Abbreviation TPD Volunteers 38 | Employees 131 Annual budget $10,017,813.00 | |
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Common name Titusville Police Department Legal personality Governmental: Government agency | ||
The Titusville Police Department (TPD) is the police force with the primary responsibility of public safety and the enforcement of state laws and county/ municipal ordinances in the city of Titusville, Florida.
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Organization
The Titusville Police Department, headed by the Chief of Police, is organized into six divisions: the Patrol Division, the Investigations Division, the Professional Standards Division, the Administrative Division, the Support Services Division, and the Tactical Operations Division. The Patrol Division and the Investigations Division together make up the Operations Bureau, which is headed by the Assistant Chief, while one major supervises each division.
Vehicles
TPD has a fleet of over 70 vehicles, including marked and unmarked patrol cars (most of which are Chevrolet Impalas), undercover vehicles, sport utility vehicles, Community Service Officer vehicles, ATVs, golf carts, two crime scene vans, a SWAT truck, and many other vehicles necessary for responding to the multitude of different calls for service it receives. Titusville also has confiscated vehicles that are used for investigations as well as senior staff cars.
The current fleet of the Titusville Police Department is composed of 2013 Chevy Caprices, a number of Impalas, and a couple of Ford Crown Victorias. The department changed its marking scheme in October 2010 to a more up to date look. The current markings were picked from several designs. In 2013, the department decided to change the look of the new marked vehicles. The new fleet of marked Chevy Caprices sport a classic black and white color scheme. Older patrol cars are still dressed in white with blue markings. The department's Traffic Unit cars are all unmarked.
Community Watch
Established in 1993, Titusville Police Department initiated a program for citizens to help be the eyes and ears of the department. The program puts citizens through a class after which they are allowed to patrol the streets and residential neighborhoods as well as business parking lots looking for any signs of suspicious and unusual activities. Along with the visible presence they provide areas, they provide valuable assistance to the officers on the street. At no time do Community Watch members become involved in arrests or violent situations. They handle only non-confrontational duties and report activity to police dispatchers via two-way radio. Community Watch members wear a marked, gold "Polo" shirt and black pants, and do not carry weapons nor a firearm.
Community Watch Volunteers can be seen helping direct traffic during launches from the nearby Kennedy Space Center, as well as helping during the Downtown Titusville Drive-In events held on Friday nights. Community Watch volunteers also support the TPD during the annual Christmas Parade, missing person searches, and at crime scenes.
Newsletter
TPD has a newsletter, called the TPD Shield, which it uses to communicate with the community as a crime prevention tool. This awareness-raising publication is paid for by forfeiture funds at no cost to the taxpayer.
Line-of-Duty Deaths
Officer Jack Henry Schnell, ID 716, was killed on New Year's Eve 1982. While he was on motor DUI patrol, a drunk driver pulled out in front of Officer Schnell's motor, causing a collision which threw him from the motorcycle, and he landed on his head. Later, in the hospital, Officer Schnell died of the severe head injuries he sustained. Being an officer involved crash, the incident was investigated not by TPD but by the Florida Highway Patrol. State Troopers charged the driver with DUI/Manslaughter, of which he was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison. At the time of the manslaughter, Officer Schnell was 35 years old and had served TPD for 14 years.
Officer Stephen Franklin House, ID 726, was shot and killed on February 15, 1989. Officer House was conducting a building search with the emergency response team. During this operation, the suspect was taken into custody, but his father ran to a bedroom, in which he barricaded himself. When Officer House attempted to make entry, the man began to fire at him, resulting in Officer House receiving a fatal gunshot wound. The gunman was charged with murder, but he was acquitted and released. At the time of the homicide, Officer House was 36 years old and had served TPD for 7 years.