City of Port Angeles Police Department

Port Angeles Police Department Message from Chief Terry K. Gallagher
It is my privilege to welcome you to this web page for the Port Angeles Police Department. (PAPD). It is my privilege to welcome you to the web site of the Port Angeles Police Department. Hopefully, as you tour this site, you will learn more about our wonderful community and come to appreciate the outstanding men and women of this Department, all of whom work daily to provide the highest possible level of law enforcement services to the citizens of Port Angeles. Arguably the department's most significant success in 2009 was the award of three separate stimulus grants that allowed us to fill two vacant patrol officer positions and partially fund both the School Resource Officer and Downtown Resource Officer programs. In a time of unprecedented economic challenge for the City, the grants have allowed the department to maintain both staff and service levels when other agencies in the state are cutting both. PAPD enjoyed a successful year and is grateful for the support of public safety that has been consistently demonstrated by the community, city administration, and the City Council. The last few months have not been so positive for law enforcement in Washington State, however. Six officers have died, leaving behind grieving spouses, children, co-workers and communities. The poem A Part of America Died speaks of the death of a police officer. The poem is not only poignant but, in my view, true. The murder of public safety officers should shock a community. Men and women dedicated to preserving the well being of their fellow citizens should not have to die in the performance of that service. And yet every year in this country about 50 officers are lost through the felonious action of a criminal. The fact is that more would die except that the many hours spent in training the modern police officer, and the dollars spent equipping that officer has paid off in terms of increased survival and lower injury rates for officers across the country. Fifty dead officers is a lot – but it is less than the annual numbers from the 1970's. From 1970 through 1978, 1,035 officers lost their lives through criminal action. From 2000 through 2008, 488 were killed. Proper training and equipping of police officers and support staff has real world, tangible benefits. Better training means more professional service delivery. It also means fewer of us are injured or killed every year. PAPD invests significantly in the training of our staff. The end result is a thoroughly professional, well-respected organization. As we move into 2010 I believe PAPD is well positioned to maintain the delivery of high quality law enforcement services to our community at a very reasonable cost. Grant funding and the availability of very expensive equipment through government surplus programs has been of immense benefit. We will continue our aggressive pursuit of grants throughout the coming year. Additionally we are working cooperatively with the sheriff's department to drive down the cost of training for both our departments. We are sharing information and trading instructors so that as much training as possible is accomplished on-duty rather than on an overtime basis. We are analyzing all current and potential revenue sources and evaluating other aspects of the organization in a continual search for cost savings.. We know that times have changed and that some past business practices are not sustainable. People that know ideas are what count staff successful organizations; those ideas can come from any level of an organization. We know the importance of hiring good people with a special enthusiasm for public safety – because we also know that passionate people get things done. We recognize the substantial investment this community has made in our department. We know how fortunate we are to be a part of this community. Our commitment is to return to our citizens in 2010 a product of value, delivered by men and women of integrity, to a community where fear of crime is non-existent. Please let us know your thoughts on our work. And again, on behalf of all PAPD staff, thank you for your support in 2009. The Port Angeles Police Department recognizes that the key word in our mission statement is partnership. Our ability to serve the community is absolutely dependent upon our success in fostering citizen involvement in public safety. To that end we make every effort to communicate effectively with our citizens, to listen to their concerns and respond effectively, and, as a learning organization, to engage in a constant analytical process meant to measure our success at addressing those concerns. The Public Safety Advisory Board is one example of our commitment to citizen involvement. The board is comprised of interested citizen volunteers and serves in an advisory capacity to both the Police and Fire Chiefs as new programs are explored or existing programs are evaluated. Citizen involvement in the law enforcement mission is not limited, however, to that particular board. PAPD also has a dedicated group of citizen volunteers who donate their time and accumulated wisdom to improving the Department's ability to serve our community. Our volunteers deploy our traffic radar trailer daily throughout the community, they process pawn tickets, accomplish a variety of clerical duties, and assist at virtually all community events requiring traffic control or other law enforcement services. They are even out at night on “Citizen Patrol” where they conduct regular checks of area schools and parks facilities. These dedicated folks contribute approximately 6,000 hours per year to the Department and the community. The men and women of the Port Angeles Police Department recognize our role as the most visible branch of municipal government. We take very seriously our mandate to perform professionally in our role as community leaders; we know that this responsibility extends to our private lives as well. We welcome public scrutiny of our efforts and recognize that accountability is a critical component of any branch of government, but especially critical to law enforcement. We want you to know what we do, we want to do it well, and we need to hear from you for that to occur. PAPD employs 33 commissioned officers and 28 civilian employees. We provide police, fire and medical dispatch for 12 emergency service agencies in Clallam County and staff a full-service law enforcement Records Division. The core of any police department is the Patrol Division. However, the Department also staffs an Investigations Division, is an active member of the local drug task force, and assigns one officer as a School Resource Officer. New in 2007, the Department assigned one officer full-time to our downtown business area. The job of the Downtown Resource Officer is to identify and, through collaborative problem solving efforts, address the needs of our downtown business community. In the spirit of partnership this position is partially funded through contributions from various downtown stakeholders. Do you possess at least two years of college education? Are you interested in public service and a person of outstanding character? If so I urge you to consider a career in law enforcement. PAPD utilizes PublicSafetyTesting.com to administer the required entry level written and physical tests to those interested in serving as a commissioned officer or emergency services dispatcher. You can visit their web site to learn more about our department, career opportunities, and the community of Port Angeles. Testing for other positions in the department (such as Records Specialist) are administered by the City of Port Angeles Human Resources Department. Contact them at 360-417-4910 and ask for an application. PAPD is an outstanding organization privileged to serve a community unique in its quality of life and beautiful location at the foot of the Olympic Mountains and along the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I encourage you as a citizen to contact the Department's Community Services liaison at 360-417-4925 to learn more about how you can contribute to public safety and the quality of life in our community. As a citizen, you are the key to our success. We want to hear from you whether that be in the form of a constructive comment, a question, or a concern. On behalf of the Port Angeles Police Department, I wish you and your family the best and give you our promise to provide you with the highest level of law enforcement services possible as we continue in our mission of service to the community. Sincerely, Terry K. Gallagher Chief of Police Back to Top Home \| City Hall \| Services \| Business \| Community \| Visitors 321 East 5th Street - P.O. Box 1150 / Port Angeles, WA 98362 Phone: 360-457-0411 / TTY: 360-417-4645 General City Email: information@cityofpa.us Web Site: webmaster@cityofpa.us Disclaimer

