OPPAGA Government Program Summary

What is the purpose of FHP?

The members of the Florida Highway Patrol are designated law enforcement officers and conservators of the peace, whose jurisdiction extends throughout the State of Florida. The mission of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) is to promote a safe and secure Florida though professional law enforcement and traffic safety awareness.

What services are provided by FHP?

The Florida Highway Patrol's (FHP) first priority is to maintain safety on Florida's highways. Troopers accomplish this through frequent patrol and enforcement of traffic laws; directing the safe movement of traffic on state highways; responding to, investigating, and clearing the highway of traffic crashes; and by assisting stranded motorists and those in need of assistance while traveling the state's highways. Troopers also provide the services described below.

Commercial vehicle safety enforcement - FHP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement is responsible for commercial vehicle compliance activities including driver/vehicle safety inspections; size, weight, and registration enforcement; post-crash and compliance investigations; hazardous material carrier assessments; and new entrant safety audits on commercial vehicle carriers and operators. In Calendar Year 2022, officers conducted 86,587 commercial vehicle inspections and placed 13,059 vehicles and 7,400 drivers out of service for critical safety violations.
Intelligence and investigations - FHP Bureau of Criminal Investigations and Intelligence conducts investigations on auto theft, cargo theft, driver license fraud, identity theft, title fraud, odometer fraud, and other criminal activities statewide. Additionally, FHP's two coordination units, Traffic Homicide and Criminal Interdiction, provide oversight and assistance to troops throughout the state.
Assistance to state and local law enforcement - Including assistance under the mutual aid agreement for state-level emergency response to natural and man-made disasters.

Where are the troopers stationed?

Florida Highway Patrol stations are located throughout the state, from Bay County in the Panhandle to Monroe County in the southern most part of the state. The FHP has nine troops covering Florida's sixty-seven counties and a tenth troop responsible for patrolling Florida's Turnpike. Additionally, FHP has two troops, covering north and south regions of the state, dedicated to commercial vehicle enforcement.

How and where are FHP recruits trained?

The Florida Highway Patrol Training Academy is located in Tallahassee, Florida. Recruits receive 28 weeks of classroom and hands-on training that addresses topics such as legal issues, interpersonal communications, crime scene and criminal investigations, DUI and crash investigations, and traffic stops. It also includes training in high liability areas of firearms, defensive tactics, law, first aid, and vehicle operations. The FHP Training Academy curriculum exceeds Florida Department of Law Enforcement standards and trooper recruits are required to achieve an 80% or greater on all written exams. Upon graduation from the academy, new troopers are assigned to field training officers for 10 weeks, during which they must demonstrate their knowledge, skills and abilities prior to being released to perform solo patrol duties.

How many traffic crashes occur in Florida each year?

The department's crash dashboard reports that in 2022, there were 391,836 total crashes in Florida. Of these crashes, there were 249,308 injuries and 3,491 fatalities. Statewide, the Florida Highway Patrol investigated just under 30% of all crashes in 2022.

How well does FHP perform?

In Fiscal Year 2021-22, the Florida Highway Patrol responded to 64.17% of calls for service within 30 minutes. This falls short of the department's standard of 85%. During this period, the majority of troopers' time (65.26%) was spent on patrol and investigation activities. This falls short of the department's standard of 75%. The department cited several factors as affecting these performance measures, including trooper retirement and resignation and restriction of patrol hours due to mandatory training requirements and the mandatory radio system transition.

How are these activities funded?

Fiscal Year: 2023-24

Title	Fund	Dollars	Positions
PROGRAM: FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL
	COMMERCIAL VEHICLE ENFORCEMENT	51,989,763	294.00
	EXECUTIVE DIRECTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES	4,612,774	24.00
	HIGHWAY SAFETY	353,846,817	2,186.00
TOTAL		410,449,354	2,504.00

Source: www.transparencyflorida.gov

Where can I find related OPPAGA reports?

A complete list of related OPPAGA reports is available on our website.

Where can I get more information?

Other Reports
Texting While Driving Report, February 2021, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Impaired Driving Campaign Report, January 2022, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Red-Light Camera Summary Report Fiscal Year 2021-2022, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
Seat Belt Violations 2021 Annual Report, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports including driver, vehicle, and crash statistics are available on the departments' resource page

Websites of Interest
Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Cabinet and Legislature Reports & Statistics
Florida Transportation Commission
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Official Directory of State Patrol & Police
American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials
American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, Law Enforcement

Performance Information

Performance measures and standards for the department may be found in its Long Range Program Plan.

What are the applicable statutes?

Chapter 321, Florida Statutes

Whom do I contact for help?

Florida Highway Patrol contact information is available on its website