Oregon State Police Celebrate 75 Years (VIDEO)

(SALEM) - Today marks the anniversary of the Oregon State Police, which became an agency August 1st, 1931. As part of a special celebration honoring the time span, state police gathered at the Oregon state capitol in a show of solidarity and force. The 75 years have been witness to every kind of challenge that a police agency has endured.

While highly trained and considered by many to be the best state police agency in the nation, Oregon State Police have endured their share of tragedies. Troopers have been lost in the line of duty, and many others have been injured.

Their duties reach far beyond the freeways of Oregon, as OSP troopers maintain a substantial fish and wildlife operation. Little time passes between reports of OSP troopers saving lives and averting tragedy, often at great personal risk.

And the passage of time has meant increased technology for Oregon State Police. One demonstration that people rarely get to see up close involves the agency’s bomb squad robots.

“This one is the much more modern version of the 6A, the electronics are much more capable, the joints are stronger.”

Bill Hakim is a Hazardous Devices Technician with OSP. He says the bomb robots allow cops to keep their distance from explosives, and the capabilities of the robots have increased substantially in the new age of accelerated technology.

It was a rare chance to see these devices up close. Still, Hakim didn’t elaborate too much. Bomb squad teams are often secretive about their methods.

“Most of the difference you can’t see, they’re internal, they have to do with electronic capabilities, remote sensors.”

State police work closely with other agencies, and Hakim says all bomb teams in this state have standardized their bomb robots. It allows them to cover each other.

“That makes for a very, very high level of interoperability with for instance, the Marion County incident. Salem Police can turn around and operate our robot; I can turn around and operate theirs. If we have any kind of a major problem I’m going to be able to deploy with other technicians who have exactly the same training I do and we’re familiar with each other’s tools.”

Additional 75th Anniversary celebrations during the month are being scheduled around the state.

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Comments

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badcopnodonut August 3, 2006 8:54 am (Pacific time)

That is actually a website. Recently the police in Eugene were called to stop an emergency situation that involved a drunken brawl at an outdoor event. The response was, "We are too busy on the highways to repsond to that sort of thing." They just want to sit comfortably in their vehicles and give tickets and annoy drivers. Do me a favor Oregonians, drive like you are in driver education. Drive as safely as you can and put on your seatbelts and watch your cell phones. This is the only way to get even with police abuse and waste. Make sure that they have no reason to pull you over and give you a ticket. This is a very intelligent way of fighting back the police waste and corruption and indifference to important situations. Be good little boys and girls when you are behind the wheel. This will make them look even worse than they are. And if they give you a ticket that is just to make their quota, fight them, go to the library, there are plenty of ways to legally fight an undeserved ticket. I once received a ticket for going 1 mile over the speed limit. The officer must have not made his quota.

Helmut Von Maltzahn August 2, 2006 11:04 am (Pacific time)

My German grandparents surived two World Wars, a runaway inflation that made the Mark worthless, a world depression, were almost put in U.S. concentration camps. People forget that the Japanese were not the only ones who were locked up (at least they got some money not that it is of any consolation to them.) They sent money to Germany so that their brothers, sisters and their children would not starve. Some of my family was either killed by firestorm raids and burned alive or were killed by the Nazi regime even though they were Lutherans. Tens of thousands of German soldiers were murdered well after the war was over until at least 1947, this was all covered up by our military as per usual. They had to learn a new language to survive. Who ever gave them recognition? No, the society vilified two loving, hard working people that would give you the shirts off their backs. We all deserve respect for the things we do it is just that society has a stereotype of what a real hero is. My grandparents were real heros and no one ever helped or gave a rats ass about them except some relatives. My point is, stop saying this one is a hero, that one is a hero and only pick people from certain categories like the military of fire department. I don't know anyone who could have withstood what my grandparents withstood. That my friend is real bravery and no one ever paid for their party. And don't give me any they deserved it crap or I'll throw the Treaty of Versailles at you which created all of the turmoil for most of the 20th century and created a Hitler and a Stalin thanks to the Americans, British, French and Russians most of whom were reluctant to sign it because they knew it was so oppressive that something bad would come. That bad was Hitler and a cold war for the rest of the century and now the nonsense in the Middle East because an Israel was created rather than letting the Jews come here. We all have different heros at different times with different recognition for different reasons. Right now Tim King is a hero to me because he and Bonnie put themselves on the line and don't whore themselves to anyone. How do you like them apples? You can throw in Kevin and Henry too.

Anonymous August 2, 2006 10:07 am (Pacific time)

Why don't you give these guys a break, they are celebrating 75 years and it only comes once in a lifetime. Oregon state troopers are as imperfect as the next, but they also deserve respect for the good things they do.

Hans Haselbach August 2, 2006 6:10 am (Pacific time)

All you hear about today because of the 9/11 conspiracy are bombs, bombs, bombs. Most bomb threats are fakes. Most bomb devices turn out to be confetti-poppers. All of this money and manpower being spent on toys for things that will never happen or happen so infrequently they are not worth the cost. These devices are all part of wasteful government spending for contracts given to corporations (with kickbacks of course) to supply this stuff. Do we need it, of course, to this extent....of course not. Europe has lived with terrorism for decades and accepts the reality of it. It happens so infrequently. Worry about the poor kids that die in the inner cities because they are neglected, do not get proper nutrition or proper medical care. All of this macho crap in the name of saving lives. If you want to save lives have National Health Insurance for all! I actually do respect the State Troopers because they are much better educated than local police who are like the Keystone Cops, but come on, if you really want to save lives, think more in terms of levees so that people and property are not damaged like Katrina. Hey, Katrina was a real bomb and our government did not do a thing to save lives and property. This keeping the Americans in a constant state of Timothy McVeigh fear are designed for one thing only.... to keep us frightened of the middle eastern boogie man so that we can send troops all over the world to grab whatever oil is left. Keep the Americans scared so that they surrender their civil rights and do not question the global corporate quest for oil and other resources. I am going to save the lives of civilians and police at this very minute by giving a word of advice. STOP SPEEDING in those patrol cars especially for things that are trivial. In the quest to save life (or to get to the free buffet dinner for people with a badge at the local chow palace.) you are taking your own lives and the lives of civilians. Do you ever read how many fatal accidents are caused by patrol cars speeding recklessly through our streets in this country? Unless Canada plans to take us over.......SLOW DOWN GUYS! You are going to get yourselves killed by speeding to things that may not be as important as you driving relatively safely. It is a sad fact but that is the reality. Just remember, there are no heros, martyrs or saints.....only people trying to help the suffering of others because they have a heart. As far as Timothy McVeigh, guys like that are too smart and brave to be caught. He was an extremist but was making an important statement about the out of control bureaucracy that we have which kills people because of it's slow response to take action...kind of like F.E.M.A. The people that were killed and injured by McVeigh saddens me almost as much as the people we kill everyday for the last 3 and a half years overseas in Iraq.

Albert Marnell August 2, 2006 5:15 am (Pacific time)

Solidarity and a show of force? What is this an occupation army or the mafia?

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