An Overview of SBPD Operations

The South Bend Police Department is broken down into several core components, called Divisions. From these, the Uniform Patrol Division, The Investigative Division, and the Services Division are responsible for directing day to day operations of the department

The majority of officers assigned to the department are in patrol and are assigned a patrol area, or "beat". The beat officer is responsible for directing his efforts to carrying out the basic functions of the Police Department which include protection of life and property, maintenance of public order, prevention of crime, response to emergency situations, arresting violators of the law, and the proper enforcement of all laws and ordinances.

The beat officer patrols assigned areas, making inquiries and inspections oriented toward prevention of crimes and accidents, and implementing community oriented policing.

The beat officer will attend to any complaint, call for assistance, arrests, or other duty with business-like dispatch and courtesy and without unnecessary loss of time.

The Uniform Division is commanded by Division Chief Jeffrey Walters, and is comprised of the uniform patrol division, including street patrol, NEST/Street Crimes, K9, and other specialty units, including SWAT, the TURF/Rapid Response Team, Bomb Squad and Traffic units.

Once a case report is filed for a crime, the case is assigned for investigation follow up, the Investigative Divison is responsible for this. Detectives assigned to this Division handle general cases, specilties such as robberies, narcotics, major crimes, and sexual offenses. The Investigative Division is commanded by Division Chief Richard Bishop and is the investigative side of the department. Once crimes are reported, the reports are forwarded to investigatrs in this division who then track cases, and follow up with the information generated from these reports. Other sections under this division is the Crime Lab, the School Resource Officer program, in addition to specialty divisions of investigation, such as frauds and financial crimes, hit and run crash investigation, and major crimes.

The Services Division is commanded by Division Chief Gary Horvath and is responsible for the daily support operations of the department. Our Services Division is comprised of both sworn officers and civilians and also includes administrative assistants to the department and Chief.

Training and Recruitment of officers, as well as other support such as payoll and benefit services; duties that include budgetary items, payroll, purchasing and special event billing. Supply of equipment and the Records Bureau which keeps track of the reports and records generated by the department and its officers is also controlled by this division.