Bureau of Field Operations
Patrol Division
Traffic Division
Detective Bureau
A primary goal of the Bureau of Operations is to prevent crime. This, of course, cannot be totally achieved in any society today. However, with the emphasis on high police visibility, good patrol procedures, and modern investigation techniques a reduction or stabilization of major crime can be realized.
The responsibilities of the Bureau of Operations are patrol services, investigative functions, and traffic investigation and enforcement. The men and women assigned to this bureau are the "backbone" of the police department. The Patrol Division responds to calls for service and initiates actions to protect and serve the citizens. The Detective Division investigates incidents reported to the police. Also, the detectives initiate overt and covert investigations of known or suspected criminal activity. The Bureau of Operations will continue to address crime as its highest priority.
An area of great focus for the Bureau of Field Operations is in traffic control and enforcement. Many citizens only contact with the officers of the Bureau of Field Operations is, unfortunately, as a result of a traffic accident or traffic violation. Neither of the situations is pleasant.
Although it is the duty of all officers assigned to the Bureau of Field Operations to investigate traffic accidents and enforce traffic laws, the primary responsibility of comprehensive traffic control belongs to the Traffic Division.
Consequently, the Bureau of Field Operations is a complex and comprehensive structure. The Bureau of Field Operations is where the "real" police work is performed on an every day basis. The three divisions within the Bureau of Field Operations coalesce everyday to provide service and protection to the citizens and businesses of the community.
PATROL DIVISION
Thirty-five officers were assigned to the Patrol Division during 2007. This division is equipped with fifthteen (15) marked police cars. These vehicles averaged about thirty eight thousand miles of operation per year. However, the patrol officers are encouraged, as part of their daily duties, to leave their vehicles and walk the business and residential areas to be as visible and accessible to the citizens as possible. Vehicular and foot patrolling are the two major means by which the division accomplishes its objectives. Those objectives are to deter and prevent crime, preserve and protect life and property, respond to emergency situations, and provide service to the citizen under any appropriate condition.
The Patrol Division applies the "All purpose officer" concept in its daily operations. The officers are responsible for initial response, obtaining reports of crimes, conducting preliminary investigations, and arresting criminal offenders. As well as those duties mentioned, this division is charged with the responsibilities to enforce traffic laws, provide emergency aid, control vehicular traffic flow, and to provide a high visibility profile to deter criminal activity and remain accessible to the citizen in need.
Patrol services are provided throughout the day and night. Officers are assigned a sector to patrol when they arrive for duty. The sectors are determined by a formula that takes into account the distribution of population, businesses, roadways, and other natural and manmade conditions. In 2002 there were four permanent sector divisions of responsibility. In addition, other patrol officers and supervisors on duty are utilized to roam and patrol crossing over the sector boundaries to provided increased patrol functions and visibility.
There were a total of 28,743calls for service received by the police department in the year 2007. The numbers of calls and the locations of those calls are used to determine how to deploy the officers geographically into sectors of responsibility. This enables the department to increase its effectiveness and respond as quickly as possible to calls for service by the citizens. As a result of the sector concept, the average response time of an officer to a call for service is less than six minutes.
Because of the number of businesses in the City of Bridgeton and the ever-increasing use of residential alarm systems, it is interesting to note that the department received 915 alarm soundings during 2007. The average response time to these alarm soundings by the police department was 3.2 minutes this year.
Other 2007 statistics show that the officers effectuated 1,468 arrests of adult suspects. Furthermore, 286 juvenile aged offenders were taken into custody. A juvenile, according to statute in the State of Missouri, is a person under the age of seventeen years.
In conclusion, it is the Patrol Division that all of the other functions of the police department support.
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TRAFFIC DIVISION
Because of the ever-increasing volume of vehicular flow into and out of the City of Bridgeton, a division has been established to support the Patrol Division in this province of duties. The Traffic Division is under the injunction of the Commander of the Bureau of Operations. In the year 2007 the Traffic Division has been staffed with an officer from the Patrol Division.
