Athens-Clarke County Police Department
| Athens-Clarke County Police Department | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | ACCPD |
|
Patch of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | January 14, 1991 |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | County of Clarke County, Georgia in the state of Georgia (U.S. state), United States |
 | |
| Map of Athens-Clarke County Police Department's jurisdiction. | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters |
3035 Lexington Rd. Athens, Georgia 30605 |
| Sworns | 241 |
| Civilians | 65 |
| Agency executive | R. Scott Freeman, Ph.D., Chief |
| Parent agency | Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County |
| Facilities | |
| Number of Stations | 5 |
| Holding Facilities | Clarke County Jail - Clarke County Sheriff's Office |
| Vehicles | Chevrolet Impala, Ford Interceptor, Ford Fusion, Toyota Prius |
| Website | |
| http://www.accpd.org | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. As of July 2015, R. Scott Freeman was sworn as the new Chief of Police.[1] The vacant Chief position was filled on an interim basis by Carter Greene. Prior to his appointment Interim Chief Carter Greene had served as the Assistant Chief of Support Operations, East Precinct Commander, Communications Director and various other positions within the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.[2]
Accreditation and Certification
ACCPD is an internationally accredited police agency, having been the forty-third agency to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Since its initial accreditation, ACCPD has been reaccredited four times and was named a "Gold Standard Agency" in 2013.
In addition to its CALEA accreditation, ACCPD is a State Certified agency by the State of Georgia and the first agency to receive such certification from the state.
Operations
The Office of the Chief is responsible for the overall operations of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department and serves as a liaison between the department, The Mayor and Commission and the County Manager.
There is an Assistant Chief of Field Operations and an Assistant Chief of Support Operations who each oversee their respective units within the department.
The police department operates East and West Precincts and has established fourteen police zones in the county, each precinct is overseen by a Major.
The West Precinct, headquartered in the Georgia Square Mall on Atlanta Highway, is responsible for zones one through seven.
The East Precinct, housed in Police Leadquarters on Lexington Road, is responsible for zones eight through fourteen.
Working Environment
Officers assigned to the Uniformed Patrol Division work fixed eight-hour shifts: Day Watch (6-2 and 7-3) Evening Watch (2-10 and 3-11) and Morning Watch (10-6 and 11-7)
Each shift is managed by a Watch Commander with the rank of Lieutenant, supervised by three Sergeants and consists of Senior Police Officers and Officers.
Officers are initially assigned to one of the six Uniformed Patrol Shifts after completing all training requirements established by the Career Development and Training Unit. Officers may request a transfer to a specialized unit or an alternate shift assignment at various times throughout their career.
Officers assigned to specialized units may have a condensed work schedule to include 10- or 12-hour shifts.
Specialized Units
The Traffic Unit operates from the Baxter Street Substation.
The Crime Emergency Unit is based at the Police Headquarters on Lexington Road.
The Taxi and Alcohol Licensing Unit operates out of the Fairview Street Substation.
The Downtown Operations Unit is operated out of the Downtown Substation on College Avenue.
The Centralized Criminal Investigations Unit operates out of several locations within the county.
The Communications Unit is housed in the Police Headquarters on Lexington Road.
The department also operates a nationally recognized Strategic Response Team.
Equipment
Officers with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department are issued all required uniforms and equipment, at no cost to the employee.
Vehicles: ACCPD uses a variety of vehicles for its operations. The primary fleet vehicle for patrol is the Chevrolet Impala. Investigators are issued more fuel efficient unmarked vehicles including Ford Fusion's and Toyota Prius's.
Firearms:
Glock 22 / 23 / 35
Remingon 870 12 Gauge Shotgun
Patrol Rifles - Authorized
Handcuffs: Two Pair of Hinged or Chain
Secondary Weapons: OC Spray, ASP Baton, PR-24
Body-Worn Cameras: As of 2014 the ACCPD is phasing in the use of on Taser AXON-Flex officer worn cameras.
Training
The Career Development and Training Unit is responsible for training new officers as well as the continuing education of all sworn employees. New officers attend the State required Basic Mandate and an in-house New Officer's Basic Course where they are instructed on various law enforcement related topics from qualified instructors. They also must successfully complete a minimum of 16 weeks of field training during which their actions are closely monitored by a qualified Police Training Officer. Officers are required to attend a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education each year. Officers with ACCPD consistently attend well over the minimum required hours with many officers receiving over 100 hours of continuing education training per year.
Line of Duty Deaths
Officers Killed in the Line of Duty:[3]
March 22, 2011 SPO Elmer Basco "Buddy" Christian - Gunfire
January 16, 1985 Cpl Thomas Earl Bowles - Assault
November 3, 1963 Ofc Donald Moon - Gunfire
November 29, 1936 Ofc Herman Karl Stein - Gunfire
References
External links
Coordinates: 33°56′32″N 83°19′42″W / 33.94222°N 83.32833°W