Operations Division
The Operations Division is administered by the Operations Lieutenant who reports directly to the Major. The Operations Lieutenant is responsible for the following assignments: overall supervision of the Uniform Patrol Bureau, including Department scheduling, client billing; Neighborhood Watch program, Traffic Control Program, Police Dispatchers, Traffic Enforcement Program, F.T.O. Program, firearms training, special events, environmental programs (alligator and monitor lizard), and C.T.O. programs. The Operations Lieutenant will attend various meetings and functions as required by the Chief of Police or Police Major.
Command Structure and Chain of Command
Chief of Police
Major
Operations Lieutenant
Shift Commanders (Sergeants)
Officers assigned to Uniform Patrol and Detective Division
Dispatchers
Civilian employees assigned to Uniformed Patrol
Responsibilities
Responsibility 1: Proactively patrol all roadways – Officers patrol all City of Sanibel roadways for detection of suspicious or criminal activity and provide assistance to citizens in need. Officers will enforce all laws and Ordinances to provide the maximum protection to the public.
Responsibility 2: Patrol all waterways – Officers are assigned to details to patrol all waterways within the geographic boundaries around the City of Sanibel and all accessible waterways and canals within Sanibel. Officers assigned to this function ensure the public safety through vessel inspections and enforcement of all laws and ordinances associated with the waterways. This position is partially funded by the West Coast Inland Navigation District and Beach Parking revenues.
Responsibility 3: Patrol the beach – Officers are assigned to special details to patrol the beaches of Sanibel. Officers assigned to this function proactively patrol and provide assistance to the public. Officers enforce violations of laws and ordinances, especially those associated with protection of the natural environment, including dune protection, beach chair Ordinance, harassing of shorebirds, protection of turtle nests and dogs on the beach without a leash. Officers also educate the public regarding environmental laws and how they relate to the persons behavior and activities on the beach. This position is partially funded by the West Coast Inland Navigation District and Beach Parking revenues.
Responsibility 4: Respond to all emergency calls – Officers respond in a safe and expeditious manner to all emergency calls. This includes calls of crimes in progress, vehicle and pedestrian accidents and medical crises, if not busy.
Responsibility 5:Respond to all criminal complaints – Officers respond to all criminal complaints in a timely manner. Officers obtain all pertinent information to initiate a criminal investigation and complete all associated reports to ensure proper documentation is completed to develop criminal cases with the goal to prosecute violators to the fullest extent of the law.
Responsibility 6: Respond to all calls for service – Officers will respond to all non emergency calls for service in the order in which the call is received after other calls of greater importance are prioritized and completed.
Responsibility 7: Perform arrests – Officers physically arrest perpetrators of crimes committed in their presence or crimes where evidence suggests there is reasonable suspicion that an individual or individuals have committed a crime. An officer ensures he/she has the proper resources and back-up to affect an arrest. An officer completes all required reports and transports the perpetrator of the crime to the Lee County Jail for incarceration.
Responsibility 8: Issue traffic citations – Officers issue traffic citations to persons who violate State traffic laws. Officers conduct traffic stops in a safe and prudent manner and complete the proper State forms that identify the specifics of the violation.
Responsibility 9: Respond to traffic crashes – Officers respond to reports of traffic crashes in a safe and expeditious manner. The first responding officer determines if there are any injuries and attends to those needs first and requests medical services to respond if there are any injuries. The officer then investigates the causes of the accident and documents all contributing causes and cites the violator if necessary. The investigating officer completes a State of Florida approved Traffic Crash Report as required or a Drivers Exchange / Driver Report of Accident report.
Responsibility 10: Animal Control – Officers respond to all domestic and exotic animal complaints and document all pertinent information regarding the call; whether it is a noise complaint, dog not in physical control by owner, attack or bite and any other complaints. If an animal has attacked another animal or a person, the officer completes the appropriate State approved form and forwards the information to the Lee County Health Department. If an animal attack has occurred, police staff implements an animal quarantine or attempts to catch dangerous exotics.
