Berlin Police Department

Current Openings

Mission Statement

“ENFORCE THE LAW AND SERVE THE PUBLIC IN A FAIR AND JUST MANNER.”

To accomplish the mission, we will work with others to provide a safe and orderly environment for our community. We will strive to instill public confidence by maintaining a high degree of professionalism, dedication, and expertise in the delivery of law enforcement services. The integrity of, and respect for, the Berlin Police Department is enhanced by our contribution to the welfare of the citizens and our standards of excellence.

History

On September 10, 1937, the Town of Berlin formed a Police Bureau which was supervised by four elected Constables. The Police Bureau was the town's only form of police protection until April 13, 1955. On that date, House Bill No. 1932 was passed by the Connecticut Legislature which established the Board of Police Commissioners of the Town of Berlin and authorized the organization and maintenance of a police department.

During that year the Board of Police Commissioners purchased a two-way radio system which was set up and operated on a round-the- clock basis. The Board also purchased a new police cruiser -- the first in the town's history -- and established that the authority of the constables would be terminated on August 31, 1956.

Specialized Assignments

Canine Officer: The K9 Officer trains and handles a canine that is qualified for tracking, evidence recovery, area searches, building searches, crowd control, handler protection, & criminal apprehension. The Canine Team is assigned to the Patrol Division and enhances public safety through the utilization of their unique and specialized abilities.

Bicycle Patrol: Bicycle Patrol is utilized within the Patrol Division to enhance community policing efforts in designated areas of Town. Police Bicycle Patrols supplement and assist normal Patrol Operations by providing highly visible proactive patrol and/or low visibility, quiet surveillance and apprehension.

Underwater Response Team: The Underwater Response Team is deployed for incidents involving water search and rescue, and requires a joint cooperation of both the Police and Fire Services of the Town of Berlin. The goal of these services is to provide immediate response of trained personnel and specialized equipment to the scene of a water related incident for the purpose of saving human life.

ATV Unit: The Berlin Police Department ATV Unit provides specially trained officers the ability to effectively patrol remote areas of the Town of Berlin not accessible by conventional police vehicles. The ATV Unit facilitates the delivery of proactive police services and provides the community a response to off-road needs including the detection and prevention of nuisance and criminal activities on public and private property.

D.A.R.E: The Berlin Police Department is very active in the community. Officers have undergone an eighty(80) hour training course to learn how to teach our children the skills they need to stay drug and alcohol free. The D.A.R.E. Officers teach more than 800 students in grades 5 and 7 yearly. The curriculum which is taught in 11 classes (one class a week for eleven weeks), emphasizes a no-use message which is life-based and focuses on peer pressure resistance training, self-concept improvement, and personal safety decision making skills.

Honor Guard: The Honor Guard acts as the official representatives of the Berlin Police Department at Parades, Funerals, and other special events.

Field Training Officers: The Field Training Program deals with the training process of newly hired Officers. The Department's Field Training Officers (F.T.O.'s) administer this training. It begins with a formal orientation period followed by training in firearms, defense tactics, & the Department's policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.

Accreditation

The Berlin Police Department is a State and Internationally Accredited law enforcement agency. The agency has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) since March 1996. It is one of only 18 agencies in the state to be so recognized. The Police Officers Standards and Training Council, (P.O.S.T.C.) also awarded State Accreditation on the Berlin Police Department in November of 2004.

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc.(CALEA), administers the international accreditation program. The accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas; policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services.