OVERVIEW

Currently, the Hoquiam Police Department consists of 19 full-time positions in four basic divisions: PATROL, ADMINISTRATION, CORRECTIONS and INVESTIGATIONS. Additional positions within the department (but budgeted separately) include one Animal Control/ Code Enforcement Officer and one Drug Task Force Detective.

HOQUIAM POLICE PATROL

The backbone of the department is the PATROL Division. Most calls for service and law incidents are handled by the Patrol Division which consists of four Patrol Sergeants, nine Patrol Officers and one Police Canine, "Enno". The division currently works an eight hour- six day work week with three days off. The shifts are divided among a day, swing, grave and power shift. Minimum staffing is two officers on duty at all times, except for three officers at night from 7 PM to 3 AM.

Patrol shifts are covered 24 hours a day, 365 days per year to provide immediate assistance to citizen's calls for service, as well as to facilitate random patrol and traffic enforcement.

Most members of the division also maintain collateral duty assignments on a regular basis. These additional responsibilities include firearms training, field training program, use of force training, evidence, police K-9, patrol scheduling, Special Response Team (SRT), arson investigation, EVOC instructor, Meth. Lab Team, department quartermaster, computer networking, and special patrol/ grant projects (such as RUAD and Traffic Safety Patrols).

ADMINISTRATION

The ADMINISTRATION Division consists of the Chief of Police, the Police Lieutenant (second in command of the department) and one Administrative Assistant. At this time, there is no Records Section within the Administration Division due to a lack of staffing. The Administrative Assistant and Police Lieutenant (with the assistance of the Corrections Officer) try to cover all of the duties related to Police Records, to include: answering the phone, assisting citizens in the lobby, filing police reports, local computer data entry, state/ national crime computer entry/ audits, creating statistical reports and filing the monthly Uniform Crime Report (UCR). The Administrative Assistant is also responsible for all internal department financial functions, to include the payment of invoices and the preparation of payroll.

OVERVIEW

The CORRECTIONS Division is comprised of one Corrections Officer who works dayshift Monday through Friday. The Corrections Officer assists with Records duties, answers the phone, supervises day-jail inmates/ work detail inmates and transports department prisoners. Since the closure of the Hoquiam City Jail at the end of 2002, the Corrections Officer is also responsible for the transport of prisoners to and from contract jail facilities at the County Jail in Montesano or the Forks City Jail (which is over a four-hour round trip).

INVESTIGATIONS

The INVESTIGATIONS Division consists of one Detective Sergeant and two Detectives (the second Detective is assigned directly to the Grays Harbor Drug Task Force as budgeted under Police Special Funds). Although the Investigations Division usually does not directly take general calls for service, the Detectives are an important support function to patrol. The Detectives usually become involved in all Part I Crime investigations and other complex criminal investigations- such a frauds, forgeries and other financial crimes. In addition to ongoing long-term investigations, the division is also responsible for crimes against children, sexual assault investigations and sex offender registration/ tracking within the city.

ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER

The ANIMAL CONTROL Officer is tasked with working to make the community free of stray and dangerous animals by enforcing municipal and state laws, and to assist and educate citizens about responsible pet ownership. This position also directly responds to the Hometown Hoquiam tenet of "improving the safety and appearance of neighborhoods" by aggressively abating abandoned or junk vehicles on city streets and alleys.

HPD ROLLING STOCK

The entire police department operates out of the police station located at 215 Tenth Street at the base of the Simpson Ave Bridge. The department typically handles over 14,000 law incidents per year with a ratio of approximately one officer per 500 residents. The department currently has a patrol fleet of six patrol vehicles (3 sport utility vehicles and 3 Crown Victoria sedans) shared among the different shifts (thus many cars are operated 24 hours a day.) The department also utilizes one administrative car, two undercover Detective vehicles, a jail van and a Special Response Team vehicle which is used by the combined Hoquiam PD / Grays Harbor County Sheriff's Office Special Response Team (SRT).