Responsibility 11: Special patrol details – Department staff participate in special details as available and requested by the public to include: traffic, parking, crossing guard, crowd control for special events, radar details and security details.
Responsibility 12: Environmental patrol details – Officers have been trained to recognize environmental violations and as a component of their patrol function, are alert for these violations. Officers are also deployed as the need arises to conduct surveillance for specific violations such as: feeding alligators, undersized or too many fish, unleashed dogs on the beach, harassing of wildlife and assessment of monitor lizards and other invasive species.
Responsibility 13: Alligator complaints – All complaints of alligators are assessed by a trained police officer. The officer determines if there is a threat and all conditions associated with the complaint. If there is an imminent threat, the police department will take immediate action to catch the alligator if possible and call the state trapper for removal.
Responsibility 14: Traffic enforcement – Officers as part of their patrol function prioritize the enforcement of traffic violations. Additionally, one full time officer is primarily detailed to traffic enforcement as scheduling allows and to cites violators for traffic infractions.
Responsibility 15: Report writing – Employees will document all official actions on appropriate reports and forms: All calls for service will be recorded in the CAD, criminal complaints will be documented on State approved reports, alarms will be documented on City form as directed by City Ordinance. When reports are completed by personnel, a supervisor reviews each report for content and accuracy, then the reports are approved prior to release to the public.
Responsibility 16: Case preparation – Officers must prepare case packages for all felony cases to be distribution to the State Attorney’s Office for review and prosecution. The case packages include details of the offense, witnesses and victims of the crime and documentation of evidence associated with the crime.
Responsibility 17: Traffic court – Officers testify in traffic court as required through court subpoena on any contested traffic citation. The officer reports to the court in uniform or professional attire fully prepared to testify. When the hearing is completed the officer documents the disposition of the case on a supplement report to the original case.
Responsibility 18: Bureau of Driver Improvement hearings – Officers testify at Bureau of Driver Improvement hearings in driving under the influence arrests. The officer reports to the hearing in uniform or professional attire fully prepared to testify. When the hearing is completed the officer documents the disposition of the case on a supplement report to the original case.
Responsibility 19: Criminal court – Officers testify in criminal court as required through court subpoena on any criminal court case. The officer reports to the court in uniform or professional attire fully prepared to testify. When the hearing is completed the officer documents the disposition of the case on a supplement report to the original case.
Responsibility 20: Code enforcement – All complaints and observations of code violations will be enforced if observed by a police officer. These violations include: unlicensed contractors and service workers, signage, unleashed dogs, dune diminishment, chairs on the beach, water violations, loud music, construction work after hours, native vegetation trimming and vehicles on the beach. Any observations or actions taken will be forwarded to the Planning Department.
Responsibility 21: Correction reports – All complaints and observations regarding damage to City property, conditions to be corrected or safety hazards related to City infrastructure are documented on a complaint report and a City Correction Report is forwarded to the Department of Public Works. If the need is deemed hazardous, staff will cause immediate response to correct the deficiency.
Responsibility 22: Criminal investigations – All criminal complaints are investigated to the fullest authority and ability of the Police Department until the case is resolved; either through prosecution, clearance or refusal to prosecute. In the event that a case becomes cold, periodic contact is made with the victim to determine if any new developments have occurred to affect the status of the initial report.
Responsibility 23: Property – All property obtained by the Sanibel Police Department is secured, tagged and maintained by the property and evidence manager until disposition of the property; either by return to owner, destroyed or sold at auction.
Responsibility 24: Traffic control – Department staff monitors traffic conditions and dedicates resources at high volume intersections to direct traffic during peak traffic times to effectuate the most efficient movement of traffic. Staff also performs traffic control at the Sanibel School, at the beginning and end of each school day to facilitate a safe condition for students.
