Support Division
Support Division
The Support Division is made up of five units, which include the Criminal Investigations Unit, Information Systems Unit, Communications Unit, Special Operations Unit, and the Special Response Team (SRT).
Criminal Investigations functions include all complex investigations, narcotics and evidence. The unit has five detectives, an evidence custodian, a secretary and a sergeant.
The Information Systems Unit is responsible for all records and computer technology. The unit is made up of three full time civilians, two part time civilians and a unit supervisor.
The Communications Unit has eight full time civilian dispatchers and several part time dispatchers. The unit is the first point of contact to most citizens and is responsible for call distribution.
The Special Operations Unit of the department consists of several disciplines, all of whom are used to support the Patrol Division.
On the enforcement side of the unit, there is a Narcotics Detective and three Tactical Officers. The Narcotics Detective is responsible for long-term investigations into the illegal sale and delivery of controlled substances.
The Tactical Officers concentrate their time on identifying street crime trends and taking enforcement action to curtail that activity. Most of their time is spent assisting in garnering the drug trade in the area, although they are occasionally tasked with assisting other sub-units in Special Operations with their tasks.
The proactive side of the unit is comprised of a crime prevention officer, the Youth Intervention Officer, the Parking Enforcement Officer and the Volunteer Unit.
The Crime Prevention officer is responsible for educating the public on how they can make themselves less likely to become a target of crime. Crime Prevention is also responsible for conducting site surveys of new and existing businesses, in an attempt to make the location less likely to be victimized by crime.
The Youth Intervention Officer is responsible for overseeing a program where first-time juvenile offenders are placed, allowing them to become involved in counselling sessions and community service as an alternative to being entered into the juvenile criminal justice system. The program also works in conjunction with the Boys & Girls Club of Martin County to identify “at-risk” juveniles who might be assisted by the program. The program is based out of the 10th Street Community Services Division and is staffed by a degreed social worker. Law enforcement interaction with the youth is promoted as much as possible.
The Parking Enforcement officer works in the Community Redevelopment Area of the City and is responsible for enforcing all parking laws in that area. The parking enforcement officer also works with members of the downtown community and the citizens who use it to analyze and solve problems with parking in the CRA.
The Volunteer Unit is comprised of citizens of Martin County who all volunteer their time to conduct tasks that might otherwise have to be handled by a police officer. These tasks include; house checks, traffic control, and follow-up phone calls to victims of crime. By using volunteers for these tasks, the Police Department is able to free up sworn officers to do more traditional police work.
Also included as part of the Support Services division is the department's Special Response Team (SRT). This unit consists of 11 officers from the department, who have specialized training in tactical responses to emergency situations.
