Divisions

Patrol

The Patrol Division is the largest, and most visible division of the police department. When you call 911, are involved in a traffic crash, or file a police report of any kind, the officer who responds is assigned to the Patrol Division. Patrol Officers wear uniforms and drive vehicles with highly visible markings. The Patrol Division answers approximately 23,000 calls for service each year, and is tasked with patrolling and protecting approximately 13.5 square miles, and 14,000 residents that make up the City of Portland.

The Patrol Division is made up of a Lieutenant, 4 Sergeants, 4 Corporals, and Patrol Officers. They are divided into four squads (A, B, C, and D) that work 12-hour shifts, from 6 am to 6 pm, or 6 pm to 6 am. Each squad is supervised by a Sergeant and a Corporal. The Patrol Division is the City of Portland's first line of defense and proactively patrols neighborhoods and businesses 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They stand ready to respond to any type of emergency or call for service that arises. 

Criminal Investigations

The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) is the investigative entity of the Portland Police Department. Any investigation that will be time-consuming, or is of a complex nature, is referred to CID. Some examples of cases worked in CID are: homicide, sex offenses, robbery, major theft or vandalism, burglary, child abuse, elder abuse, and identity theft.

CID is made up of a Lieutenant, the Detective Unit, the Flex Unit, Drug Task Force Investigators, and a Secretary.

The Detective Unit is comprised of detectives who work over 400 investigations per year. While the unit is considered a general investigation unit, the detectives assigned have specialized skill sets that are used in assigning the cases. Most cases fall into 3 categories which are: crimes against people (child abuse, sex offenses, robbery, elder abuse), crimes against property (theft, vandalism, burglary), and white collar/ electronic crime (identity theft, credit card fraud, computer/internet offenses). CID also works with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in supervising registered sex offenders who reside within the City of Portland.

The FLEX Unit is a crime suppression team that concentrates their efforts on proactive enforcement of criminal offenses including but not limited to: drug interdiction, warrant services, and other crime trends that are identified by PPD staff. They are the uniformed wing of CID and also provide a uniformed presence for any operation conducted by plain-clothes officers.

PPD officers who are assigned to the 18th Judicial District Drug Task Force, also fall under the umbrella of CID. The Criminal Investigations Division is commanded by Lieutenant James Bartollota.

Administrative

The Administrative Division of the Portland Police Department is the "behind the scenes" division that keeps everything on track. It includes building maintenance, fleet maintenance, training, and quartermaster duties.

The headquarters for PPD is located at 433 N Broadway, and all police operations run out of this facility. A separate Animal Control facility is located at 122 Morningside Drive. The Administrative Division maintains both facilities.

PPD operates a fleet of approximately 40 vehicles and the Administrative Division is responsible for the assignment, servicing, and repair coordination for all of them, and maintaining records that reflect service and repairs.

Tennessee Peace Officer's Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) mandates that all officers receive at least 40 hours of continuing training each year. Some examples of the required recurring training are emergency vehicle operations, firearms, mental health, and child sexual abuse awareness. In addition to coordinating required training for the entire staff at PPD, the Administrative Division organizes and schedules specialized training for individual officers and conducts in-house training on various topics. Training records are maintained and submitted to P.O.S.T. as required.

As a result of being a 24/7 operation, there is a constant cycle of uniform and equipment issuance and replacement, to maintain a professional appearance and to make sure that officers have well-serviced equipment to do their job. The Administrative Division fields replacement requests for these items and is responsible for issuing equipment and uniforms to new officers, as well as maintaining inventory records for issued equipment. This division is commanded by Lieutenant Ricky Ellis.