Patrol Division

Patrol is the uniformed component of the police department.  It provides 24 hour, 7 day response to calls for service.  The average shift consists of 1 Sergeant and 4 to 6 patrol officers.  Services include traffic law enforcement, report taking, preliminary investigation, selected follow-up investigations, accident investigation, response to public disorder complaints.  Calls for service are prioritized based upon the seriousness and immediacy of a threat to life or property of the reported incident.

The Patrol Division is made up of a number of special teams including:

• Communications
• Community Services
• Traffic & MAIT Team
• Parking Enforcement
• K-9
• Animal Control
• School Resource Officers
  

Communications

The Communications Center is composed of twelve communications officers who provide staffing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  All calls for service requiring a response by police officers are routed through this unit.  These professionals are responsible for timely response of patrol officers based upon prioritization of calls for service.  Officers frequently require information to efficiently perform their duties and request this information from the communications officers.  The communications officers are responsible for providing support for as many as 18 or 20 officers during the daytime when detectives are working as well as support for non-sworn staff working in the field.

The Department employs a computer aided dispatch system that facilitates prioritization of calls for service, however the communications officers must access a number of database systems to respond to inquiries from officers.  These members are also call takers at various times of the day when records personnel are unavailable.  Monitoring other local police organizations, working in concert with fire and emergency medical services, providing direct support for Springfield Police Officers, responding to the needs of emergency calls, alarms and routine business, Communications Officers are the hub of the organization's activities.

Parking Enforcement

This unit provides service related to abandoned and illegally parked vehicles.  Unit members work cooperatively with the City's zoning, code and nuisance abatement personnel on problem areas within the City.  When reporting an abandoned vehicle, please keep in mind that at this time we only have one part-time Parking Enforcement Officer, so it may take some time to get to your complaint.

Click here to report an abandoned vehicle via e-mail.

Impounded Vehicle? Click here for information.

Animal Control

Since 1986 Springfield Animal Control has been patrolling the streets of Springfield in an effort to educate the citizens on the care and laws regarding their pets.  Animal Control handles calls from a dog at large to an intense investigation on animal cruelty.

Every effort is made to reunite a dog with its owner.  The best way to do this is to have your dog licensed.  All licensing is done by mail, all you have to do is call the office for an application (or print it from this site!) and send it in with the rabies certificate and a spay/or neuter certificate (if applicable). You can now license your dog up to 3 years at time. The tags are now permanent, instead of getting new tages every year.

The Animal Control Office is open from 8 to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. They can be reached at (541)726-3634.

In order to minimize the number of unwanted pets, please be sure to spay or neuter your animal!

School Resource Officers

The department has embarked on a new relationship with the School District, assigning an officer to each of the two high schools with the responsibility for providing enforcement, counseling and classroom instruction.  Officer Matt Neiwert works at Thurston High School and Officer Rick A. Lewis is assigned to Springfield High School.