Norman Police Department
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Norman Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in Norman, Oklahoma. Consisting of over 150 officers and numerous office staff, the department is the third largest in Oklahoma, and serves a population of over 100,000 people. The city can boast one of the lowest per population crime rates in the nation. The department is headed by Phil Cotten, a member of the department since 1973 and chief for over ten years. [1]
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[edit] History
The Norman Police Department was established in 1919. Prior to this the law enforcement duties for the community was provided by Deputy U.S. Marshals, then a city marshal.
In 1924, the Norman Police employed four officers. By 1936, the staff had increased to eight officers. These officers worked twelve hour shifts, seven days a week. By the mid 1930s, the department had one car which was operated twenty-four hours a day. There were also three officers who walked a foot beat in the downtown area on a twenty-four hour a day basis. In 1938, four more officers were hired, with the shifts going to eight hour shifts, six days a week.
In 1995 the Norman Police Department adopted Community Oriented Policing as the approach to solving problems in the community. Norman was divided into thirteen police beats with officers being assigned to the beats on a permanent basis. The Community Oriented Policing philosophy centers around building partnerships between the police and members of the community. Working together solutions to problems are discovered and cooperation leads to resolutions. [2]
[edit] Specialties
Some of the specialized assignments in the Norman Police Department are: [3]
- Bicycle Team
- Bomb Squad
- Crime Scene Technician
- Criminal Investigations
- Crisis Negotiation
- Emergency Response Team (SWAT)
- Field Training Officer
- Honor Guard
- Physical Fitness Instructor
- Pistol Team
- Special Operations (Narcotics)
- Traffic Enforcement
- K-9
[edit] Fallen Officers
Since the establishment of the Norman Police Department, three officers have died in the line of duty. [4]
| Officer | Date of Death | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Detective Lieutenant Jerry Wayne Bratcher |
|
Vehicle pursuit |
| Patrolman Melvin Oliver Miner |
|
Gunfire |
| Sergeant Dale E. DeBerry |
|
Heart attack |
[edit] References
- ^ Horman Police Chief's page
- ^ Norman Police history page
- ^ Norman Police recruiting page
- ^ The Officer Down Memorial Page
