Patrol Services
The Patrol Services Division constitutes the largest component of the police department. The major focus of this division is to respond to citizen calls for service. The Patrol Services Division provides traditional police service for the citizens of our community while maintaining a high degree of integrity. This division strives to promote an open flow of information and to treat all persons professionally, respectfully and fair.
Programs within the Patrol Services Division include: Initial response to calls for police service, preliminary criminal investigation, directed patrols, action plans to address criminal activity, warrant service, reserve patrol, and general patrol.
The Patrol Services Division is supervised by a Division Commander, who reports directly to the Chief of Police. Four lieutenants and one secretary report to the Division Commander. The four lieutenants are assigned districts within the City of Rocky Mount.
The District Concept
The Patrol Services Division operates under the District Concept. To ensure maximum availability for calls for services, officers are assigned to the districts and beats, based on peak periods, time of day and day of the week. The District Concept promotes accountability internally and externally, defines leadership and supervision in each district, establishes points of contact for citizens, creates officer ownership of districts and beats and improves operations through development of trends, projections and analysis of criminal activity. Residents and business persons have the opportunity to know and have access to the lieutenants responsible for their districts. Officers stay connected with citizens, particularly those in their specific districts, while being more visible in the community. The increased attention by the assigned lieutenants to their districts improves operations through development of trends, projections and analysis of criminal activities.
The city is divided into four districts, namely northern, southern, eastern and western, based on the number of calls for service. Three districts converge on the downtown area and overlap Edgecombe and Nash counties.
The four Rocky Mount districts are commanded by department lieutenants. The districts are North, South, East, and West.
The police department is committed to providing the community with the highest level of service possible and they depend on you to help.
Police Canine Teams
The Rocky Mount Police Department has had canines working patrol assignments since 1992. Prior to that, the first canine, "Annie" a chocolate Labrador Retriever, worked out of the Criminal Investigation Division, and specifically assisted with narcotics investigations only. Each shift has a canine team that consists of a canine handler and a canine that is trained to assist with drug searches, article/evidence searches, building searches, searches for fugitives/missing persons as well as protect the police handler and other officers. The canine also is trained in high levels of obedience. Each canine and its handler attend a 10-week canine school with the canine handler for certification.
Current canines are Bloodhounds, Belgian Malinios and German Shepherds. Each canine handler is assigned a SUV or a patrol vehicle, which houses a cage for the canine and related patrol equipment. The canine handlers maintain the canine at the handler's residence.