Services Bureau
The Services Bureau is comprised of four major components of the Police Department: the Criminal Investigations Division, the Special Services Division, the Professional/Technical Services Division, and the Crime Analysis Unit. The Bureau is under the command of a Captain who reports directly to the Chief of Police. The Special Services Division consists of two units: The School Resource Officer Section and the Crime Prevention Section. This Division is also responsible for management of the Department’s vehicle fleet. The Criminal Investigations Division has two Units: the General Assignment Investigative Unit and the Vice/Narcotics Unit. The Professional/Technical Services Division consists of:  Professional Standards Section, Training and Recruiting, Traffic Safety, and Animal Services. Each Division is supervised by a Lieutenant who reports directly to the Captain. The Crime Analyst reports directly to the Services Bureau Captain and provides valuable information, analysis and reports to support both Patrol and Criminal Investigations. 

The Services Bureau and its various sections exist to provide specialized support to the Patrol function of the Department and to enhance the level of service provided to the citizens and guests of Huntersville. The Services Bureau is responsible for, but not limited to, the following additional functions:

• Evidence and Property Control
• News Media and Public Relations
• Recruitment and Selection
• Internal Affairs/Professional Standards
• Juvenile Services and Investigation
• Community Relations
• Career Development
• Crisis Negotiations Teams
• Employment and Background Investigations       
• Criminal Intelligence
• Crime Analysis
• Community and Quality Assurance Surveys
• Extra Duty Employment 
• Uniforms and Equipment
• Honor Guard

Criminal Investigations Division
           

The Criminal Investigation Division is commanded by a Lieutenant, who reports to the Support Services Bureau Commander. The Criminal Investigations Division currently has ten Detectives, two Sergeants and one Lieutenant. The Division consists of four components: The General Investigations Section, the Special Investigations Section, the Crime Analysis Unit and the Property Control Unit. This Division has primary responsibility for the investigation of more serious or complex offenses, crime analysis and evidence/property control functions.

The Special Services Division consists of a School Resource/Crime Prevention Sergeant, four School Resource Officers, a D.A.R.E. Officer and a Special Services Lieutenant.  These units report directly to the Lieutenant, who in-turn reports to the Captain.  These personnel work eight and a half hour shifts and follow a five-day on two-day off work schedule.

Crime Prevention
The Crime Prevention position is currently filled by a Sergeant.  This job requires that he develops, coordinates, and presents crime prevention programs in the community. He is trained in recognizing and appraising crime risk situations and targets programs based on analysis of local crime data.  Other responsibilities include initiating positive action to remove or reduce crime risks to all citizens and proprietors, conducting security surveys, organizing crime prevention groups and conducting speaking engagements regarding safety and crime prevention issues.  The Crime Prevention Sergeant participates in Crime Watch meetings, Safety Town, National Night Out and other crime prevention activities throughout the Town.

School Resource
The School Resource Unit is headed by a Sergeant that supervises the SROs for the Department.  This Sergeant also heads up the Crime Prevention Unit. Each of our public middle schools has a resource officer and the high schools each have one officer. The officers are placed in the schools to help reduce the chance of crime, educate the students about the law and to answer questions and counsel on law related issues.  The resource officers are also asked to respond to a number of different types of crimes that range from the simple traffic accident to armed robbery and sexual assault.  This requires that the officers be independent and able to handle these situations without immediate direct supervision. The education and counseling portion of their jobs requires that they be knowledgeable in juvenile, criminal and traffic laws, have the ability to speak in front of large crowds and the compassion to deal with crime victims.

DARE
The D.A.R.E. officer is assigned to cover four public elementary schools, one private elementary school, and one charter school. The D.A.R.E. officer works an eight and a half hour shift and follows a five-day on two-day off work schedule.  She is responsible for administering the D.A.R.E. curriculum to the elementary schools in Huntersville.  The D.A.R.E. program teaches fifth graders the dangers of illegal drugs, ways to avoid being pressured into buying or taking drugs and how to make overall good life decisions. The D.A.R.E. officer taught 550 fifth graders from the five local schools.

The Professional Technical Services Division consists of the Professional Standards Section and the Traffic Safety Section. The Division performs technical, operational and support functions for the Department in regards to Recruiting, Training, Traffic, Animal Services and Internal Affairs. The Professional Technical Services Division is commanded by a Lieutenant, who is responsible for managing the Division’s day to day operation and Internal Affairs Issues.

Recruiting
The Recruiting Section is headed by a Sergeant who is responsible for the advertising and administering of testing procedures for sworn personnel.  Interviews are conducted with all candidates that pass the entry test and complete background investigations on those candidates determined to be the best suited for the vacant positions.  At the conclusion of the background investigation, the findings are reported to the Divisional Supervisor and Bureau Commander.  This time-consuming and labor intensive job begins with the advertising campaign for an upcoming entry-level test.  At the conclusion, the new recruits are sworn in as Huntersville Police Officers.  This process typically takes approximately two to three months to complete. 

The Crime Analysis Unit consists of one crime analyst who reports directly to the Services Bureau Commander.  This unit is responsible for collecting and analyzing a variety of data including incident reports, arrest reports, offender profiles, and more. Through the use of these analyses, geographic information systems, research and statistics, crime patterns and trends are identified which aid all divisions of the Department with the allocation of personnel and resources to address crime problems and apprehend criminals within the Town.  This unit is responsible for designing and preparing analytical reports, crime maps, and presentations for Departmental meetings as well as the general public.  In addition to analyzing crime within the Town, the Crime Analysis Unit is also tasked with analyzing traffic collision reports and compiling responses from Police Department surveys. 

The Huntersville Police Department Honor Guard remains committed to the core values of Honor, Professionalism, and Dedication to Duty. The Guard represents the Department at special ceremonies and events.  In addition, they do their best to honor the members of our noble profession that have made the ultimate sacrifice for their communities and our country.

In 2011, the Honor Guard presented colors at the annual Huntersville Memorial Day ceremony at Birkdale Village. Members of the Guard represented the Department in May during National Police Week and the service honoring all fallen Officers from Mecklenburg County.  The Huntersville Police Department Honor Guard was established in 2001 and continues to enjoy a reputation as one of the finest Honor Guard units in the State.