Previous Columns
June Tour of Duty
July Tour of Duty
August Tour of
Duty
September Tour of
Duty
By Staff Writer Dennis J. McGowan
Questions submitted for National Crime Prevention Month 2003 were fielded before
my debut column.
Now, Dennis J, McGowan's
October TOUR OF DUTY begins ~~~
1. What is the
organizational chart of a police precinct in a city such as New York?
Dependent on the number of personnel assigned to a given precinct:
Inspector or deputy inspector, captain(s), lieutenant(s) and the appropriate
number of sergeant(s) to head as many squad(s) of necessary personnel. Each
squad consists of eight officers.
Smaller departments (towns/villages) can cover a squad with four or six men, but
the correct personnel is eight officers to one sergeant.
2. How many detectives are in a precinct?
Dependent on the criminal activity:
Twenty to thirty detectives or ten to fifteen teams cover a precinct. Detectives
in city precincts always have a partner.
3. Where do the detectives fit in the organizational chart of a
precinct?
The detective bureau at any precinct is a separate entity under the commander
whether that is an inspector, deputy inspector or captain.
4. Who would be the direct supervisor of the detective bureau in a
precinct?
A lieutenant or first grade detective would head a precinct detective
bureau.
5. What is the order of a detective’s grade?
When an officer becomes a detective his first rank is third grade. With the
excellence of his work, the detective then moves up to second grade. This
consistent quality of work along with long term experience moves our detective
to the rank of first grade.
6. Who would have the ultimate authority at a crime scene?
If no politics are involved, the assigned detectives are in charge. But as with
all organizations there is room for flexibility.
Play it safe!
Dennis J. McGowan
Authors! Don't hesitate. Now is the time to send your questions to ReadersRoom2@aol.com. or
www.dennisjmcgowan.com
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