Support Services - Under Assistant Chief Wrenn

The Real-Time Information Center (RTIC) is an intelligence/crime reduction / public safety strategy that incorporates cameras and analytics to provide real-time information to officers in the field. It serves as a crime deterrent in areas of deployment and provides critical information typically not provided by calling parties.

The goal of the RTIC will be to provide relevant, real-time information to officers engaged in high-risk calls for service as the situation develops. To provide the Department accurate information to improve overall situational awareness, enable officers to make better, more informed decisions, and improve officer safety.

The center will be housed in the Dispatch Center of the Police Department and will utilize a network of cameras around the City to help with accurate and up-to-date information for officers.

The Training Division is dedicated to providing the officers of the Abilene Police Department with the skills they need to serve the citizens of Abilene professionally and effectively.

The Division's primary responsibilities include providing meaningful and effective training on an ongoing basis, conducting basic peace officer academies, and serving as the Department's primary point of contact with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), the State's licensing and regulatory agency.

The Traffic Division aims to make Abilene streets and highways safe for the motoring public through focused enforcement programs and effective problem-identification and problem-solving techniques. The Division strives to improve appearance and safety issues resulting from abandoned and/or junked vehicles on our city's streets.

Mission - "We exist to serve the citizens of Abilene and improve the safety of our community by consistent and fair collision investigation and traffic enforcement."

The Traffic Division is involved in investigating the crashes that occur on Abilene roads and all traffic-related fatal crashes.

The Surveillance Apprehension and Tactics Team, or SATT, focuses on removing from the community, local, state, and federal fugitives from our community in order to improve public safety.

Part of their goal is to disrupt and prevent criminal activity within the City limits of Abilene. They do this by working with the community, law enforcement, government agencies, and private organizations to track, monitor, locate and apprehend persons with active warrants.

This is achieved through intelligence gathering and covert surveillance.

SATT focuses on Felony Fugitives, identifying and arresting repeat offenders, gang activity and intelligence, covert surveillance of suspects involved in serious or ongoing criminal activity, and quality of life issues for our citizens.

The Abilene Police SWAT and Bomb Squad service a geographical area of responsibility of 19 and 21 counties, respectively. They assist other law enforcement agencies when called upon as required by an agreement.

Bomb Squad

The Bomb Technicians utilize several pieces of equipment to help complete their job. Included is the Bomb truck, equipped with a robot designed to gather suspicious packages safely, and the destruction of such packages without danger to human life. The Department employs bomb technicians who can also assist with hands-on retrieval and disposal of suspicious objects and packages when the robot cannot reach items.

The Bomb Squad serves a 21-county area surrounding Abilene and is made up of five certified bomb technicians. Each is first certified in a one-week Hazardous Material Technician course followed by an intense 12-week Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Hazardous Devices School 

The Hazardous Devices School is taught jointly between the United States Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). All members of the Bomb Squad also serve in other areas of the department full-time. The Bomb Squad carries equipment with them on most calls, including:

• An Andros F6A robot
• 2 EOD-8 bomb suits
• 2 search suits
• An X-ray system
• Several disruptors
• Numerous hand tools and power tools

Mission Statement - "To intervene on the behalf of the public, officers, and outside agencies in the safe handling, disarming, and recovery (evidence) of explosive, suspicious, or hoax devices."

SWAT

The Tactical Team is made up of the (Special Weapons and Tactics) (SWAT) Team, Hostage Negotiations Team, and Fire Medics. The team works together as one unit to handle high-risk enforcement situations such as hostage situations, suicidal subjects, and high-risk search warrants. The goal of the team is always the protection of life.

SWAT is a part-time unit comprised of officers from various divisions and sections of the department. SWAT members are on call 24/7 and maintain the highest level of physical fitness. The team trains every week on various situations, including physical shooting scenarios, dynamic entries, building clearings, and tactical weapons education. SWAT also provides security for visiting dignitaries.

Hostage Negotiations Team

The Hostage Negotiations Team is a part-time unit made up of six Officers. The officers come from various divisions and sections of the department. They assist with negotiations in addition to the regular duties of their respective assignments. 

Each member is a volunteer and receives specialized training to be qualified as a negotiator. Members receive 40 hours of negotiation-specific training yearly as well as all other training required as a peace officer. Negotiators respond with SWAT when called for barricaded subjects, as well as in any situation which may involve hostages.

Fire Medics

The Fire Medics train weekly with the SWAT Team and respond to all SWAT calls. The Medics are full-time firefighters and are paramedic trained. They are there to provide immediate lifesaving treatment for injured SWAT members or citizens.

The Communications Division is responsible for recovering and processing all 9-1-1 calls for the City, as well as police and fire non-emergency calls and calls for Animal Control and various other calls into the dispatch center. The dispatchers are usually our citizens' first contact with Police, Fire, and Ambulance services. They triage calls in order to get them to the right place for the quickest response.

Mission statement - "The Communication Division responds to calls for assistance from the public and facilitates the dispatching fo necessary Police, Fire, and Emergency Medical Service, responders. We are dedicated to providing superior customer service to the citizens of Abilene and to the Abilene Police Officers and Firefighters we serve."

Records

In the Abilene Police Department, information is gathered by officers throughout the department in the course of crime prevention, intervention, and investigation. In order to make information accessible to others within the department, all information is funneled to one location where it can be processed, stored, and reviewed conveniently. This central hub for information is the Records Division. In all, the Records Division processes and maintains nearly 30,000 cases each year.

The Records Division is designed to process and maintain police information. It is responsible for maintaining the security of the workplace and establishing standards for processing, safeguarding, and disposing of physical evidence acquired by officers. It also provides public information to citizens under the provision of the Texas Public Information Act.

Obtain a Police Report

All requests for the release of information must be in writing. Information is released in accordance with the Texas Public Information for the Freedom of Information Act. Police reports may be obtained at the records window of the Police Department Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Fingerprinting Service

The Records Division provides fingerprinting services only for citizens of Taylor County. To request the service, you need to come to the front desk of the Police Department, 4565 S. 1st.,  during normal business hours, Monday - Friday, between 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Cost is $10, payable by check, cash, or card. You must provide proof of residency.

Property and Evidence

Property and Evidence falls under the Records Division. Those employed in Property and Evidence are responsible for maintaining the thousands of pieces of property and evidence taken into the Department for cases to be adjudicated. These employees also assist with holding on to property that has been turned in as lost.

Once a case is adjudicated, closed and all appeals have been exhausted, this area is tasked with disposing of items no longer needed for the case.

Bike Unit

The Bike Unit was formed in 1995 and consists of one Lieutenant and 18 officers. The Unit works civic events, directed patrol, and patrols the downtown area. You may see the Bike Unit working any one of the many civic events hosted in the Abilene area, including parades, the West Texas Fair and Rodeo, and monthly at the downtown "Art Walk." 

Patrolling

The Bike Unit may be deployed in a directed patrol anywhere an identified problem exists, such as an area of town experiencing a rash of burglaries or in the mall area during the holiday season in an attempt to prevent motor-vehicle burglaries. Patrolling via bikes has proven to be very successful and a valuable public relations tool. One of the great things about policing on bikes is that Officers can be highly visible when needed or extremely stealthy, too.

Mounted Patrol Unit

The Unit was established in October of 2021 and consists of four officers and their horses. The officers and their horses are utilized in areas where the public can interact with them. These goodwill ambassadors will have positive interactions with our community. Abilene will see the Mounted Unit at various events throughout the community. The community is welcome to come out and see our officers and their horses.

Other Units that fall under Support Services:

Honor Guard

Facilities

Technology