Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania SP Communications System. State Police was created in 1905, first of its kind. The year 1920 the public along the patrol zones who had phones, were given steel discs or flags to indicate a telephone (flag stop) Motorcycle patrols, viewing the flag responded by interrupting their patrol activity and telephoning their station for assignments.

In 1923 PA State Police, installed the Nations first police radio telegraph system, state wide frequency of 250 kc. The radiotelegraph system would last until 1947.Your author would enjoy reading about that stated operation if located. To complicate things in that same year (1923) Penn. State Highway Patrol was created within Dept. of Highways to enforce vehicle laws. A merger between both agencies occurred 29 Jun 1937 and the new department was called “Pennsylvania Motor Police.” In 1927 the PA Highway Patrol established a public radio station WBAK in Harrisburg, WJL Greensburg; WBR Butler; WDX Wyoming; WMB West Reading. Operational frequency given was 1199 kc which may have been a typo. It is probably a situation where desk people were originally uniformed officers.

I have an APCO Communications book stating in 1945 Butler PSP HQ; Reading HQ; Wyoming; Greensburg and Harrisburg GHQ had a Zone telegraph system listed for frequencies 2804 and 2808 KC.

Nothing further has ever been located on CW operations for PSP.

To our knowledge the radio folks were either officers who would exchange trunk equipment in vehicles and return the equipment to Headquarters for a civilian repair facility to undertake. In 1928 Pennsylvania State Police installed a statewide teletype network. State of CT had one running successfully in 1927, other states followed in this practice.