What is the difference between a state highway patrol and a state police agency?

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First, a highway patrol is often a part of a larger agency called the Department of Public Saftey, or DPS. Within this agency, their are investigative and administrative units that assist the local police and county sheriff's office. In addition, while the PRIMARY duty of a highway patrol is to patrol the highways, they often have collateral duties. For example, the California Highway Patrol investigates accidents for some sheriff's, has officers assigned to the Anti-Terrorism group, have officers that patrol high-violence areas to provide assistance to local officers, and with the merger of the California Highway Patrol and California State Police, now provide security for state government buildings and officials. As another example, the Florida Highway Patrol has a SWAT team to assist local departments, and investigate vehicle title fraud.