Patrol

The Patrol Division is the lifeblood of a police department. The initial investigation of a call by a trained police officer most often turns up the most important information and evidence that law enforcement needs to solve a case.

Officers begin their patrol careers by attending a rigorous, twenty-three week police academy. Upon graduation they enter the department’s Field Training Officer (FTO) program, where for the minimum of the next twelve weeks, they learn how to become an “Orchard Park Police Officer.” This closely-supervised and highly-structured program allows the “rookie” to work alongside specially trained officers selected not only for their competence, but also for their patience and understanding. This has been highly successful, allowing the recruit’s skills to mature in an environment designed to be positive as well as pro-active. Following completion of the FTO program, the recruit is then deemed qualified to work alone.

At present, we have twenty-six police officers that are supervised over the two (twelve-hour) shifts by six patrol lieutenants. Responsibility for the patrol division is under the direction of Captain Daniel Lagoda.

Patrol officers are responsible for the initial handling of any call that comes into our dispatch unit. These calls can be as simple as a disabled automobile or as serious as a felony-level crime in progress. Our officers generally ride one officer per car. At times, multiple cars need to be assigned to a specific call.

The responding officer is responsible for working on a case as far as he can within his function as a police officer. Calls that necessitate an immediate arrest are handled and completed by the patrol officer. Calls that require additional investigative work are referred by the officer to one of our specialty units such as the Detective Bureau, School Resource Officer, or Accident Investigation Unit.

It is our goal to maintain a proactive approach to resolve all public safety concerns and quality of life issues that may arise in order to maintain a high quality of life for all members of the community and remain one of the safest communities in the country.

All sworn officers receive a minimum of twenty-one hours of training per year, which includes yearly mandatory instruction in the Use of Force, firearms, and legal updates.