CITY DEPARTMENTS
Police Department

Departmental Foundation

A. Seven full-time officers: one chief, one captain, one sergeant, four patrol officers

B. The chief and captain are considered administrative, although the chief conducts most of the administrative and personnel responsibilities. The captain has the authority to do the same.

C. Our captain, sergeant, and patrol officers work a three days on, two days off, two days on, three days off, work cycle. This gives them a three day weekend off every other weekend. The officers work 12 hour shifts. The patrol officers are on a permanent shift for four months, then rotate to a different shift. The captain and sergeant are assigned to permanent overlap shifts and supervise the events that occur during that time period.

D. Our department provides 24 hour law enforcement service for the community of Jefferson. officers are on duty, working, any time of any day and night.

E. The Jefferson Police Department (JPD) is designed to function mostly as a patrol division. They are trained to work through all types of routine activity and are specialized in limited areas. When they experience a serious crime they are not trained to competently handle, they call for assistance from specialized officers on the county, state or federal level.

F. The JPD handled 2,393 calls last year. Those calls are broken down into the following categories: Traffic, Criminal and Public Service. Typically 60% of our calls for service are in the area of Public Service, 25% Criminal and 15% Traffic.

G. In 2006, JPD issued 566 citations.

H. Although we deal with all types of criminal activity, the most prevalent serious crimes are fraud and theft relating to financial instruments (checks), criminal mischief, harassment, assault and domestic disputes.

I. Our most prevalent small crimes are misdemeanor theft and harassment.

J. Substance Abuse: Alcohol easily remains the worst and most abused substance of choice. Marijuana and methamphetamine are the most prevalent controlled substances we have contact with on the streets.

K. Animal Licensing: The City of Jefferson requires that all dogs and cats be licensed annually at the Law Enforcement Center, 204 S. Chestnut, Jefferson. You will need to provide proof of current vaccinations, proof of your pet being spayed or neutered, and a completed animal license form. The forms may be found at City Hall, Jefferson Public Library, the Greene County Community Center, Jefferson Veterinary Clinic, Animal Holding Facility at the Jefferson Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Law Enforcement Center. Click here for Pet License Form (PDF).

Facility

A. The JPD is housed in the Greene County Law Enforcement Center, (LEC). The building was constructed in 1974. We share the facility with the Greene County Sheriff's Office; the Communications Center, which dispatches all Fire, EMS and Law Enforcement for Greene County; and the Greene County Jail. The Communications Center and the jail are controlled by the Sheriff's Office.

B. We also share many of the costs related to expensive office equipment. A constant goal of the Police Department is to identify and implement ways to reduce expenses through sharing with other entities.

Police Reserve Program

The Jefferson Police Department has a reserve police officer program which allows the department to recruit citizen volunteers to support officers when needed.

The volunteers in the program are local community members required to participate in a training program administered by the police officers. The training they receive is similar to the training the police officers obtain at the Police Academy. These volunteers are not granted police powers of arrest, but serve as a valuable resource for aiding the police department.

This program is a benefit to the police department and the public. This program offers extra protection for the community and saves the city and community members the cost of employing additional police officers. There are some occasions, such as the Bell Tower Festival, in which the volunteer officers are compensated for their work. However, the extensive amount of time invested is entirely volunteer.

Vehicles

The Jefferson Police Department utilizes 3/4 ton extended cab pickups for patrol vehicles. The purpose of this change (from cars to pickups)was to better utilize the investment of the resources generally used for patrol vehicles.

A new pickup is assigned first as a “patrol” vehicle being utilized 24 hrs. a day for the first 15 month period. The pickup is then rotated and assigned as a supervisor vehicle being utilized 12 hrs. a day for the next 15 month period. The last 15 month period with the police dept., the vehicle is assigned to the chief and used as a semi-marked vehicle during that period. The final assignment is to another city department where the vehicle will be utilized for the remainder of its useful life.

We have determined that 3/4 ton pickups are built heavy enough to better withstand the rigorous demands of a patrol vehicle.

The full-sized pickups better suit the space needed to utilize the equipment used by law enforcement and the officers.

We have determined that prisoner transports are easily accommodated with the pickups. The pickups are ordered with the extended cab and four access doors. The prisoners are normally seated on the passenger side of the vehicle. The front passenger seat is slid forward to allow for additional leg length. The cage is raised on the passenger side to allow for adequate leg height.

There has been serious discussion regarding the fuel usage difference between pickups and cars. The figures have been crunched and indicate the following: The initial purchase of the 3/4 ton extended cab pickups reaps a savings of $2,000 to $4,000 in comparison to the purchase of a full-sized police package car. The usage period of the pickup is at least double that of a car. It is used as a police vehicle and in another city dept. for many more years. Even in the event the pickup is traded after use as a police vehicle, the pickups have a much higher trade-in value than used police cars. The figures show the benefits received greatly outweigh the fuel usage difference between the two.

Cooperative Relations

A. We enjoy a close relationship with all of the local emergency response departments:

• Greene County Emergency Medical Service, (Ambulance Service).
• Jefferson Volunteer Fire Department.
• Greene County Sheriff's Office.
• Outlying Police Departments

Each department recognizes their responsibilities and the other departments work to enhance the quality of service to the public through cooperation with each other.

B. We maintain a quality relationship with the school's administrative staff. We work several joint investigations with the school every year.

Departmental Goal

A. To provide a higher quality of life for the people we serve.

Police Patrol Programs

The Police Department has been involved in a school patrol program for the past eighteen 18 years. The program consists of keeping the marked police patrol vehicles moving around and in the areas of the schools during peak times of high vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The program is designed to be a high-visibility program. Seeing the marked police vehicles helps remind the drivers and pedestrians of safety practices and encourages them to follow those practices. When police vehicles are patrolling the school areas this also allows for quick response during periods when calls for our service are requested. Every year the police dept. receives praise from parents and school officials acknowledging and seeing their tax dollars at work protecting their youth.

Emergency Weather Warning Sirens

The City of Jefferson purchased and installed new emergency weather warning sirens for the community in the summer, 2005. The purpose of these sirens is to give advanced audible warning to the people in the event of incoming inclement weather.

The City Council chose to change one of the existing policies regarding the activation of the sirens. That change is as follows: In the event the Greene County Communications Center receives a “Tornado Warning” issued by the National Weather Service identifying that the city of Jefferson is included in the path of a “tornado warning zone,” the dispatcher shall activate the sirens so the citizens of Jefferson can seek appropriate cover. In this case the National Weather Service has identified certain patterns or criteria with their equipment and while utilizing their advanced training determined that information indicated the potential for tornadic activity is likely. This siren activation does not necessarily mean a tornado has been sighted and is headed directly for Jefferson. It does however extend the advanced warning to the people that may not have received the warning otherwise. It is the council’s intention to make sure that a warning with this potential for devastation is extended to those not otherwise around or near any other means in which they could have received the warning.

Current siren activation policy also authorizes any law enforcement officer working within the county, any fire department member, the Emergency Management Director, a reliable citizen’s report within five miles of a city and the communications operator when notified by the national weather service to request the activation of the emergency weather sirens.

Upon the activation of the sirens all persons should seek protective cover immediately. You should turn to a local radio or TV broadcasting station for further information regarding the emergency creating the warning.

Note: An automated siren test will take place on the first and third Saturday of each month (except for the months of December, January, February and March) at 11 a.m. to ensure their working order. On the first Saturday the sirens will activate for five seconds and on the third Saturday they will activate for 30 seconds.

Check the FAQ for more information.