Baton Rouge Police Department (Louisiana)

Agency overview
Baton Rouge Police Department
Abbreviation	BRPD

BRPD patch

Badge of the Baton Rouge Police Department.
Formed	1865
Annual budget	$71 million
Legal personality	Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction*	City of Baton Rouge in the state of Louisiana, USA

Map of Baton Rouge Police Department's jurisdiction.
Size	79.1 sq mi (205 km²).
Population	227,071
General nature	Law enforcement Local civilian police
Operational structure
Police Officers	645
Unsworn members	267
Agency executive	Donald Dewayne White as of May 31, 2011, Chief of Police
Facilities
Districts	4
Website
http://ci.baton-rouge.la.us/Dept/brpd/
Footnotes
* Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction.

The Baton Rouge Police Department, or BRPD, is the primary law enforcement agency in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The current Chief of Police is Donald White. The interim Chief of Police, as of December 2010, is Charles Mondrick. Mondrick was preceded by former Chiefs Jeff LeDuff, Pat Englade, and Greg Phares. The city is divided into four police districts.

According to the BRPD's website, "The mission of the Baton Rouge Police Department is to serve with the Baton Rouge community to prevent crime and to promote the safety and well-being of all."^[1]

The Baton Rouge Police Department has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) since 1996.^[2]

History

Baton Rouge was incorporated in 1817 and the Baton Rouge Police Department was formally established in 1865, just after the end of the Civil War, with the appointment of the first Chief of Police.

Currently the Baton Rouge Police Department receives about 215,000 service calls. In an average year, city police officers:

Respond to and write reports on 135,000 non-traffic calls
Respond to 30,000 false alarms
Investigate 21,000 serious crimes
Investigate 17,000 traffic crashes
Make 8,000 arrests
Submit 22,000 pieces of evidence or property
Seize 900 firearms
Present 200 crime prevention and education seminars (to about 10,000 people)
Destroy 2,500 pounds of seized illegal narcotics
License 12,000 bicycles
Drive 7,000,000 miles (11,000,000 km)

In 2005, due to elevated population levels as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many of these numbers were significantly higher.^[3]

Bureaus and command staff

The BRPD is divided into four bureaus:

Uniform Patrol Bureau - Captain Greg Patin
Criminal Investigations Bureau - Captain Bart Thompson
Administration Bureau - Lieutenant Todd Lee
Operational Services Bureau - Major Pat Tauzin

Uniform Patrol Bureau

Uniform Patrol is the largest bureau of the department, and is the primary point of contact for services to the public. The Bureau operates four precinct stations and satellite offices throughout the city. Officers assigned to this bureau perform preventative patrols and respond to public requests for assistance 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Uniform Patrol Bureau consist of the following divisions:

Uniform Patrol Division

Uniform Patrol Division is responsible for patrolling all areas of the city, responding to calls from citizens, conducting preliminary investigations of all crimes, and enforcing both criminal and traffic laws. The Uniform Patrol Division is divided into four (4) geographical patrol sections or districts.

First District Precinct

The First District Precinct is located at 4445 Plank Road and serves what is traditionally known as North Baton Rouge. The area patrolled is roughly bordered on the north and east by Evangeline and Airline Highway, on the west by the Mississippi River and Scenic Highway and on the south by Florida Boulevard.

Second District Precinct

The Second District Precinct is located at 2265 Highland Road and serves what is traditionally known as South Baton Rouge. The area patrolled is roughly bordered on the north by Florida Boulevard, on the west by the Mississippi River, on the south by Bayou Fountain, and on the east by Bluebonnet Highway, Essen Lane, Jefferson Highway, and Lobdell Avenue.

Third District Precinct

The Third District Precinct is located at 11010 Coursey Boulevard and serves the eastern part of the city. The area patrolled is roughly bordered on the north by Greenwell Springs Road and the South Choctaw Drive Extension (railroad tracks), on the west by Airline Highway and Lobdell Avenue, on the east by North Stevendale Road, Lively Bayou, O'Neal Lane, Jones Creek Road, and Stumberg Lane, and on the south by Airline Highway and Jefferson Highway.

