Upper Dublin Police Department

Infobox Police Department
name = Upper Dublin Police Department

motto =
established =
jurisdiction = Upper Dublin Township
sworn = 40
non-sworn =
CSO =
stations = 1
jails =
helicopters =
airplanes =
policeboats =
chief = Terrence P. Thompson
sheriff =
undersheriff =
superintendent =
commissioner =
commissioner(s) =
director =
supervisor(s) =
website = [http://www.upperdublin.net/police/ Upper Dublin Police]

Articleissues
article = y
refimprove = August 2007
expand = June 2008
introrewrite = June 2008

The Upper Dublin Police Department, also known simply as the UDPD, is a First Class Civil Service Criminal Justice System that operates under the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and its statutes. They operate within a 13 square mile (34 km²) area that includes the town of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania and the Township of Upper Dublin. The department's 40 full-time officers are divided between two major divisions: Patrol and Staff. These divisions are then divided into three support areas identified as Communications, Adult Investigations, and Juvenile Investigations. Additionally, there are several specialized units identified as Tactical Response, Medical Response, Bike Patrol, Traffic Safety, and DARE education.

Communications

The department is a member of the Montgomery County 800 MHz Trunked Communications System and utilizes it for their dispatching purposes. Their Motorola Talkgroup ID number is 2320. Currently, the entire county is in the process of switching over to a completely digital radio system in order to add more features and increase reliability. For more information, please visit [http://www.montcopa.org/eoc/EDS/RadioSystem/trunkTRACKER.htm this website] .Citation broken|date=June 2008

Personnel

UDPD will only consider the top 30 applicants who take the Montgomery County Consortium test to become an entry-level police officer. They require that applicants earn 60 college credits, although that requirement may be waived if an applicant has three years of prior police experience. [http://www.lowergwynedd.org/pdf/police/2004exam.pdf] Upper Dublin Police Department is an accredited agency through the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. [http://www.pachiefs.org/accreditation7.htm]

Patrol vehicle

The Upper Dublin Police Department utilizes the Chevrolet Tahoe Police Package Vehicle (PPV). The Tahoe PPV is a rear-wheel drive vehicle comparable to the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (CVPI). The particular Tahoe PPV that the UDPD drives features a paint scheme with green and orange striping and, starting in late 2004, has the words "In Memory of Sgt. James Miller" written above the rear quarter-panel. In 2007, the township added cars striped blue, not green. On the exterior, UDPD's Tahoes are additionally modified to include a rear lightbar with an arrow stick, emergency strobes on the rear quarter-panels, strobes on the deck lid, strobes on the front fenders, and strobes on the front push bar. These additional lights far exceed the State's requirements and are done so in the name of safety. The vehicle sits on 16" wheels wrapped with 255/70R16 All-Season SBR Blackwall H-Rated shoes.

On the interior, the front cloth seats provide room for the officers and their equipment. The center console houses radio equipment, including the Motorola trunked communications system. A LCD screen mounted from the floor provides the officer with information while on the road. Vehicles are equipped with in-car-cameras. The back seats are vinyl for easy cleanup. The rear cargo area holds equipment vital to performing the duties of an officer. All marked units are equipped with AEDS. On the QRS unit (Quick Response Service), an AED (automated external defibrillator) is placed additionally inside this cargo area, as well as other EMT supplies. The QRS unit is actually a highly-modified Chevrolet Suburban. It should be noted that there is only one QRS unit in service in the UDPD. EMTs are assigned to each patrol squad to man the medic responder.

Mechanically speaking, the Tahoe PPV has a top speed of 125 MPH and has a Vortec 5300 V-8 engine that produces 295 horsepower (220 kW) and 330 foot-pounds (447 Nm) of torque tied to a 4-speed Allison transmission. A 26 US gallon (98 L) gas tank fuels the engine, which can run on either 87 octane or E85 Ethanol Alcohol. A 160 watt alternator provides power for the vehicle, which includes recharging the heavy-duty 770 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) battery after the engine turns over. This alternator is also hooked up to a DC-AC inverter, which provides power to three 110-VAC outlets located throughout the vehicle.

Fallen officers

Since the establishment of the Upper Dublin Police Department, 1 officer has died in the line of duty. [ [http://odmp.org/agency/4894-upper-dublin-township-police-department-pennsylvania The Officer Down Memorial Page] ]

ee also

* List of law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania

References

External links

* [http://www.upperdublin.net/police/ Upper Dublin Police website]