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Patrol Division
Patrol maintains social order through
enforcement of laws, timely response to calls for service, preliminary
investigation of criminal offenses, apprehension of offenders, enforcement
of traffic and parking laws, furtherance of crime prevention efforts through
interaction with citizens, and a deterrent presence.
Staffed with 230 officers, Patrol is the largest division in the Lubbock
Police Department. It includes Accident Investigation, Bicycle, K-9,
Motorcycle, Mounted, Parking Control and Public Service Officer units in
addition to four Patrol shifts.
Patrol shifts are non-rotating and consist of three, eight-hour shifts, the
Day Shift (7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.), Evening Shift (3:00 p.m. to 11 p.m.),
and Night Shift (11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), as well as one ten-hour Flex
Shift (5:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.). Each shift is comprised of multiple squads
assigned to geographic zones within the city. Sergeants lead each squad and
a Captain and Lieutenant command each shift.
Patrol officers each have their own marked car. Officers living in the city
take their cars home and may drive them off-duty. Officers living outside
the city may not take their cars home but may drive them inside the city.
This benefits the citizens of Lubbock by increasing the visible presence of
the police, reducing vehicle maintenance expense, extending the life of
police vehicles and allowing the rapid mobilization of a large number of
police officers during emergencies. |
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Accident Investigation:
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Accident Investigation officers investigate fatal
or potentially fatal traffic collisions and follow up on hit-and- run accidents.
This unit is staffed by a combination of officers assigned full-time to the
Accident Investigation office and those who work full-time as Patrol shift
officers but respond as needed to serious collisions. All are specially trained
to calculate the different forces and reactions associated with collisions. |
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K-9:
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The Lubbock Police Department purchases dogs
that are fully trained in search, apprehension, officer protection, and
either narcotics or bomb detection. These are socialized dogs that become
aggressive only on command, allowing them to safely work around other
officers and citizens.
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Motor
Unit:
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This is a specially-skilled unit whose primary
function is traffic enforcement with the added responsibility of funeral and
dignitary escort. Officers are proficient with both Doppler and laser radar.
Officers qualify through a basic motor officer school, train monthly and
re-qualify annually. They work independently and are expected to
aggressively enforce traffic laws.
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Mounted Patrol:
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Closely related to the Patrol
Division, is the Administration Division Mounted Unit. This is a voluntary, part-time
unit, used for special events, crowd control and directed patrol. The
Mounted Unit is most useful when high-profile police presence is required.
Officers train monthly and each officer must successfully complete a
weeklong school by a nationally recognized horse trainer and riding
clinician. Their horses train to perform in high-stress environments and to
negotiate obstacles.
Mounted Patrol Video
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Bike Patrol:
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The Bike Patrol Unit is a voluntary, part-time,
unit whose officers pass a police bike certification course. Bike officers
are more accessible to the public without cars forming a barrier between
officers and citizens. Bike officers have the "stealth” advantage of riding
into a crime scene unnoticed. Bike Patrol is also used for special events
where the bikes’ maneuverability and speed are assets in areas crowded with
high volumes of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
Pictured at the left are Officer Cartner and Cpl. Crouch. |
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Public
Service Officers:
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These are civilian staff trained
to prepare basic police reports that do not require the response of a
commissioned police officer. Public Service Officer's staff the police desk
and take reports from citizens who come to the Police Department as well as
those who telephone. This unit frees commissioned officers from many routine
reports and allows them to concentrate on more serious or complicated
investigations and responses. |
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