The Traffic Division and the Patrol Division are obliged to ensure the safe and orderly flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic over the streets, highways, and roads in the City of Bridgeton. The following statistics indicate the number of vehicular and accidents involving pedestrians through December 31, 2007. The total of 730 traffic accidents on the roadways in Bridgeton in 2007 is a reflection of collisions on roadways and certain private property collisions. Police reports of collisions on private property only are made when any party sustains an injury, or a criminal leaving the scene of the accident occurs by one or more of the drivers. These accidents, including the private property collisions, comprise 461 property damage only collisions, 268 injury accidents, and 1 fatal accident and 21 leaving the scene collisions.
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DETECTIVE BUREAU
During 2007 the Detective Bureau was staffed by thirteen officers. Of these officers, eleven are assigned to detective casework, including supervisors and plainclothes detectives and three as forensics officers. One detective is assigned to the Juvenile Bureau, one to the Multi-Jurisdiction Task Force, and one to DEA. The duties of the Detective Division are to follow-up and take action on all reports of serious crime. They also conduct investigations in the field for potential criminal violations and activities. All reports of crime are distributed to the Bureau Commander who reviews the reports and assigns the cases to individual detectives for follow-up action. The Detective Division answers to the Commander of the Bureau of Operations. All detectives in the bureau are certified to participate in the St. Louis Area Major Case Squad.
The crime scene detectives investigate and process almost all crime scenes for forensic evidence and any other visible and latent physical evidence. When these officers are not available for duty, selected patrol officers conduct these crime scene searches. However, the specialized technicians handle all major crimes. These detectives and those selected patrol officers were involved in 435 crime scene investigations in 2002.
Also, the Detective Bureau personnel utilize and maintain a highly sophisticated in-office laboratory and photography lab. A high degree of specialized skills are required for these duties. Many hours of training are necessary to attain these proficiencies. These officers maintain the criminal history records, including fingerprints and mug shots. The imaging and storage capabilities have been expanded to include digital cameras and computer scanning equipment in the past year. These computer-aided tools greatly improve efficiency in processing records and evidence. During 2003, it is anticipated that the photo capabilities of the Police Department will be approximately 95% digital and will no longer require the need for a photo-developing lab.
One detective has received assignment and training with computerized polygraph instruments and techniques. Since being incorporated, the polygraph has proved to be an invaluable tool in many felony criminal investigations. It is, also, used in employment applications and other matters. In year 2002, a total of 19 polygraph examinations were conducted. Of those examinations 10 were used in criminal investigations and 9 for administrative needs.
Another major investigative tool utilized by the Detective Bureau is participation in the nationwide Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). This nationally maintained computer database allows for suspect or victim identification by means of partial or fragment fingerprint information. Participating agencies submit existing fingerprint data information, which is recorded into the nationwide system, and available for future search and identification purposes.
The detectives assigned to handle juvenile matters are responsible for initial and/or follow up investigations into all juvenile age children that come to the attention of the police. These matters are, by law, segregated from adult violators and kept in a most confidential manner. These investigations are conducted in areas of both crime and status offenses. A status offense is
one of non-criminal in nature. These offenses include runaways, truancies, incorrigible actions, and other similar offenses against the family.
A major concern of these detectives is that of family abuse matters involving the well being of children. The detectives investigate all physical, sexual, mental, and neglect abuse cases, which come to the attention of the police. The officers maintain close working relationship with social agencies dealing with family matters. The Division of Family Services makes many referrals to the Unit for investigation. The Juvenile Unit is notably active in the Missouri Juvenile Officers Association, which has strong lobbying influence in matters of legislation of law protecting abused children.
In 2002, 44 reported the Juvenile Division investigated child abuse and neglect cases. Also, 192 juvenile delinquency cases were scrutinized. In all, 286 juvenile aged offenders were referred to the St. Louis County Juvenile Court for hearing.
With the assistance of a federal grant received in 2000 and in cooperation with the Pattonville School District, a uniformed police officer has been assigned to the Holman Middle School. The School Resource Officer’s sole assignment is to be at school every day during the school year. The SRO is made available to any child who needs the assistance of a police officer, as well as being a visible and accessible resource for any school staff member in a time of need. This program is an ongoing project funded by the United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. The safety of the children and staff of our schools is of the utmost importance to the mission of the Bridgeton Police Department.
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