Patrol

The patrol section is a component of the Operations Division. This section comprises the largest segment of the department in terms of the number of personnel, equipment, and budget. 

police car

Face of the Department

Uniformed patrol officers, and their marked cruisers, are the most visible segment of the department. They are the first departmental component encountered by the public and frequently the only police personnel seen by the public. Therefore, no other section has as much opportunity to affect the department's reputation.

Function

Patrol’s functions range from helping the public in non-criminal matters (lost children, civil/neighbor disputes, traffic problems, etc.) including preliminary reports of crime, arrests, investigations, return of stolen property, case preparation and court testimony. Obviously, the patrol officer must be very versatile and possess a wide range of expertise in many fields. 

Shift Work

The patrol section operates on 12-hour work schedule with rotating days off. Patrol officers are assigned to one of five(5) patrol zones during the course of their days.

Patrol officers utilize problem-solving to deal with problems or quality-of-life issues in their patrol zones. Shift size and zone assignments are based on the calls for service.