User:Mrhomer21/Grass Valley Police Department

Grass Valley Police Department
The Grass Valley Police Department provides police services for the City of Grass Valley in the Sierra Nevada Foothills of California. The Grass Valley Police Department is a full-service, community policing organization with 41 sworn and civilian staff. There are also 6 reserve officers and currently a 10 member volunteer program. The current Chief of Police is John Foster. 

Mission Statement
The Grass Valley Police Department is dedicated to providing effective and courteous community policing services while preserving the legal rights of all individuals and reducing the impact of crime.

Community Oriented Policing
Community Oriented Policing is a philosophy of full-service, personalized policing where the same officer is assigned to a specific geographical area, or "COPP block" on a permanent basis, working in a proactive partnership with citizens to identify and solve problems. The focus of community oriented policing is not simply on responding to crime, but on preventing crime and resolving community problems. The philosophy rests on the belief that the police and the community must work together as partners to solve the contemporary challenges faced in today's society. Officers work closely with other organizations and community groups to educate community members about potential hazards they may encounter and how to reduce the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime, to identify the problems, concerns and fears of community members, to identify and eliminate hazards that may promote crime or disorder, and to improve the overall quality of life in the community.

Problem Oriented Policing
Problem-oriented policing is an approach to policing in which discrete pieces of police business (each consisting of a cluster of similar incidents, whether crime or acts of disorder, that the police are expected to handle) are subject to examination in hopes that what is learned about each problem will lead to discovering a new and more effective strategy for dealing with it. Problem-oriented policing places a high value on new responses that are preventive in nature, that are not dependent on the use of the criminal justice system, and that engage other public agencies, the community and the private sector when their involvement has the potential for significantly contributing to the reduction of the problem. Problem-oriented policing carries a commitment to implementing the new strategy, rigorously evaluating its effectiveness, and, subsequently, reporting the results in ways that will benefit other police agencies and that will ultimately contribute to building a body of knowledge that supports the further professionalization of the police.

Our Philosophy
The Grass Valley Police Department uses a combination of Community Oriented Policing, Problem Oriented Policing and traditional policing methods to provide our community with a high level of service. By partnering police services with community awareness we are able to reduce the overall impact of crime in our city.

Organization


The primary functions of the Patrol Division are to provide prompt response to community requests for police assistance and to implement proactive measures that reduce and prevent criminal activity through Community Oriented Policing Programs. Within our COPP program, patrol officers are each assigned a portion of the city that they work with in crime prevention. The Detective Division serves investigative functions for the department. Members assigned to this Division have been promoted from Patrol, work in plainclothes and conduct follow-up on felony investigations initiated by the Patrol Division as well as certain misdemeanors, as deemed appropriate. The Narcotics Division currently consists of one officer who works with the Nevada County Narcotics Task Force. The task force investigates narcotics trafficking, manufacturing of controlled substances and cultivation of illegal marijuana. The Property and Evidence Division is in charge of all property brought into the police department. This includes items taken for evidence, safekeeping, retrieved stolen items and found bicycles. Items are releasable by appointment only. When coming to claim your property you must show a picture ID or other appropriate paperwork. The Grass Valley Police Department is the county coordinator for DUI activities throughout Nevada County. As such, we coordinate a number of Sobriety Checkpoints as part of a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The goal of this program is to reduce the number of victims killed and injured in alcohol-involved cases. Statistics and further information for Nevada County can be found at the OTS website. The Special Incident Team is comprised of highly trained professionals who respond to high-risk incidents. Team members undergo extensive training to work as a cohesive group when dealing with priority situations. In addition, a hostage negotiator is assigned to the team. The Bike Patrol units are used primarily during special events that occur within the city. Bicycle Patrol allows for access to areas inaccessible to police cruisers and increases communication between the officers and the public. The School Resource Officer is a member of the Patrol Division who is located on the campus of Park Avenue Alternative Education Center. The SRO works with school administrators, parents and the juvenile justice system. The goal of the program is to hold juvenille offenders accountable for their actions through both school policies and procedures and the justice system.
 * Patrol Division
 * Detective Division
 * Narcotics Division
 * Property and Evidence
 * DUI Program “Avoid the Five”
 * SIT Team
 * Bicycle Patrol
 * School Resource Officer