The Florida Highway Patrol is not the Florida State Police. There is no Florida State Police as all the different FL state le agencies are fractured under different divisions of State government. It was weird seeing that when I moved here from MA.
FHP suprisingly has no real detectives, other than their traffic homicide Corporals. They have a very small and not well trained investigative unit called BCII which specializes in VIN and odometer fraud as well as counterfeit plates, etc. BCII occasionally works shootings or persons crimes on the Interstate or turnpike but the Sheriffs Office ( the real cops) usually assumes the investigation.
Dench is correct in that they are just highway cops writing tickets and working wrecks for the most part. In Orange, Pasco, Manatee, Brevard, and Volusia Counties, the Deputy Sheriffs don’t even work crashes, they kick everything to FHP, so God help you if you get stuck waiting for Fhp because it’s going to be hours. In those counties FHP is AAA with a badge.
The pay is generally crap and they have to supplement their income working off duty jobs. In service training after the academy is over is generally very poor (fdle minimums) unless it’s dui or traffic homicide related.
However, Their Troop C (Tampa) criminal interdiction unit (CIU) are the real Troopers and can pick out a criminal motor vehicle from the side of I-75 near Wildwood just by watching traffic. Those boys know their interdiction game.
And BTW its Black and Tan, not Brown and Tan. Technically, their uniforms are actually confederate pink.