Responsibility 25: Collect mail dropped for utility payments – Police Department staff collects utility payments dropped in the on-site City mail drop box for utility bill payments, then delivers to the Finance Department on all business days except holidays.
Responsibility 26: Deliver City deposits to bank – Police staff picks up from the Finance Department all prepared deposits for delivery to the bank and returns deposit receipts to the Finance Department on all business days except holidays.
Responsibility 27: Deliver City Council packets – Police staff delivers City Council packets to City Council members’ residences as requested on a bi-weekly basis.
Responsibility 28: City mail collection – Police Department staff picks up City mail at the U.S. Post Office and delivers to Administration on all business days except holidays.
Responsibility 29:Department scheduling – Staff coordinates all requests for time off, training schedules, special details and develops a Department schedule to provide for adequate service to the public and safety to staff.
Responsibility 30: Business checks – The midnight patrol shift conducts physical area checks of all businesses on Sanibel as time permits and when not engaged in answering calls and conducting criminal detection or arrests.
Responsibility 31: Residential Dark House Program – The day shift road patrol conducts physical structure checks of residences that sign up for dark house checks during extended time away from their homes. Police staff completes the checks as time allows when not handling calls or otherwise engaged.
Responsibility 32: Maintain Intoxilyzer – A police staff member is assigned and trained to be the designated department Intoxilyzer maintenance technician. This requires monthly tests and servicing to maintain the state certification. This allows for the legal detection of blood alcohol levels of defendants arrested for driving under the influence.
POLICE DEPARTMENT DISPATCH - OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsibility 33: Primary emergency 9-1-1 answering point (PSAP) – Answer all emergency 9-1-1 calls 24 hours per day seven days per week and determine method for dispatch; either dispatch police resources only, or dispatch police resources and forward the call for additional assistance of law enforcement back up, and or dispatch fire department, and or dispatch emergency medical services. The dispatcher obtains all pertinent information to assist and protect the caller, victim, and emergency workers who are responding and provide any advise that can assist or protect the caller or victim.
Responsibility 34: Answer all police department phone calls – Police personnel answer all calls to the police department 24 hours per day seven days per week. The call taker assesses each call and determines the best course of action; either forward the call to an appropriate city employee, dispatch Department resources, convey information to the caller, or direct the caller to the appropriate resource.
Responsibility 35: Dispatch all department calls – Dispatchers determine the caller’s need, obtain all pertinent information to generate a police report, enter all pertinent information into the Computer Aided Dispatch System, assign Department resources to the call, and record all pertinent information regarding the personnel’s response and requests for information and additional resources.
Responsibility 36: Officer safety – Dispatchers maintain contact with Department personnel to ensure their safety when working in the field. This is accomplished by knowing where personnel are and what they are working on and send back-up to their location if contact can not be made.
Responsibility 37: Monitor National and Florida Crimes Information networks – Dispatchers monitor the NCIC and FCIC teletype for communications and requests and alerts from outside agencies; and forward pertinent information regarding requests for assistance and BOLO’s for wanted persons, missing persons, child abductions and all other requests for assistance to road patrol.
Responsibility 38: Disseminate and update information through National and Florida Information networks - Dispatchers disseminate pertinent information to outside law enforcement agencies regarding perpetrators of crimes leaving City of Sanibel jurisdiction, missing persons, abducted children, stolen vehicles and stolen or missing weapons, verification of active warrants, and official requests for assistance.
Responsibility 39: Monitor daily weather conditions – Dispatchers monitor weather conditions to alert patrol staff of impending inclement weather to ensure staff members are not in dangerous conditions, including traffic control personnel, marine officers and beach patrol officers. Dispatchers report forecasted weather conditions to the patrol supervisor for possible notification of the public if severe conditions exist, such as tornado warnings or flash flooding.
Responsibility 40: Alert radio messages – Dispatchers disseminate emergency communications over the emergency alert radio system. These messages may be related to evacuation, severe weather, severe traffic conditions, or occurrence of specific in progress crimes.