Police Department
Office of the Chief of Police
- Ensures that the Department's Mission is executed efficiently and effectively
- Creates a vision of the desired future state of the department as a whole
- Empowers and leads subordinates
- Plans, organizes, directs, staffs, coordinates and controls all departmental functions.
- Reports to the Mayor and the Common Council
Amsterdam Police Detective Bureau
As a primary function of this department, criminal investigation aims at prompt, effective, and efficient investigation of all crimes and offenses which occur within the City of Amsterdam, identification, and apprehension of individuals committing those crimes, and then the proper, legal charging, presentation in court of evidence, etc., to help ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes.
The Amsterdam Police Department Detective Bureau has the responsibility of handling those criminal investigations which require special expertise or which because of their complexity or geographical considerations, do not lend themselves readily to completion by Patrol Officers.
Uniform Patrol Division
The Uniform Patrol Division consists of four separate squads that are assigned to twelve-hour shifts. Each squad is supervised by a Sergeant. The City is divided up into two zones. The officers work their assigned zone for the duration of their shift. These are the officers who will take calls for service from the residents of Amsterdam.
Patrol is the primary law enforcement function and embraces much more than the act of patrolling. It is a generalized function in which officers engage in a wide variety of activities including, but not limited to, enforcing traffic and criminal laws, answering complaints, disturbing the peace issues, conducting follow-up investigations, community policing, transporting prisoners, and community services activities and other such duties.
The Amsterdam Police Department provides law enforcement to all citizens in the City of Amsterdam, twenty-four hours a day, every day.
Amsterdam Police SWAT Team
The mission of the SWAT Team is to provide a well-disciplined, well-trained, and efficient unit that can be utilized by the Chief of Police in situations where the public and individual officers are in extreme danger and at a distinct disadvantage.
SWAT, which stands for Special Weapons and Tactics, is comprised of officers from the Amsterdam Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. Each team member must meet strict requirements and goes through a rigorous selection process to be selected. The Team trains on a monthly basis to be prepared to handle a variety of high-risk critical incidents.
When a situation dictates the need for the specialized equipment and the tactically trained officers that the SWAT Team has, the Team responds and assumes the tactical operations of the incident. The SWAT Team is utilized for incidents such as hostage situations and negotiations, barricaded suspects, service of high-risk warrants, drug raids and search warrants, searches for armed subjects, VIP protection, stakeouts and undercover surveillance, civil disorder, and other special events.
SWAT handles any incident, which has a propensity for armed confrontations, which through containment and specialized tactics would more likely be resolved without injury or loss of life.
"Take Me Home" Project
With assistance from Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, the Amsterdam Police Department launched the "Take Me Home" program to enable the safe return of those who are missing or in need. The program's goal is to increase the efficiency in which a missing child or adult can be located and returned to the safe haven of their residence or other appropriate location.
The program is aimed specifically at persons with disabilities, those who may be non-verbal and cannot communicate with law enforcement or those who are unable or unwilling to provide information. The purpose of the program is to register individuals in advance to allow Amsterdam officers to access essential information in a time of crisis. This information is vital in cases where families are not yet aware that their loved ones are missing or lost.
When a police officer encounters an individual in these situations, they now have the ability to search our database from their in-car computers to make a quick identification, locate contact information and return the individual home before any further problems develop. Searchable data about the registrant will include pedigree information, a photo, and contact information for family members.
Another important feature of the Take Me Home program is the ability to transmit information regarding a missing or endangered person immediately to officers on patrol. If someone is reported missing to the Amsterdam Police Department, we instantaneously transmit all pertinent information to officers in the field to aid in a quick resolution.
When filling out the informational form, bring it to the Amsterdam Police Department along with a recent photograph of the subject so entry can be made in the Take Me Home database.
File a Compliment or Complaint
APD's Responsibility
The Amsterdam Police Department recognizes its responsibility to maintain the public confidence and trust, and the need to guarantee integrity and accountability of both the agency and of each employee.
The Public's Responsibility
We also recognize the rights of all citizens and want the public to know that APD employees must be able to exercise their best judgment in taking necessary and reasonable action in the performance of their duties without fear of retaliation. We understand that receiving criticism and compliments will only improve us as a Police Department and will allow us to serve our community better.