NYSP Troop T Identifiers

Status
Not open for further replies.

thinktactics

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2021
Messages
24
Morning!

I've been listening in on the Thruway A channel for NYSP Troop T, Zone 1 lately, and most of the 7-series units (which sound like State Police units) identify with four-digit IDs, normally in the format 71xx. However, when I look at Zone 1 vehicles for the blue number under the right headlight, they don't follow this 71xx pattern. Instead, they show 7xx.

Can anyone clarify what the vehicle numbers mean, what the radio IDs mean, and how (if at all) they are related? Cheers.
 

lkas

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Messages
367
Location
Cheektowaga NY
The Trooper number that is given over the radio Is called a PRIN (personal radio identication number), It is assigned to them when the come onto the tway. That is the number they use to identify themselves over the radio along the entire tway. The first digit "7" represents state police. The second digit is the zone. NYC is zone 1, albany zone 2, syracuse 3 and buffalo 4. the last 2 digits are the individual person number. The 3 or 4 digits on the car are used for tway vehicle maintance use. The tway assign its own numbers to all tway vehicles not matter if it is a snow plow or a troop car. The numbers/letter on the plate is issued by state police and is what they use if calling outside troop over radio,
 

thinktactics

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2021
Messages
24
The Trooper number that is given over the radio Is called a PRIN (personal radio identication number), It is assigned to them when the come onto the tway. That is the number they use to identify themselves over the radio along the entire tway. The first digit "7" represents state police. The second digit is the zone. NYC is zone 1, albany zone 2, syracuse 3 and buffalo 4. the last 2 digits are the individual person number. The 3 or 4 digits on the car are used for tway vehicle maintance use. The tway assign its own numbers to all tway vehicles not matter if it is a snow plow or a troop car. The numbers/letter on the plate is issued by state police and is what they use if calling outside troop over radio,

Ah, gotcha. Are the PRINs always four digits, and is there any particular method to their assignment?

Also, the fleet numbers are only used for maintenance purposes, not anything SP-related?
 

lkas

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2018
Messages
367
Location
Cheektowaga NY
Some Prins are 3 digits. Capt in zone 1 would be 71.. Zone Sgts are usually 741 742 743. The other sgts go in order by rank usually. So basically any 3 digit is a supervisor and troopers are 4 digits.

SP does not use the fleet numbers at all unless there is a troop car accident for paperwork purposes. It is strictly for Tway purposes for mainting the vehicle for oil changes and routine service.
 

thinktactics

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2021
Messages
24
Great. Do supervisors often come over the air, or are they mostly at desks? I don't hear them too frequently.
 

rdxny

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 13, 2015
Messages
98
I often hear radio checks where dispatch calls two id's: "7114, 7127" in a single check. Do they ride two to a car?
 

GTR8000

NY/NJ Database Guy
Database Admin
Joined
Oct 4, 2007
Messages
15,412
Location
BEE00
Also another thing with troop T is their vehicles cannot be used anywhere else but the thruway due to the UHF band
Troop T vehicles have both UHF and VHF capability, have for many years. Occasionally, albeit rarely, you may even hear them come up on the VHF Troop frequencies with the common NYSP vehicle identifier format such as 1T27, which all Troop T vehicles have on their license plates.

 

thinktactics

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2021
Messages
24
Troop T vehicles have both UHF and VHF capability, have for many years. Occasionally, albeit rarely, you may even hear them come up on the VHF Troop frequencies with the common NYSP vehicle identifier format such as 1T27, which all Troop T vehicles have on their license plates.


Any idea what radios they use in the vehicles to get both UHF and VHF?
 

thinktactics

Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2021
Messages
24
All troop T vehicles are equipped with VHF radios and have the ability to contact regular troop dispatchers ...

Is it common for SP units on the Thruway to leave the Thruway and operate in other Troop jurisdictions? Ex: SP Tarrytown units operating in SP Hawthorne's area.
 

Homer_LCPDFR

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
109
Location
Albany, NY
@thinktactics Well, that depends.

If there was some special detail or major incident (events, escorts, terrorist attacks, that sort of thing) that somehow involved the Thruway, it's likely they would leave to fulfill an assigned duty.

If we're talking just standard patrols, then no, never. From what I've heard in Monroe County and Albany County, the Troop T units practically operate in another universe completely separate from the rest of the county.

Troop T units will follow a pursuit off the Thruway, but once they have a few local units following, the Troop T units break off (this is usually ordered by a supervisor while the troopers try to invent reasons to keep up the chase).

The fun part is the Troop T units usually have absolutely zero contact with local units (in this case referring to the county or town units). I've found the standard chain of communication is:
Trooper calls in pursuit (which promptly leaves the Thruway)->Thruway dispatch informs local dispatch->Local dispatch informs the closest units. After that, the local units will sometimes get a couple hints as to where the pursuit is headed, but not much more than that.

That's a very long answer to a simple question, but you get the idea.
 

ak716

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 17, 2010
Messages
590
Location
'Merica
@thinktactics Well, that depends.
The fun part is the Troop T units usually have absolutely zero contact with local units (in this case referring to the county or town units). I've found the standard chain of communication is:
Trooper calls in pursuit (which promptly leaves the Thruway)->Thruway dispatch informs local dispatch->Local dispatch informs the closest units. After that, the local units will sometimes get a couple hints as to where the pursuit is headed, but not much more than that.

Issue came up last year around here, Border Patrol got into a pursuit of a port runner after a pursuit was started by Customs. Huge interop issue. Border Patrol pursuing, SP Troop T pursuing, unable to directly talk to each other and coordinate stop sticks... blah blah blah, the guy wrecked his car after about a 30 minute high speed pursuit, and were captured.... something about your not supposed to take a wrong turn and go over the border with guns in your car... sure it was all just a miss understanding :rolleyes: To sum it up, neither could figure out how to talk to each other at that time.
 

Homer_LCPDFR

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
109
Location
Albany, NY
@andyk62990 Can't speak to where you're at, but in Monroe County those two are easily the most difficult units to get in contact with. Troop T has no contact, and any attempts to contact BP always go,

"Any Border Patrol unit on the air?"
Followed by silence.

I'll refrain from going into a rant on the lack of interoperability when each agency thinks being on their own system/channels, "to hell with everyone else," is somehow a bright idea.
 

Danny37

Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Messages
1,315
Location
New York City
It's sad how politics gets in the way of public safety. I can't tell you how many times I've banged my head listening to incidents happening on the border of two jurisdictions and the delay in the relay to the other town causes a mishap. I wish PD was more like FD when it comes to mutual aide.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top