- Colorado Springs Police Department
-
Colorado Springs Police Department Abbreviation CSPD 
Patch of the Colorado Springs Police Department. Agency overview Formed September 2, 1872 Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Jurisdictional structure Operations jurisdiction* City of Colorado Springs in the state of Colorado, USA 
Map of Colorado Springs Police Department's jurisdiction. Size 186.1 square miles (482 km2) Population 372,437 General nature Operational structure Headquarters 705 S Nevada Avenue
Colorado Springs, ColoradoPolice Officers 687 (as of 2008)[1] Civilians 293 (as of 2008)[1] Agency executive Richard W. Myers, Chief of Police Facilities Stationss 4 Helicopters 2 Website CSPD site Footnotes * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) is the central police department for the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado. CSPD is known nationally in the United States for, among other operations, the capture and/or eventual surrender of several members of the Texas Seven.[2]
The current police chief is Richard W. Myers, who replaced previous chief Luis Velez in 2006 after a scandal involving destruction of evidence that caused several court cases to be dismissed.[3]
Contents
Organization
The CSPD is headed by the Chief of Police, who presides directly over three main Bureaus (each headed by a Deputy Chief):
- Administrative Services Bureau - Provides logistical support. Administrative Services has three divisions: Information Services, Management Services, and Professional Standards.[4]
- Operations Support Bureau - Provides technical and expert assistance to the other two Bureaus. Operations Support has three divisions: Investigations, Metro Vice, and Specialized Enforcement.[5]
- Patrol Bureau - Responsible for routine patrol routes. Patrol is broken into four command areas, each representing a section of the city: Falcon Area (northwest), Gold Hill Area (central and southwest), Sand Creek Area (southeast), and Stetson Hills Area (northeast).[6]
Decorations
- Citizens Award of Appreciation - Awarded to members of the general Colorado Springs public (not police officers) who have assisted police or performed heroic acts in order to help prevent or stop criminal activity.[7]
- Department Commendation - Awarded to CSPD employees performing acts that go beyond expected levels of performance and bring credit to the department.[7]
- Life Saving Award - Awarded to any CSPD employee who is directly responsible for the saving of a human life.[7]
- Medal of Valor[8]
- Purple Heart - Awarded to officers who are seriously wounded in combat situations while on duty.[7]
Controversy
The CSPD has met with controversy and protest over several high-profile incidents in recent years.
The Colorado chapter of the ACLU revealed that, in conjunction with the Denver Police Department, Colorado Springs police had been spying on residents involved in nonviolent protest activity.[9]
During the 2007 St. Patrick's Day parade, the CSPD arrested several peace protesters in what was later found to be a somewhat brutal incident. All of the protesters were senior citizens. One of them, Elizabeth Fineron, was 66 and walked with the assistance of a cane. Ms. Fineron was dragged by police across the street, and suffered bloody abrasions from the incident.[10]
In September 2011, two CSPD officers issued a citation to Hooters and charged a 19-year-old waitress with a misdemeanor for giving alcohol to intoxicated customers. However, further investigation revealed that the officers had ordered beers and had visited two bars prior. Surviallance cameras also revealed that the customers do not appear intoxicated and able to walk without trouble. As a result, the case against the restuarant and waitress was dismissed. CSPD has denied the allegations, but Mayor Steve Bach has ordered an investigation into the officers' conduct.
Fallen officers
Since the establishment of the Colorado Springs Police Department in 1872, a total of 11 officers have died in the line of duty:[11]
Officer Date of death Details Officer Benjamin F. Bish Thursday, June 25, 1896 Gunfire Chief of Detectives John W. Rowan Friday, September 13, 1918 Gunfire Detective Sergeant George Kaltenberger Thursday, June 12, 1941 Gunfire (accidental) Patrolman Richard S. Birchfield Thursday, November 26, 1953 Gunfire Pilot Officer Bernard Livingston Carter Wednesday, May 14, 1975 Aircraft accident Patrolman Dennis John Ives Thursday, August 7, 1975 Vehicular assault Investigator Harry Lee Allen Monday, December 22, 1975 Struck by vehicle Patrolman Augustus J. Perreira Jr. Saturday, April 12, 1980 Gunfire Patrolman Mark L. Dabling Monday, December 6, 1982 Gunfire Detective Jared Scott Jensen Wednesday, February 22, 2006 Gunfire Police Officer Kenneth C. Jordan Tuesday, December 5, 2006 Gunfire Equipment
Smith & Wesson M&P40 Remington Model 870 Mossburg 500
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in Colorado
- New Life Church shooting
References
- ^ a b http://www.springsgov.com/units/police/miscDocs/2008FastFacts.pdf
- ^ http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0101/24/se.03.html
- ^ http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A18561
- ^ http://www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=7077
- ^ http://www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=253
- ^ http://www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=251
- ^ a b c d http://www.springsgov.com/NewsResults.asp?NewsID=1837
- ^ http://www.springsgov.com/Page.asp?NavID=6875
- ^ http://www.aclu.org/privacy/spying/15186prs20021121.html
- ^ http://www.csindy.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A24418
- ^ The Officer Down Memorial Page
External links
- Colorado Springs Police Department official site, part of SpringsGov.com
- Colorado Springs Police Protective Association
Categories:- Law enforcement agencies of Colorado
- Organizations based in Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Municipal police departments of Colorado
- Colorado stubs
- United States law enforcement agency stubs
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