Fourth District Precinct

The Fourth District Precinct is located at 8227 Scenic Highway and serves the extreme northern part of the city, including the area traditionally known as Scotlandville. The area patrolled is roughly bordered on the north by Blount Road and Thomas Road, on the west by the Mississippi River, on the east by Buttonwood Drive, McClelland Drive, and Plank Road, and on the south by Evangeline and Airline Highway.

Traffic Division

The Traffic Division is responsible for parking control, radar speed enforcement, motorcycle escort duty, and assisting the uniform patrol division in selective traffic enforcement and accident investigation, as required, as well as special assignments at the discretion of the Chief of Police. The traffic division carries out its mission with the following sections:

Motorcycle Section

The Motorcycle Section concentrates on traffic enforcement and accident investigation, as well as escorts and other specialized assignments at the discretion of the Chief of Police.

Radar Units

Radar Units are responsible for enforcement of speeding laws, serve as accident investigators during inclement weather and are periodically assigned to special events.

DWI Task Force

The DWI Task Force patrols after dark, enforcing laws relating to impaired drivers under the influence of either alcohol or drugs.

Bicycle Patrols

Bicycle Patrols are utilized for concentrated, more personalized protection of contained areas, such as malls, shopping centers, or areas of high-density pedestrian traffic. Bicycle Patrol officers are also assigned to the Downtown Development District to enforce parking ordinances, contact business owners and residents to check for problems and devise solutions to those problems.

Traffic Homicide Unit

The Traffic Homicide Unit investigates all traffic crashes involving death or life threatening injuries and fleet crashes as directed by the Chief of Police.

School Crossing Guards: School Crossing Guards are civilians used to supplement police protection of children walking to and from schools during the regular school year.

Reserve Officers: Reserve Officers are civilians who undergo necessary training to become police officers and who donate their time as police officers to supplement existing manpower, especially during special events.

Hit and Run Division

The Hit and Run Division is responsible for the follow-up investigation of hit and run and incomplete accidents as reported by field officers.

Support Services Units

The Support Services Units perform functions that supplement the uniform patrol division.

Housing Authority Unit

The Housing Authority Unit coordinates all security at public housing complexes, working closely with management and residents to enforce laws, resolve problems and provide a safe environment.

Building Security: Building Security coordinates protection for the East Baton Rouge Parish Governmental Building and its employees.

Misdemeanor Investigation Office: The Misdemeanor Investigation Office is responsible for conducting follow-up investigations of misdemeanor crimes.

K-9 Unit

The K-9 Unit is used for building searches, crowd control, tracking fleeing suspects, or searches for missing persons, or any other missions which could more effectively or more safely be carried out by trained Police dogs than by police officers.

In 2007, the American Kennel Club awarded the K-9 Division with its 2007 Law Enforcement Award for Canine Excellence due to the units work in the year following Hurricane Katrina.

Crime Analysis Section: The Crime Analysis Section collects data generated by uniform officers and reports to the bureau commander with respect to manpower allocation and directed patrol initiatives.

Criminal Investigations Bureau

Criminal Investigations offers some limited first-line response to the public, but is primarily responsible for follow-up investigations of major crimes. Divisions within the Criminal Investigations Bureau include:

Crimes Against Persons

Crimes Against Persons include the following divisions:

Homicide Division: is responsible for investigating all criminal calls where a death or life threatening injury has occurred, any officer involved shooting or the attempted murder of a police officer.

Armed Robbery Division: is responsible for investigating all criminal calls involving all degrees of robbery.

Juvenile and Sex Crimes Division: is responsible for maintaining juvenile investigation records, cases of child abuse, and all types of sex crimes.

Major Assaults Division: is responsible for investigating a wide range of non-life threatening felony personal crimes and missing person cases.

Computer Crimes Division: investigates crimes committed against persons or computer systems using the Internet, e-mail or other electronic means.

Property Crimes

Property Crimes includes the following divisions:

Burglary Division: is responsible for coordinating all follow-up investigations of burglaries, as well as the recovery of stolen property from local pawn shops.

