I am asked, daily, if our department is fully staffed. Well, I am glad to report that starting the second week of May 2024, we will be fully staffed. But what is fully staffed? As citizens of the City of Beatrice, I feel you have a right to know just how your police department is structured.
First, to be fully staffed we maintain twenty-four (24) certified officers. Of these officers, two are administration, two are Investigators, and two are school resource officers. This leaves eighteen road patrol officers to work on the streets.
The structure of any police department varies depending on the size of the department and the specific needs of the community it serves. However, in general, police departments are typically divided into several divisions, each with its own set of responsibilities.
The divisions found in the Beatrice Police Department include:
1. Administration: This division is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department, managing budgets, and setting department policies and procedures.
2. Road Patrol: The road patrol is the backbone of any police department. The patrol officers are responsible for patrolling neighborhoods, responding to calls for service, and enforcing traffic laws.
3. Investigations: This division is responsible for conducting criminal investigations, gathering evidence, and working to solve complex crimes. The investigators take the burden off the road patrol so that they can stay available for any calls for service that may come in.
4. School Resource Officers (SRO): These officers are responsible for providing a visible presence on school grounds to deter potential threats and to respond quickly to emergencies, while still building positive relationships with students and staff. They also investigate and address incidents of criminal activity that may occur on school property.
5. Special Units: This unit includes SWAT, two K-9 Units, two community resource officers, a drone program, a Field Training Program, and certified instructors in various things such as firearms, defensive tactics, tasers, and radar.
6. Support Services: This division includes units such as dispatch, victim assistance, records management, and evidence storage.
Even though the structure of a police department is fairly common, the way officers are used depends on the size of the department. There is a lot more to just the structure of the department, such as the number of officers on certain shifts, the hours worked by the various officers, and the secondary responsibilities required by each officer.
If you are ever interested in hearing about how we are structured, what our work responsibilities are, and what else we offer to the community, I would be glad to come and talk to your organization or group. Please give me a call at the department (402-223-4080) or email me at jmurphy [at] beatrice.ne.gov ()
Hope your day is great and safe.
Director Jay Murphy
Beatrice Police Department