---|---|
Patch of Tennessee Highway Patrol | |
| Abbreviation | THP |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | December 14, 1929 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Employees | 1,869 (as of 2004) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Tennessee, USA |
| Size | 42,169 square miles (109,220 km2) |
| Population | 6,833,793 (2019 est.) |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Sworn members | 1083 (authorized, as of 2024) |
| Civilians | 897 (as of 2004) |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security |
| Districts | 8 |
| Facilities | |
| Actual patrol cars | Ford Explorer 2016/2023 Chevrolet Tahoe 2007/2016. |
| Aircraft | Bell 429 GlobalRanger |
| Website | |
| official page | |
The Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) is the State Patrol organization for the U.S. state of Tennessee, responsible for enforcing all federal and state laws relating to traffic on the state's federal and state highways. The agency was created to protect the lives, property, and constitutional rights of people in Tennessee. The THP is a division of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol provides assistance to motorists who need help. It investigates traffic accidents involving property damage, personal injury, or death. The agency works with prosecutors in the prosecution of cases in which the use of drugs or alcohol contributed to accidents causing personal injury or fatalities. In addition to traffic law enforcement, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has responsibility in criminal interdiction, which involves the suppression of narcotics on the state's roads and highways, including Interstate Highways. It is the agency responsible for conducting background checks on applicants for permits to carry handguns.