CALIFORNIA STATE RANGERS / CALIFORNIA STATE POLICE HISTORY of RE-ORGANIZATION

To lay a foundation of understanding of the early hisotry of the California State Police one must go back to its beginnings, back to the middle 1800's. California was a territory divided. The major ethnic population was of Spanish origin, but with divided loyalties. Their loyalties were split between Mexico City and Spain.It was offset by an increasing number of anglos. The inflated and exaggerated accounts of Joaquin's exploits and pressure from the white population of early California forced the legislature to take action. Though in 1848 the Legislature saw a need for the Rangers, it wasn't until 1851 that in a united effort the Legislature laid the foundation for the formation of a law enforcement body with authority throughout the state.

Their choice for an individual to lead this new body of Rangers fell to a former Dragoon by the name of Harry Love [he has been alleged to have been a member of a number of different organizations; including as a Dragoon].
Love was appointed to the rank of Captain of the California Rangers. With the commission to search for and capture the outlaw Joaquin Murietta; his lieutenant Three Fingered Jack and other associated outlaws. For this commission the company would be paid a salary and if successful, a bonus.

The State Legislature on May 17, 1853, passed the act which authorized the raising of a company of Rangers:
On March 15, 1887 the CSP was officially formed. In 1900 it was renamed to California State Capitol Police. By the first World War it was being use by various political entities to spy on each other. By the Second World War the agency was due for a re-organization, but it wasn't until the war was over that the agency was able to get a new leader who could guide them into a new infastructure. An ex-Amy officer was sought. To bring a military structure to the State Police.
This new commander brought in a military rank structure and new uniforms. This also brought a new espritde corps and allowed the agency to grow. Once part of the Department Of Finance, in 1968 the State Police were transfered as a separate division within the Department Of General Services. When I left the agency in late 1979, the California State Police had increased to a total 351 sworn personnel.