BLOOMINGTON
COMMUNITY M GUIDE 2024 2
Police provide more than public safety
Established in 1953 , the Bloomington Police Department provides around-the-clock public safety service and numerous community outreach programs throughout the year .
Police Chief Booker Hodges leads a department with an authorized strength of 130 sworn police officers and approximately 50 full-time clerical , dispatch , community service and animal control employees . The department headquarters is part of Bloomington Civic Plaza .
The department ’ s Mall of America Unit , housed in a substation at the mall , allows officers to respond quickly and efficiently to calls for service at the nation ’ s largest shopping complex .
The department also has a highly-trained Emergency Services Group , which includes an Emergency Response Unit and a bomb squad , one of four bomb squads serving Minnesota .
Besides responding to criminal matters , car crashes and medical emergencies , the department offers a variety of services to Bloomington residents and businesses .
There are approximately 430 Neighborhood Watch organizations in Bloomington , identifiable by signs posted in neighborhoods across the city . Those groups represent more than half of the 17,000 homes in Bloomington . The Neighborhood Watch program trains and educates residents in ways to be involved , stay informed and work together with their neighbors to address mutual concerns and find solutions . If your neighborhood is not part of a watch group , the Bloomington Police Crime Prevention Unit will help set one up .
The department also works to duplicate the concept for Bloomington businesses . With more than 4,000 businesses in the city , the department works with business owners through its Business Watch program . This group receives crime alerts and works with the department to reduce crime and enhance public safety in the business community .
The annual Citizen ’ s Police Academy is a law enforcement education program designed to give participants an inside look at how the police department operates , including its policies , procedures , programs , priorities and challenges .
The department provides an online crime map with statistics from the previous 90 days , as well as arrest reports and historical data through the police department ’ s online data dashboard .
Throughout the year , police officers make time to meet the community through “ Coffee with a Cop ,” National Night Out and other community events .
Information about police services is available by calling 952-563-4900 and online at tinyurl . com / bloomingtonpd .
Bloomington Community Guide | 2024 | 7