| High Tech Patrol |
The uniformed patrol division of the Sulphur Police Department has gone from 12 patrol officers and three patrol cars in the 80's to 28 road officers, 5 jailers, 4 radio operators and 28 patrol cars in 2000. The patrol cars of yesterday were showroom floor vehicles of whatever color was available with an in stock, "stick-on", badge on the door. The 2000 patrol cars now driven by patrol officers are police packaged, police interceptors, with all the latest technology available. Officers are equipped with on board computers to run their own driver�s license and license plate checks, and warrants checks. The computer is equipped with a mapping system with photographs of every residence and business in the city of Sulphur, which greatly assists officers when responding to the right house for disturbance calls and gives lay outs of businesses when responding to alarm calls. Patrol officers write all their reports on the computer and then download into a main frame back at police headquarters which eliminates retyping of the reports by the secretaries. Officers also have i-mail capabilities and can easily speak with other units to reduce radio transmissions. Communications also gives information to units and supervisors via i-mail, which greatly reduces telephone calls into headquarters.
All patrol cars are take-home vehicles which reduces maintenance costs because the vehicles are not driven 24/7, as in years past. Patrol cars that used to last 2 years are now lasting officers 5 and 6 years before needing to be replaced. Taking units home adds safety in the neighborhoods where the patrol car is parked. Officers are also allowed to drive the vehicle in town (only) for personal use which increases the appearance of extra patrol cars moving around at any given time. Off duty officers have come upon accidents and assisted until on-duty units arrive, off-duty officers have been in locations of dispatched troubles and they have responded which enabled quicker responses for the citizens of Sulphur. Off-duty officers have on many occasions observed reckless driving and DWI�s and have made traffic stops which has reduced dangerous drivers on the highways.
Patrol officers are well trained in the use of firearms, firearms retention and defensive tactics. Officers receive training on the proper use of radar, intoxilyzer and Standardized Field Sobriety Testing for DWI enforcement, pursuit driving, and accident investigations. Many officers are trained in areas of narcotics, EMT, supervision, DARE, occult crimes, juvenile crimes, sex crimes, fingerprinting, polygraph, hazardous materials, explosives, street survival tactics, and internal affairs investigations. Officers receive their basic training at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff�s Office Training Academy in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Prior to attending and after completion of the academy, new recruits are assigned to veteran field training officers (FTO�s).
Patrol officers have to wear many hats in the day to day performance of their duties. They are lawyers in legal matters, referees in family disputes, counselors in juvenile matters, pastors in times of death, they are teachers, daddy�s, mama�s, knights in shining armor when they look for the prowler in the dark at your house and villains when they write you a traffic citation. But most of all they are human with human feelings. These are brave men and women, for little pay and praise, protect the citizens of Sulphur because that is what their calling in life has lead them to do.