Detectives and line officers routinely conducted investigations with other state agencies and allied law enforcement departments.

In 1911 the legislature approved more positions, uniforms, and defined the department giving it the official name of, "California State Capitol Police".

After the merger and subsequent charter responsibilities were taken over by the CHP, their official title was simply reduced to "Officer", thus dropping "traffic" from their current seven-point star badge.

While they did maintain security personnel at major State facilities, they also maintained SCUBA units, Air Patrol Sections with their own fixed wing aircraft, equestrian mounted units, special investigations personnel, EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) bomb techs and equipment, Special Weapons And Tactics teams (SWAT), bicycle patrols, 4WD patrol units, regional detective squads, training personnel, Dignitary Protection Command, which saw to not only the security and safety of State elected and appointed officers, but also often to visiting dignitaries who might not have their own protective staff and provided training for like units from other agencies, Threat Assessment Investigations, armorers, and clerical personnel, as well as routine uniformed patrol officers and vehicles.

CSP sworn personnel were regulated and certified by the State's Department of Justice Commission On Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).

Lowe served as a Deputy Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) during the transitional period of the merger of the two organizations.

On each driver and front passenger door was a large seven-point gold-star badge with the State Capitol on the center seal.

Prior to 1983 the CSP fleet consisted of Dodges and Plymouths, also white, with no striping and the State Police shoulder patch as the door insignia.

CSP patrol cars (circa 1975-1983) were Plymouth Volares as part of a state fleet fuel saving directive by Governor Jerry Brown during his first two terms.