Captain Kenneth W. Richardson
Field Services Bureau Commander
     
           

           


           























               







        





           

The Field Services Bureau is under the command of a Captain who reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Police. The Captain is responsible for the overall efficient and effective management and administration of the Field Services Bureau and exercises direct authority over the four Patrol Lieutenants, the Traffic Safety Section Sergeant and Animal Services Technician. The Field Services Bureau has four Patrol Divisions/Teams, sometimes referred to as Patrol Watches. Each Team is commanded by a Lieutenant and is supervised by two Sergeants. Patrol Lieutenants report directly to the Field Services Bureau Commander. Each Patrol Team is subdivided in squads comprised of a Sergeant and five assigned patrol officers. The Patrol Teams are charged with the primary responsibility of providing line level police services which include preventive patrol; crime prevention activities; response to calls for service; investigation of crimes, accidents, incidents and conditions, including the apprehension of offenders; traffic direction and control; maintenance of public order; provision of emergency services; service of legal process; development of relationships between citizens and the agency; and reporting of information to appropriate agencies and organizational components.

Field Services Bureau also has responsibility for developing procedures, strategies and tactics for carrying out the parking enforcement function of the Department in collaboration with and support of the Field Services Bureau responsibilities related to parking. Parking enforcement includes evaluation of parking enforcement complaints, controlling parking areas and assigning personnel to efficiently deliver parking enforcement services; functional oversight responsibility for the enforcement of abandoned and junk motor vehicle laws that come under the Department’s jurisdiction.

The Traffic Safety Section has the primary responsibility for the planning, analysis, implementation, monitoring and coordination of the agency’s traffic safety activities. Specific responsibilities include the investigation of traffic collisions, traffic law enforcement, operation of speed measuring devices, oversight of the chemical testing program, parking control, funeral escorts, traffic direction and control, traffic engineering activities, and traffic safety programs.

This Section is comprised of one (1) Sergeant and two (2) Traffic Officers. The Traffic Safety Section is assigned to the Field Services Bureau and falls under the Field Services Bureau Commander. The officers’ schedule varies ensuring peak traffic hours are covered when traffic crashes are most likely to occur. Their schedule allows them to help cover the traffic related calls for service, citizen traffic complaint areas, identified high crash locations, problem oriented policing project (POP) locations, respond and investigate traffic collisions and assist with calls for service. The Traffic Safety Officers rotate working Friday and Saturday nights to allow them to be available during rush hour traffic to investigate and enforce Driving While Impaired and other alcohol related violations.

The HPD Animal Services Unit has the primary responsibility of investigating animal complaints and also provides services in terms of registration, temporary shelter, inoculations and other services. The Unit currently consists of one full time non-sworn Animal Services Technician that works 40 hours per week, but is also available on call to provide 24-hour emergency animal services to the citizens of the Town of Huntersville. In addition, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control is contracted to assist if the Department’s Animal Services Technician is unavailable.