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Police Department

About the Police Department

Purpose:
Our mission, collectively as a department and as individual officers, is to provide an exemplary level of service and protection to the residents and businesses of the City of Washington and to all those who may visit, work in, or travel through our community.

We will serve the community through professional conduct at all times and through the enforcement of criminal and traffic laws without prejudice or bias, with respect for the rights of all people, to assure a safe and secure environment for all.

Goals:
1.  Continue to improve service and relationships with our citizens by instilling in our officers a helpful and service-oriented mind set so officers will work to see themselves as protectors of the community.
2.  To look at ways to reduce the number of traffic accidents within our City.
3.  To continue to provide quality police service to the schools, educate and mitigate drug and alcohol issues, provide a safe learning environment and safety planning for critical incidents.
4.  To ensure and improve officer safety through training and purchase of state of the art equipment.
5.  Address critical needs related to safety, social issues and crime trends within the community.
6.  Ensure the department has the resources and plans needed to effectively and efficiently provide for the safety of the community.

The City of Washington, through the combined efforts of the residential and business community and our police department, has consistently been one of the safest cities in the entire St. Louis regional area. It is a model community in which to work, reside, worship, and raise a family in a relatively low crime, non-violent environment.

The Washington Police Department consists of a staff of 31 employees. The department is headed by Chief James Armstrong.

The commissioned police force has grown through the years from just a couple of officers to a current strength of 28 commissioned officers. The force consists of a Chief of Police, Assistant Chief of Police, Administrative Staff, two lieutenants, five sergeants, and nineteen officers serving in a variety of capacities. The department currently operates through the following divisions: Administration, Road Patrol, Detectives, Traffic, D.A.R.E. and the School Resource Officer Program. We also sponsor the Police Explorers and a Reserve Officer Program.

We are heavily committed to the Community Oriented Policing philosophy. The Washington Police Department is a progressive department actively seeking new and better training, technology and equipment to keep up with ever- changing trends in law enforcement.

We finished construction of our new police station and began operations in July 2006.  It is a state-of-the-art facility of 23,000 square feet that will serve our needs for the next 20-30 years.

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