The existence or non-existence of a police specialized unit does not determine the mission of a police department.
Detective Lieutenant Barry M. Baker (ret.) is a 32 year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department.
A police specialized unit exists in every police department, and the goal of every new police officer is assignment to a specialized unit. Having goals is fine, but you should understand that every new officer begins his or her police career in patrol. Patrol is the primary function of every police department no matter the size of the department. It doesn’t matter if the department consists of two police officers or two hundred.
In the two member police department, your primary function will always be patrol, but you will also be specialized. You’ll be responsible for all aspects of law enforcement to include activities that would be considered specialized in larger departments. Your small department will have support from larger entities like state police or sheriffs, but you’ll retain your autonomy.
Scenario
Let’s put you in a scenario. You and your police chief are the only police officers in a middle class community of 4,500 residents. Your town experiences crime like any other, but it doesn’t have significant numbers of crimes and criminals. Serious criminal incidents are very rare, and your town has never experienced the commission of a homicide.
Today will be different when you’re directed to a residence to investigate the trouble. The trouble will turn out to be a double homicide requiring the assistance of a police specialized unit. If you were an officer working in the two hundred member department, that police specialized unit would be homicide detectives. In this instance, you and the police chief make up the required police specialized unit. Your chief was hired considering prior police experience, and part of that background was ten years as a homicide detective. In reality, you’ll call in a larger agency with jurisdiction to take charge of the investigation. However, you’ll remain the primary officer, and you’ll gain invaluable experience through your participation.
I used this scenario to illustrate that police work is the same no matter the size of a police department. The only differences are in numbers, and the levels of experience among members of the departments. The existence or non-existence of a police specialized unit does not determine the mission of a police department.
Police Specialized Units Relative to a Police Department’s Size
Police departments come in three sizes: small, medium and large. The Pew Research Center has determined that a large police department consists of 2,400 or more sworn personnel. As for determining whether a police department is small or medium sized, it’s not that simple. Let’s look at three sizes in terms of sworn personnel – 2, 20 and 200. The 2 and 20 are pretty easy, and I think you’d agree that 2 and 20 are small police departments. 200 is a significant number of cops, and a 200 member department will operate similar to a large police department.
Large police departments are broken down into districts or precincts, and guess what the average number of police officers might be for each district? Well, 200 would be a good guess with some more or less depending upon relevant factors. 200 is a good number to start with when determining the number of police specialized units within a department that size.
I would consider 200 to be near the low end of a medium size police department. Beyond 200, the number of police specialized units will increase along with your opportunities to gain a specialized assignment.
Westminster, Colorado Police Department
The number, size and purpose of your department’s police specialized units will be determined by the need, and the department’s ability to field the units. Below are examples of police specialized units:
Homicide
The Homicide Unit is the premier police specialized unit in any police department. The reason should be obvious. Crime doesn’t get any worse when it results in the finality of a victim’s existence.
Shootings
Most shootings occur in large urban areas near medical trauma centers. Paramedics and doctors will never receive the credit they deserve for reducing the high homicide rate in the United States.
Robbery
Robbery is a violent and humiliating experience even when the victim does not sustain any physical injury. Interviewing a robbery victim requires skill and patience.
Police Specialized Unit
Burglary
A burglar defines the word recidivism. A single burglar can terrorize a neighborhood committing dozens of burglaries over a short period of time.
Sexual Assaults
Rape and other sexual assaults are some of the most difficult crimes to investigate for a variety of reasons.
Domestic Violence
A police specialized unit provides victims of domestic violence with needed resources and follow-up investigation.
Police Specialized Unit
Drug Enforcement
Unfortunately, the drug enforcement unit will always be a necessary police specialized unit. There were more than 106,000 drug overdose deaths reported in the United States in 2021.
Vice Enforcement
Controlling solicitation for prostitution is necessary for neighborhoods’ quality of life issues. Unfortunately, most police departments fail to realize that prostitutes possess a gold mine of information particularly related to violent crime.
Cybercrime
Cybercrime is insidious through its anonymity. The victim will be oblivious to its initial commission, but the psychological effects to the victim can be devastating.
Police Specialized Unit
Criminal Intelligence
Transnational crime, human trafficking and terrorism requires information sharing across law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Police Aviation
LAPD first began using helicopters in the 1950s, and the Air Support Division was started nearly two decades later. The combined helicopter fleet of L.A.’s sheriff’s department and L.A.’s police department is the largest of any U.S. metropolitan area.
Motorcycle Police
Simply put, motorcycle cops look good. Aside from the professional image they project, their ability to move through traffic and traverse difficult terrain makes them a valuable asset.
Police Specialized Unit
Police K9
A police k9 assignment requires energy and commitment from you for the care and training of your k9.
Mounted Police
Like a motorcycle cop, a police officer on horseback looks good. The mounted officer projects professionalism for a police department’s public image. As for utility, I know from experience the effect of the mere presence of three mounted officers in a crowd control situation.
Police Marine Unit
Any police department responsible for patrolling a body of water will have a marine unit. The size of the unit will depend on the size of the water, and the capabilities required to meet responsibilities.
Police Specialized Unit
Traffic Accident Investigation
Investigation of fatal and serious injury traffic accidents requires specialized training. Most police officers dislike investigating accidents while some love the challenge.
SWAT - Special Weapons and Tactics
A SWAT team’s primary purpose is to perform high-risk entries where armed resistance could be encountered.
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