Operations

The Operations Division consists of the Patrol and Special Operations departments. Patrol responds to calls for assistance from citizens and performs routine traffic enforcement, automobile accident handling, and routine patrol. The Special Operations Department consists of:

• The C.O.P. (Community Oriented Policing) unit is responsible for the safety of our public housing citizens
• The Traffic Unit targets specific traffic problems
• The Hit And Run Unit investigates hit and run traffic incidents
• Student Resource Officers housed at Gadsden City High School
• Animal Control, which investigates animal cruelty / neglect cases and removes deceased animals from our roadways
• The Special Projects Team targets troublesome criminal activity using advanced tools and methods

Investigations

The Investigations Division consists of four teams:

• The Juvenile Department investigates crime committed by or against juveniles and also maintains the sex offender registry information.
• The Property Crime Department investigates crime such as burglary and motor vehicle theft.
• The Persons Department handles cases involving violent crimes.
• The Fugitive/Warrants Department is responsible for finding and apprehending those with outstanding warrants.

Also within the Investigations Division is the Identifications and Evidence team. They perform crime scene data collection and forensic analysis of evidence.

Professional Standards

The Professional Standards Division ensures that our officers are properly trained and equipped. They also perform reviews of high-impact cases to determine if departmental policies and procedures were performed. Also, they respond to citizen complaints regarding an officer's actions or inaction.

Services

The Services Division consists of four departments:

• Dispatch is the group who answer the phone when you call 9-1-1 or 256-549-4500.
• The Records Department maintains the paper and electronic records submitted by officers investigating an incident, recording a criminal offense, or documenting a traffic accident.
• The Property Department maintains and safeguards case-related evidence.
• The Information Technology department assists in bringing the latest in technology to office staff and to the officers in the field.

Bomb Squad

The Gadsden Police Department has three bomb technicians. These officers attended a Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama for required certification by the United States government. The school is taught by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Army.

Technicians are also required to complete a refresher course every three years and to complete 16 hours of practical exercises and other training each month.

Bomb technicians are responsible for the safe removal, transport, and storage of explosives. They conduct bomb scene investigations, collect and preserve evidence, provide technical support for special operations, and compile and report technical data on explosive devices and incidents.

Remember: Never pick up or disturb a bomb or suspicious package. Some bombs may detonate when picked up!