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Page last updated on January 2, 2024 at 12:54 pm

 

The City of Bloomington Police Department is a full-service police agency, providing police protection to a city of approximately 85,000 residents and a land area of approximately 20 square miles. The Police Department employs 153 full-time persons: 105 sworn officers and 50 civilian employees. As part of the department, the Central Emergency Dispatch Center (CEDC), gathers and maintains law enforcement records and provides general operations and maintenance support. To review the most recent organizational chart, click here.

Our department responds to citizens requests for information, coordinates activities with community organizations and assists school administrators in support of safer schools. We also facilitate the safe and expedient movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic, provide neighborhood patrols, and serve as a presence for the deterrence of crime. Through the continued education and training of sworn officers, we make the city of Bloomington a safe community.

Read a message from the Chief of Police.

Bloomington Police Assessment Report, August 2020Click here

 

Divisions and Units

Bike Patrol

Bloomington is the home of the IU Little 500 and other national cycling events, so it is only natural to have bicycles for the police as well. Bicycle patrol increases the police officer's exposure to the public and is a great way to reach out to the community. Bicycle patrol also offers access to areas where patrol cars cannot go, such as large crowds, parks and wooded areas.

Critical Response Team

Bloomington's Critical Incident Response Team is a multi-jurisdictional task force designed to handle serious emergency situations. The team is composed of officers who are extensively trained in the use of special weapons and tactics. This team is called upon to handle emergencies such as hostage or barricaded suspect situations, high-risk warrant services, and other situations involving anticipated extreme danger. CIRT members are also trained and used to assist in the protection of visiting dignitaries.

Each year, CIRT hosts a tactical operations course designed to teach other officers lessons learned in the years since BPD's team inception. Attended by officers from around the country, the school serves as just one instructional program in which the unit is involved. Attendance at this and all other tactical schools is limited to those with active military or law enforcement credentials.

To read more about CIRT activations, associated General Orders and Threat Matrix, and additional documents which detail the history of the CIRT Armored Rescue Vehicle purchase, click here

Central Emergency Dispatch

Trained telecommunicators answer all 9-1-1 calls from Monroe County (excluding the IU campus, which has its own 9-1-1- center) and dispatch the appropriate public safety personnel, be it police, fire, or ambulance. The Dispatch Center is also responsible for activating the Emergency Broadcasting Network in the event of natural or man-made disasters, communicating with officers in the field, and maintaining computer links with state and federal criminal justice networks.

Detective Division

Members of the detective division investigate crimes such as homicides and suspicious deaths, child molesting and sexual assaults, complex frauds, and pattern armed robberies and burglaries, to name a few. The detective division also contains the narcotics unit, part of a multi-jurisdictional task force monitoring drug activity throughout Monroe and the surrounding counties. The narcotics unit also investigates gang-related activity in and around the City of Bloomington.

Dive Team

The Bloomington Police Department participates in the Monroe County Dive Team (SCUBA), a multi-jurisdictional team of volunteer divers called upon to search for trapped or missing persons in the water, to search for evidence of crimes, and to recover lost or stolen property from lakes, rivers and quarries.

The Honor Guard

The Bloomington Police Department Honor Guard was established in 2003. The Honor Guard consists of officers from the department that have volunteered their efforts to establishing a higher standard of professionalism.

The Honor Guard's most important mission is to honor the fallen heroes of law enforcement and their survivors. The Honor Guard performs military-style honors at funeral services of officers killed in the line of duty as well deaths of current and retired officers. Some of the duties the Honor Guard provides include standing guard over a casket, escorting bereaved family members, flag ceremonies, twenty-one gun salutes and the playing of taps among others.

The Honor Guard also attends special memorial services throughout the City of Bloomington. The Honor Guard has recently presented colors for events such as the North versus South Football game and the Walk America opening ceremony.

K-9 Unit

Meet Ike and his human partner, Officer Kiley Jarrett. Ike joined the Bloomington Police Department in 2014. Officer Jarrett and Ike are trained in drug search, tracking and criminal apprehension.

Patrol Division

The largest and most visible arm of the police department, officers of the patrol division respond to calls for assistance from the public, investigate traffic accidents, and keep the peace.

These officers also are called upon to enforce traffic laws, assist motorists and enforce criminal laws and city ordinances.

Property and Evidence

The Evidence & Property Division is maintained by the Evidence Technicians. It includes the evidence processing area and the property storage rooms for items of evidence and safekeeping. The Evidence Technicians process crime scenes for items of evidence to include: fingerprints, DNA, shoe prints and other forms of trace evidence. Along with the processing of crime scenes, the technicians also process items at the department that have been submitted by officers for different types of analysis.

The Evidence & Property Division is open Monday through Friday from 7:00am to 7:00pm. In order to pick up property from the property room, please schedule an appointment with an Evidence Technician by calling (812) 349-3320 or (812) 349-3336 during normal business hours.

Records Division

The Records Division maintains all of the files for the police department, enters reports and crime data into computer databases, answers administrative and non-emergency phone lines, enters non-emergency calls for service into the dispatch computer program, and assists the public with obtaining copies of police reports.

The Records Division also maintains the lobby at the Bloomington Police Department, which serves as the first point of contact for persons entering the department. The lobby staff provides public services such as limited criminal history checks, serial motor checks, fingerprinting, notary services and clearance letters. The lobby is open Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 4:00PM.

LGBTQ Police Liaison Unit

The Bloomington Police Department is committed to community engagement and outreach. In 2016 the Bloomington Police created an LGBTQ Police Liaison Unit to deal with issues involving community members and the police. They focus on answerinq questions and providing information regarding police service, interactions and community outreach. Please contact Sgt. Dana Cole coled@bloomington.in.gov if you have any questions or issues for the unit.

Staff

Michael Diekhoff

Title
Chief
Email
diekhofm@bloomington.in.gov
Phone
812-339-4477