Evansville Police Department (Indiana)

History

The Evansville Police Department was created in 1863 as a night watch to supplement the Evansville City Marshal's staff. The marshal's staff, which consisted of the elected marshal, a deputy marshal, and constables, still had primary law enforcement responsibility within the city. The department initially had three members: City Marshal Ed Martin (who served as acting Chief of Police) and two officers (who also served as firemen). The department grew quickly due to an increase in crime attributed to returning Civil War veterans. In 1865 the force was increased to 16 officers, which further increased to 23 officers in 1869. A city ordinance passed in 1866 expanded the duties of the department beyond that of a night security detail. A detective bureau was established in 1892. By the time Indiana enacted Prohibition in 1918 (two years before the 18th Amendment created nationwide Prohibition) the EPD had 97 officers, 5 civilian employees, 4 automobiles, 16 day-shift walking beats, and 34 night-shift walking beats. The Evansville Police Department has continued to evolve to meet the needs of Evansville's citizens with professional standards, community policing initiatives, and up-to-date equipment and tactics.

Organization

EPD consists of three divisions: Patrol, Criminal Investigation, and Administrative. In addition to these divisions, the department has a number of specialized assignments. Unlike larger departments which may have officers dedicated to these assignments full-time, in the EPD they are performed as-needed and in addition to an officer's normal duties.

Patrol

Patrol is the primary function of the Evansville Police Department. The patrol division includes the patrol officers designated to respond to 911 calls as well as:

The Evansville Police Department divides the city into three divisions, called "sectors". These sectors are then further divided into smaller geographical areas called "beats". Each beat is typically patrolled by 2 patrol cars which may be staffed with either 1 or 2 officers. The patrol division consists of 1 deputy chief, 1 captain, 4 lieutenants, 21 sergeants, 138 officers, and 5 civilian employees.

West Sector

The EPD West Sector is bounded by the Evansville city limits to the west and north, US 41 to the east, the Lloyd Expressway to the south (east of Pigeon Creek) and the Evansville city limits to the south (west of Pigeon Creek). The west sector consists of 4 beats. There are 4 crime prevention officers assigned to the west sector. The west sector is one of the most diverse sectors in the city, with mixes of residential, industrial, and commercial areas. The west sector has an office/station which is staffed part-time; the office is located at 401 E Columbia St.

East Sector

The EPD East Sector is bounded by US 41 to the west (north of the Lloyd Expressway), Weinbach Ave to the west (south of the Lloyd Expressway), and the Evansville city limits to the north, east, and south. The east sector consists of 5 beats. There are 3 crime prevention officers assigned to the east sector. The east sector is predominately residential to the south and west and includes a large and fast-growing commercial district to the north and east, especially along Green River Road, Burkhardt Road, Cross Pointe Blvd, and the Lloyd Expressway. The east sector does not have its own office/station.

South Sector

The EPD South Sector is bounded by the Ohio River and Pigeon Creek to the west, the Lloyd Expressway to the north, Weinbach Ave to the east, and the Evansville city limits to the south. There are 3 crime prevention officers assigned to the south sector. The south sector is almost entirely residential, with the exception of the downtown area which includes many governmental buildings, the Ford Center arena, Old National Events Plaza conference center, and other high-density structures. The south sector has an office/station which is staffed-part-time; the office is located at 315 Taylor Ave. EPD Headquarters is also located within the south sector at 15 NW Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

Criminal Investigation

The criminal investigation division is responsible for the investigation of crimes and the collection of evidence. The CID has a number of sections and units, including:

The criminal investigation division consists of 1 deputy chief, 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, 12 sergeants, 67 officers, and 3 civilian employees.

Administrative

The administrative division performs the administrative and service functions of the EPD. The administrative division has a number of sections, including:

Specialized Assignments

The Evansville Police Department has a number of specialized assignments. These assignments are part-time and performed in addition to an officer's regular duties. For example, a member of the SWAT Team is typically a patrol officer who patrols the city and responds to 911 calls but will then perform SWAT Team duties when the need for the SWAT Team arises. The specialized assignments in the EPD are: