Patrol

The Patrol Division is the "Uniformed" Division of the Department. Officers assigned to Patrol are the most visible. There are three shifts (Days, Afternoons, and Midnights) between six squads. The Patrol Division is staffed and equipped to handle emergencies and calls for service continuously throughout the year. Calls for service totaled 46,559 during 2011 and 46,292 during the 2010 calendar year.

A squad consists of a sergeant and six or seven officers depending on the shift. Dispersed evenly throughout the squads are Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Rifle Officers. Each patrol officer is supplied with specialized equipment in the event of a terrorist event involving weapons of mass destruction and/or a hazardous material release.

The Patrol function is the heart of the department and is the most visible. Patrol provides year round emergency police. They are the first to be called in any emergency including fire and medical emergencies. The patrol fleet is equipped with fifteen Automatic External Defibrillator's (AED) that are in use for medical emergencies when needed. Patrol personnel work with the citizens of Bridgewater to identify neighborhood problems and to develop and implement strategies to reduce crimes and to make our neighborhoods safe. Patrol provides continuous uniformed police response and service capability through the deployment of field personnel unified under one command. It represents the front line where policies and plans are translated into action, including the prevention and suppression of crime, preservation of law and order, and the protection of life and property.

Patrol is charged with the prevention of crimes and accidents, the protection of property in Bridgewater. Patrol personnel maintain public order in all situations. Their responsibility includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Response to requests for service including emergency services.
• Preventive patrol.
• Criminal law enforcement.
• Accident investigation.
• Crime prevention efforts.
• Investigation of crimes, offenses, incidents and conditions.
• Arresting offenders.
• Traffic direction and control.
• Reporting information in the appropriate formats.
• Developing positive relationships between the citizens of the community
  and this Department

Working in partnership with the entire community, the Operations Patrol Division is committed to providing the highest quality of police service to the Township of Bridgewater by preserving the peace, protecting life and property, enforcing laws, arresting violators, and traffic control. Patrol continues to promote community safety by seeking solutions to any challenges or threats that create fear or threaten the quality of life in the Township of Bridgewater.

The Bridgewater Police Department's D.R.E. Officer is available to surrounding towns by request. Click here for more information.