Enforcement and specialty services

The Wisconsin State Patrol Academy provides training for State Patrol staff, as well as other law enforcement officers in Wisconsin. The academy is based at the Fort McCoy military installation on WIS 21 near Tomah.

The Air Support Unit (ASU) provides essential law enforcement and emergency aviation services to Wisconsin public safety providers while enhancing traffic safety and homeland security for citizens and visitors.

Aircraft crews conduct speed enforcement, patrol operations, and traffic surveillance; assist with searches for missing persons; and conduct damage assessments during and after critical incidents, emergencies, or special events.

The unmanned aircraft fleet is available to provide low-altitude aerial support during emergency and non-emergency missions. Unmanned aircraft pilots receive regular ground and flight training designed for public safety operational missions. The unit can provide high-definition, geo-referenced air photographs and video, along with live streaming during emergency and non-emergency situations.

The Dignitary Protection Unit (DPU) is responsible for protection of the Governor, the Governor's family, and staff, whenever they travel away from the State Capitol or Executive Residence.

When directed by the Superintendent’s Office, the DPU provides protective services to other elected officials, including national and international dignitaries visiting Wisconsin on official business.

These services include the advance reconnaissance of sites and locations to be visited, the safe and secure transportation of the dignitary, the protection of the dignitary at a designated site, and other services as needed.

The Honor Guard Unit pays tribute to sworn, active and retired personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The unit also participate in parades, local, state, and national police memorial services, and other special events.

The sworn members receive extensive training in marching, team movement, casket movement, flag folding and rifle drills.

The K-9 Unit provides search services for the detection of illegal narcotics and explosive ordnance. The unit works with local, state, and federal drug task forces, assists with crowd control, and conducts tactical search operations.

The unit is commonly used for traffic control operations, protection of persons and/or property, and assisting with security in the event of a civil disturbance, man-made or natural disaster, complex incident, or other emergency that exceeds the capacity of normal operations.

Law enforcement dispatchers are civilian employees responsible for providing critical emergency dispatch and support services to first responders and law enforcement officers. Dispatchers have a crucial role in inter-agency coordination to maximize efficient and effective law enforcement communications.

Responsibilities include dispatching assignments to State Patrol officers, transmitting and receiving vital information concerning public safety, and determining priorities and levels of response to multiple situations ranging from life-threatening emergencies to routine communications for public assistance.

The Mobile Field Force is designed to protect the safety of persons and/or property, provide security for a disaster area and restore and maintain law and order as quickly as possible in the event of a civil disturbance, man-made or natural disaster, crisis, catastrophe, complex incident, or other emergency that exceeds the capacity of normal operations.

The mobile teams operate as a tactical squad in circumstances in which a high degree of volatility related to civil unrest may exist. They will remain on-scene either as a primary response entity or as an assisting agency capability in support of other governmental units until such conditions have subsided and it is determined there is no longer a need for assistance.

The Motor Officer Unit conducts enforcement patrol, traffic details and dignitary escorts. Motor officers also work individually and as a group, during large scale festivals, events and rallies.

The unit provides a highly visible traffic law enforcement presence, with concentrated efforts in busy metro and freeway areas. The motorcycles are extremely effective in areas where traffic may back up for long distances, requiring a patrol vehicle that can easily move through such traffic to assess and relieve the bottleneck.

The motorcycles are equipped with mobile data computers and speed detection devices capable of checking speed compliance from virtually any location.

The Motor Carrier Enforcement Section (MCES) employs sworn inspectors throughout the state to ensure commercial carriers operate within state commercial motor vehicle laws. Enforcement activities occur at State Patrol safety and weight enforcement facilities and through mobile enforcement using portable scales. The MCES also conducts state mandated inspections on school buses, human service vehicles, ambulances and motor buses. Each of these vehicle types are inspected to ensure their design, construction and mechanical condition meet state safety laws.

The Motor Carrier Investigation Unit consists of civilian investigators who complete New Entrant Safety Audits on motor carriers that are new to interstate commerce. In addition, they will conduct Compliance Reviews, which are in-depth investigations of motor carriers that have demonstrated safety deficiencies.

Tactical teams are specially prepared, trained and equipped to provide local, state and federal law enforcement agencies with tactical services related to numerous types of critical incidents, including but not limited to: hostage situations, barricaded subjects, hostile snipers, high risk apprehension and warrant service, dignitary protection, drug enforcement, terrorist activity, rural and water-borne operations, and other special activities based upon a high level of threat and/or need for a specialized level of tactical expertise and equipment.

The Technical Reconstruction Unit (TRU) applies the scientific process of investigating, analyzing and drawing conclusions about the causes and events during major vehicle crashes or crime scenes across the state. The TRU uses current technology to document scenes, including robotic total stations, laser scanners, and global navigation satellite systems for forensic mapping purposes and computer hardware for extracting crash data from vehicle systems. Generation of diagrams and three-dimensional computer models, scene animation, and use of mathematical calculations for traffic crash and crime scene reconstruction is central to the capabilities of the TRU.

Roles and responsibilities of the TRU include:

• Scene reconstruction
• Forensic mapping of scenes using total station technology and 3-D laser scanning
• Event Data Recorder (EDR) analysis
• Comprehensive analysis of vehicle collisions
• Simulations and animations of crash events
• Professional reports, trial exhibits, and expert witness testimony
• Performing trajectory analysis and any measurement-related needs
• Computer diagramming and modeling
• 3-D printing
• Providing training and education