Auto Theft/Impound Division: is responsible for conducting follow-up investigations of auto thefts and unauthorized use of movables. The unit also coordinates all records and information relating to vehicles stored and impounded by the Department and monitoring local towing services to insure compliance with applicable standards and ordinances.

Forgery Division: is responsible for investigating all crimes involving thefts by fraudulent use of access cards, and forgeries of negotiable documents.

Felony Theft Unit: is responsible for all felony theft investigations that do not fall under the Auto Theft, Burglary or Forgery Divisions. The office is also responsible for felony damage to property cases. Priority is placed on business embezzlement incidents.

Investigative Support

Investigative Support includes the following divisions:

Evidence Division: is responsible for the collection, storage, cataloguing, and disposition of all evidence and property seized by, or turned in to, the department.

Crime Scene Division: is responsible for assisting in investigations by taking photographs, sketching major crime scenes, collecting and tagging evidence, and performing various scientific tests on suspects and/or evidence as needed.

Polygraph Division: conducts all polygraph, or lie detector, tests given to recruits, employees, or criminal suspects.

Crime Stoppers Office: coordinates all facets of the Crime Stoppers program with local news media, businesses, and the public.

Special Operations

Special Operations includes the following divisions:

Narcotics Division: is responsible for investigating crimes involving illegal drugs as well as related vice crimes. This division administers the HIDTA and LSP Task Forces.

School Drug Task Force: investigates crimes involving narcotics, explosives and weapons in schools, school buses and at school sponsored events within the Parish.

Liaison Detectives: assigned to outside state and federal agencies work jointly with these agencies to participate in multi-jurisdictional investigations.

Administration Bureau

Administration is the Chief’s staff bureau, concerned with the overall management of the department’s operations and internal controls. Most offices are housed downtown at Police Headquarters located at 704 Mayflower Street. Divisions and Positions within Administration:

Legal Advisor: acts as an advisor to the Chief of Police and his staff on department matters, to ensure conformity with existing laws and court decisions.

Office of Media Relations: acts as a liaison between the department and members of the working news media.

Fleet Management Division: is responsible for all aspects of assigning and maintaining the fleet of vehicles owned and operated by the department.

Internal Affairs Division: conducts investigations and maintains records on all complaints of wrongdoing lodged against members.

Accounting and Personnel Office: handles all accounts receivable and payable and prepares the department’s annual budget, as well as all personnel records and actions.

Operational Management: is responsible for providing a wide range of services to the Chief of Police and the department, such as coordinating all research; writing, reviewing and distributing policies and procedures; securing state and federal grant funds; coordinating travel of officers on department business; conducting research on products and equipment; exchanging information with other police agencies regarding operations; inventory control and supply; and accreditation.

Staff Inspections Office: is responsible for conducting daily inspections of all divisions of the department.

Health and Safety: analyzes conditions that may affect an officer’s performance or result in loss of work time.

Community Resources: is responsible for establishing liaison with formal community organizations and other community groups.

D.A.R.E: places police officers in elementary school classrooms to act as anti-drug abuse instructors.

Extra Duty Office: coordinates and tracks all off-duty employment of police officers.

Intelligence Division: gathers information on both real and potential threats to the public peace and assimilates and reports such information to the Chief of Police.

Explosives and Hazardous Materials UNIT: is responsible for on-scene and follow-up investigations of hazardous materials spills or fires, explosions, or crimes involving incendiary devices of all types.

Special Response Team, (SRT)

SRT is not a full-time unit, but is composed of officers who are on-call. Their mission is to respond to emergency operations, such as hostage situations, and to provide dignitary and VIP protection. Members of the team competed in the 2008 World SWAT Challenge and finished 5th overall, while also capturing the “Rookie Team Championship” title.

Operational Services Bureau

Operational Services is the most diverse bureau of the department, providing numerous and varied support functions, including serving as the repository for all criminal and traffic records. Divisions within this Bureau:

Alarm Enforcement Section: is responsible for licensing, regulating, maintaining statistics, and collecting fees from alarm users in the city and parish.

