Divisions

Patrol

The Patrol Division of the Police Department is the largest division and the agency's backbone. It is primarily manned by Patrol Officers to perform the police function in an efficient and effective manner. Patrol is the primary law enforcement function, but involves more than the act of patrolling. The officers of the Patrol Division engage in a wide range of services including, but not limited to, crime prevention, arresting offenders, responding to emergency medical situations, traffic control and direction. All patrol vehicles are equipped with fire extinguishers, flares, emergency rope, 1st aid kits, defibrillators, emergency blankets, pry bars, and lockout tools.

The Patrol Division is commanded by a Captain and is divided into four sections. Each section has a Lieutenant and three Sergeants. Patrol Officers are placed under the direct control of a Sergeant and are allocated based upon workload and the needs of the community.

Within the Patrol Division is the Traffic Section, headed by a Lieutenant who supervises one Sergeant and three patrol officers. The main goal of the Traffic Enforcement Section is to help reduce the number of motor vehicle and pedestrian accidents and make the township’s roadways safer. Many traffic-related complaints are handled directly by these officers who monitor potential problem areas by utilizing radar and issue summonses for violations of the vehicle and traffic laws of the State of New Jersey. High visibility and saturation patrols are conducted to address other serious traffic offenses. The “Click it or Ticket” campaign ensures that drivers and passengers recognize the life-saving value of seat belts, and “Over the Limit, Under Arrest” is a drunk driving enforcement crackdown.

The Communications Center is also overseen by the Patrol Division. The primary responsibilities include handling all incoming non-emergency and emergency calls with a 9-1-1 enhanced system as well as all other calls that come into police headquarters for police, fire and ambulance. The full and part-time telecommunicators or “dispatchers” along with desk officers handle in excess of 100,000 calls per year via 9-1-1 and ten digit non-emergency lines. 9-1-1 calls for police, fire and emergency medical services are evaluated, assigned and prioritized for the level of emergency response. Communications utilizes state of the art radio and telephone equipment to ensure public safety as well as the safety of the officers protecting the Township. The 800 Mhz radio system is combined with a computer aided dispatch module that corresponds with mobile computer terminals in each patrol car. It has the capability to talk via radio to all emergency personnel, township departments and other police agencies statewide. Dispatchers also monitor specialized equipment such as the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer system. In addition, Communications processes all information requests from police officers concerning vehicle registration, driver license and warrant queries, and entries of stolen property and missing persons into the NCIC system.

Investigative

The Investigative Division is comprised of an Adult Section and a Youth Services Section. A Detective Captain leads the Adult Section with a Lieutenant, two Sergeants and Patrol Officers classified as Detectives, as well as a civilian secretary. The Detectives conduct interviews of victims, witnesses and suspects of crimes. Other duties include tasks such as taking statements, seeking witnesses and taking charge of crime scenes when called to investigate and collect evidence.

The Youth Services section is staffed by a Lieutenant and Juvenile Detectives. The responsibilities of the Youth Services section are similar to the Adult Division except the Juvenile Section handles offenders under the age of 18, while the adult division handles offenders 18 and older. All four Juvenile Detectives also serve as School Resource Officers in the middle and high schools.The SRO acts as a law enforcement resource for the secondary schools in addition to handling criminal-delinquent and family crisis matters.

Internal Affairs is also housed in the Investigative Division. All complaints of alleged officer misconduct or wrongdoing from any citizen or agency employee are thoroughly and impartially investigated with the protection of the integrity and reputation of the police department and the protection of the public acting as the primary objective.

Support Services

This Division is commanded by a Captain and supported by several officers and civilian personnel. It is responsible for the maintenance and control of all documents and computer files generated by the other divisions. This division's duties include logging and tracking all property and evidence items found or seized within the township. It also maintains the entire in-house computer system and CAD (computer aided dispatch) system. This division also handles fingerprinting for all required services within our township. Civilian personnel support this division as secretaries, garage mechanics and maintenance personnel. Support Services also oversees the Township's Animal Control office.

There is a Planning & Research Section within the Support Services Division with a Sergeant and two Community Relations Officer. This section is charged with the immediate and long-range planning of the Department. The objectives of this section are to offset the uncertainty of change, focus attention on economical operation, training, goals and objectives.

The members of this section recommend contingency plans for any anticipated hazard, problem or disaster. They also maintain community contacts to assist the department in the delivery of services to the citizens, and ensure that the officers are fully trained with regard to any and all possible situations that may arise out of every day encounters with the general public.

Community relations is a large part of this section that allows the department to interact with the citizens of Parsippany and to provide them with information on various community-related services. Trained crime prevention officers are available to speak at civic meetings on topics ranging from DWI, to home and personal safety. They also coordinate and conduct free of charge home security and business surveys.

Members of this section also create and release all news releases and maintain contact with the public through multiple social media platforms.