2012 annual report - Ashland Police Department

To Protect & ServeFIELD OPERATIONS DIVISIONThe Field Operations Divisionis the backbone of the policedepartment. The division isresponsible for shifts of uniformedpatrol officers, sergeants andlieutenants who perform amultitude of tasks, to includetraffic enforcement, respondingto emergencies, investigatingcriminal activity, conductingproactive patrol and for the initialresponse to all of complaints orcalls for service requested byAshland residents. Officers areresponsible for the protectionof life and property; helping tomaintain peace, order and safetyfor all citizens, and routine patrolof neighborhoods and businesses.The Ashland PoliceDepartment operates on acommunity policing attitude.Ashland is divided into patrolbeats for the purpose of equallydistributing police resourcesaround the city. This increasespublic safety and police servicein a number of ways to includebetter patrol officer allocationthroughout the city, decreasedresponse times, and increasedpolice visibility. Patrol beats alsoallow our officers to become morefamiliar with the neighborhoodsand businesses they patrol alongwith public safety issues that maybe specific to that area of the city.The interaction is invaluable andallows our officers to become morepersonable to our community.The Field Operations Divisionhas some specialties that are usedto accomplish its mission. Thesespecialties are select officers thatperform additional duties suchas Traffic Crash Reconstruction,Drug Recognition Experts (D.R.E.),Field Training Officers (F.T.O.) andBicycle Patrol.TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISIONThe Technical ServicesDivision consists of the CriminalInvestigations and SupportServices Sections commandedby a Major. In addition the majoris assigned as the accreditationmanager, training director,oversees asset forfeiture andadministrative functions to assistthe Chief of Police.Criminal Investigations SectionThe Criminal InvestigationsSection is primarily responsiblefor the investigation of majorfelony crimes such as homicide,aggravated assault, sexual assault,burglary, robbery, and any complexinvestigations. The investigatorsassigned to these crimes havedeveloped an advanced level ofexpertise by attending specializedtraining and by gaining years ofexperience working on complexcases with colleagues at the federal,state, and local levels. Investigatingcomplex major crimes requiresthe dedication, cooperation,and assistance of a variety ofindividuals and units. Investigatorswork closely with patrol officersto identify witnesses, preservemajor crime scenes, gathercritical information, and developleads. They also work closelywith officials from other agenciesto solve crime that inevitablycrosses jurisdictional lines. Otherspecialties of the section areinvestigators investigate computerrelated crimes such as internetcrimes against children andforensic evaluation of computerequipment.Support Services SectionThe Support Services Sectionsupports the mission of theField Operations Division andCriminal Investigations Section byproviding records information andstorage, evidence storage, courtliaison services and communityresources. The section is alsoresponsible for maintaining theinformation technology needs ofthe department.The section includes theSchool Resource and the D.A.R.E.officers. Both are able to multitaskand conduct crime preventionactivities, give suggestionson crime prevention throughenvironmental design (CPTED) anda variety of community orientedactivities.The section includes civilianemployees and is responsiblefor a variety of duties, rangingfrom public requests in person,maintaining records, maintainingcustody of evidence and parkingenforcement throughout the City.By Major Todd KelleyTechnical Services Commander