Licensing Section: is responsible for issuing licenses and maintaining records on all persons and businesses licensed by the Chief of Police.

Subpoena Services and Court Liaison Section: is responsible for serving subpoenas and other court documents to department personnel, and for maintaining liaisons with area courts.

Bicycle Registration Division: is responsible for registering and licensing all bicycles sold and ridden in the city, as well as enforcing applicable bicycle traffic ordinances. This division is also responsible for storage and disposition of all abandoned, recovered and seized bicycles.

Training Services Unit: is responsible for the recruitment and training of all prospective and newly hired officers, and the in-service training and re-certification of existing personnel in all aspects of law enforcement as well as the maintenance of records relating to such training. The firearms training section is responsible for all training of potential, newly hired, and existing personnel in the area of firearms safety and proficiency. The recruiting section is responsible for interviewing prospective employees, conducting all necessary background checks and tests, and providing lists of qualified and recommended candidates for employment as officers.

Criminal Records Section: maintains a centralized record system of all criminal offense reports prepared by officers of the department, arrest reports, fingerprint cards, and all necessary files and systems for criminal information storage, retrieval, archiving, and disposition.

Traffic Records Section: is responsible for the maintenance of a central traffic records system, providing report production, a public counter service facility, and a system for traffic information storage, retrieval and disposition.

Latent Print Section: operates as an identification unit, analyzing, comparing, cataloguing and classifying submitted fingerprints.

Crime Information Unit: is responsible for operating the National Crime Information Center computer and teletype system, receiving and distributing advisories from other agencies, and inputting information originating with this department, for dissemination to other interested agencies.

Crime Statistics and Research Unit: manages the FBI uniform crime reports and provides statistically oriented data to other divisions and outside agencies.

Communications Division: is responsible for proper routing of all telephone calls to the department. This division receives and processes all requests for police services. Communications personnel also dispatch, via radio, the appropriate police units to investigate and assist as needed.

Technological Support Unit: is responsible for operating, maintaining, and updating all computer systems used by the department.

Rank Structure

Rank	Insignia
Chief
Major
Captain
Lieutenant
Sergeant
Corporal
Police Officer First Class
Police Officer
Trainee

The Chief of Police is appointed by, and reports to, the Mayor. All other police positions are promotional and based on seniority, as mandated by state civil service law.^[1]

Fallen officers

Since 1911, the Baton Rouge Police Department has lost eighteen officers in line of duty deaths.^[4]

Officer	Date of Death	Details
J.B. Hare^[5]	Thursday, November 16, 1911	Gunfire
Joseph Marino^[6]	Tuesday, September 18, 1923	Gunfire
Frank E. Schoonmaker^[7]	Saturday, October 24, 1931	Gunfire
George W. Bannister^[8]	Thursday, March 3, 1966	Gunfire
J.D. Blackwell^[9]	Sunday, February 4, 1968	Automobile accident
Thomas R. Fancher^[10]	Tuesday, September 10, 1968	Motorcycle accident
Dennis R. Heap^[11]	Thursday, June 1, 1972	Motorcycle accident
Karl F. Bourgoyne^[12]	Thursday, July 14, 1977	Motorcycle accident
Linda A. Lawrence^[13]	Monday, August 1, 1977	Gunfire
Carl Robert D’Abadie^[14]	Friday, April 6, 1984	Motorcycle accident
Charles David Stegall^[15]	Tuesday, June 14, 1988	Vehicular assault
Warren Joseph Broussard^[16]	Tuesday, June 21, 1988	Gunfire
Betty Dunn Smothers^[17]	Thursday, January 7, 1993	Gunfire
Vickie Salassi Wax^[18]	Saturday, May 22, 2004	Gunfire
Terry Lee Melancon Jr.^[19]	Wednesday, August 10, 2005	Gunfire
Christopher Michael Metternich^[20]	Monday, August 14, 2006	Vehicular assault
Mark Beck^[21]	Monday, February 25, 2008	Automobile accident

References

External links

Official website