Garner Police Department 2019 Annual Report Published August 2020 | Page 6
Departmental Overview
DURING 2019, THE GARNER POLICE Department
was authorized 68 sworn police officers
and 10 civilian personnel (including eight fulltime,
one part-time, and one supplemental staff) to
provide law enforcement services to a town roughly
15 square miles in area with a permanent residential
population of approximately 32,000 citizens.
The Town of Garner operates in a Council-Manager
form of government with an elected mayor and five
members of the Town Council. The Town Council sets
Town policies, enacts ordinances, and appoints the
Town Manager. The Town Manager administers the daily
operations and programs of the municipal government
through department heads, including the Chief of Police,
and other Town staff. The Garner Police Department is
one of 11 Town departments, with the Town Manager
directly supervising the Chief of Police.
POLICE DEPARTMENT COMPONENTS
The department is comprised of the Administration
Bureau and the Operations Bureau. The Administration
Bureau is comprised of the Professional Standards
Division, Training, Records Unit, Accreditation Specialist,
and Police I.T. Specialist. The Operations Bureau consists
of three divisions: Patrol, Criminal Investigations, and
Support Services. The Operations Bureau also receives
support from the civilian Crime Analyst.
ADMINISTRATION BUREAU
An Administration Lieutenant serves as a backup Internal
Affairs Investigator, and currently manages department
fleet services.
The Personnel and Training Sergeant is responsible
for ensuring the department complies with all training
mandated by the NC Criminal Justice Education
and Training Commission. He is also responsible for
recruitment, retention, and administering the hiring
processes for the department. He manages the Field
Training Program and supervises the Training Officer.
The Training Officer is new position that was
implemented January 2019 and is responsible for
coordinating and scheduling all required annual
training for all sworn officers.
The Records Unit consists of a Records Manager, three
Police Records Specialists and the Quartermaster.
The Department’s Records Unit staff are tasked with
managing all the department’s records, which include
criminal reports, motor vehicle crashes, and other
incidents. The Quartermaster is responsible for issuing
equipment to officers and is the primary custodian of
all evidence and department property.
The Accreditation Specialist manages the department’s
compliance with Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) standards and ongoing
review of Department policies and procedures.
The Information Technology (I.T.) Specialist manages
the department’s computer systems and administers
the department’s in-car and body-worn camera
systems to include all updates and maintenance/
troubleshooting.
OPERATIONS BUREAU
The Patrol Division is commanded by Lt. Paul
Caldwell and is the largest division in the Garner
Police Department. This division is responsible for
responding to 911 calls and proactive patrol in the
Town of Garner. These uniformed officers work 12-
hour shifts and provide police response to calls for
service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Criminal Investigation Division (CID) is commanded
by Lt. Chris Clayton. The division consists of six General
Investigators and four Special Investigators.
The Support Services Division is led by Lt. Michael
McIver which consists of the Traffic Safety Unit,
Community Services, and Animal Control.
The Traffic Safety Unit is responsible for the investigation
of traffic crashes, addressing speed complaints,
conducting traffic studies and analyses, and managing
traffic control at large events like the Christmas Parade
and the Town’s annual July 3rd Celebration.
Community Services consists of five school resource
officers (SROs) who patrol our two middle schools and
two high schools, working with students and staff to
ensure a safe learning environment.
Animal Control is led by Animal Control Officer Michael
Gale, who is responsible for general supervision of
the Services Officers and investigation into all animal
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GARNER POLICE DEPARTMENT 2019 ANNUAL REPORT