Abbreviation KWPD Headquarters Key West | Population 25,478 (2000) | |
 | ||
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* City of Key West in the state of Florida, USA Size 7.4 square miles (19 km) General nature Law enforcement
Local civilian police | ||
Key west police department is recruiting
The Key West Police Department (KWPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency servicing a population of 25,031 and 6 square miles within the municipality of Key West, Florida.
Contents
- Key west police department is recruiting
- Key west police department takes on the running man challenge
- History
- Organization
- Controversy
- References
Key west police department takes on the running man challenge
History
The Key West Police Department (KWPD), officially the City of Key West Police Department, was established in the early 1800s, having primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the City of Key West. The KWPD is one of the oldest police departments established in the United States.
The KWPD has a broad array of specialized services, including the Emergency Service Unit, K-9, harbor patrol, bomb squad and narcotics. As part of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) KWPD combats smuggling and performs anti-terrorism joint operations and investigations with The Monroe County Sheriffs Office, Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) and other local, state and federal agencies. According to the department, its mission is "Protecting Paradise."
Law enforcement within the city of Key West originated at the incorporation of the city in 1828 with a town Marshal. The jail was the brig of a ship docked at the city. By the turn of the century, in 1900 the KWPD had a complement of 13 sworn officers. On April 23, 1982, the KWPD was the "official" police force of the Conch Republic.
In 1987, with the hiring of its first FBI Academy graduate as police chief, Key West began moving into a new and professional era, building credibility with other agencies and the public.
In 1991, community oriented policing was introduced.
Organization
The KWPD is divided into two bureaus:
Controversy
In 1984 the KWPD was declared a criminal enterprise and several high-ranking officers of KWPD, including Deputy Police Chief Raymond Cassamayor, were arrested on federal charges of running a protection racket for illegal cocaine smugglers.