It is my privilege to welcome you to this web page for the Port Angeles Police Department. (PAPD).

It is my privilege to welcome you to the web site of the Port Angeles Police Department. Hopefully, as you tour this site, you will learn more about our wonderful community and come to appreciate the outstanding men and women of this Department, all of whom work daily to provide the highest possible level of law enforcement services to the citizens of Port Angeles.

Arguably the department's most significant success in 2009 was the award of three separate stimulus grants that allowed us to fill two vacant patrol officer positions and partially fund both the School Resource Officer and Downtown Resource Officer programs. In a time of unprecedented economic challenge for the City, the grants have allowed the department to maintain both staff and service levels when other agencies in the state are cutting both. PAPD enjoyed a successful year and is grateful for the support of public safety that has been consistently demonstrated by the community, city administration, and the City Council.

The last few months have not been so positive for law enforcement in Washington State, however. Six officers have died, leaving behind grieving spouses, children, co-workers and communities. The poem A Part of America Died speaks of the death of a police officer. The poem is not only poignant but, in my view, true. The murder of public safety officers should shock a community. Men and women dedicated to preserving the well being of their fellow citizens should not have to die in the performance of that service. And yet every year in this country about 50 officers are lost through the felonious action of a criminal.

The fact is that more would die except that the many hours spent in training the modern police officer, and the dollars spent equipping that officer has paid off in terms of increased survival and lower injury rates for officers across the country. Fifty dead officers is a lot – but it is less than the annual numbers from the 1970's. From 1970 through 1978, 1,035 officers lost their lives through criminal action. From 2000 through 2008, 488 were killed. Proper training and equipping of police officers and support staff has real world, tangible benefits. Better training means more professional service delivery. It also means fewer of us are injured or killed every year. PAPD invests significantly in the training of our staff. The end result is a thoroughly professional, well-respected organization.

As we move into 2010 I believe PAPD is well positioned to maintain the delivery of high quality law enforcement services to our community at a very reasonable cost. Grant funding and the availability of very expensive equipment through government surplus programs has been of immense benefit. We will continue our aggressive pursuit of grants throughout the coming year. Additionally we are working cooperatively with the sheriff's department to drive down the cost of training for both our departments. We are sharing information and trading instructors so that as much training as possible is accomplished on-duty rather than on an overtime basis. We are analyzing all current and potential revenue sources and evaluating other aspects of the organization in a continual search for cost savings..

We know that times have changed and that some past business practices are not sustainable. People that know ideas are what count staff successful organizations; those ideas can come from any level of an organization. We know the importance of hiring good people with a special enthusiasm for public safety – because we also know that passionate people get things done. We recognize the substantial investment this community has made in our department. We know how fortunate we are to be a part of this community. Our commitment is to return to our citizens in 2010 a product of value, delivered by men and women of integrity, to a community where fear of crime is non-existent. Please let us know your thoughts on our work. And again, on behalf of all PAPD staff, thank you for your support in 2009.

The Port Angeles Police Department recognizes that the key word in our mission statement is partnership. Our ability to serve the community is absolutely dependent upon our success in fostering citizen involvement in public safety. To that end we make every effort to communicate effectively with our citizens, to listen to their concerns and respond effectively, and, as a learning organization, to engage in a constant analytical process meant to measure our success at addressing those concerns. The Public Safety Advisory Board is one example of our commitment to citizen involvement. The board is comprised of interested citizen volunteers and serves in an advisory capacity to both the Police and Fire Chiefs as new programs are explored or existing programs are evaluated.

Citizen involvement in the law enforcement mission is not limited, however, to that particular board. PAPD also has a dedicated group of citizen volunteers who donate their time and accumulated wisdom to improving the Department's ability to serve our community. Our volunteers deploy our traffic radar trailer daily throughout the community, they process pawn tickets, accomplish a variety of clerical duties, and assist at virtually all community events requiring traffic control or other law enforcement services. They are even out at night on “Citizen Patrol” where they conduct regular checks of area schools and parks facilities. These dedicated folks contribute approximately 6,000 hours per year to the Department and the community.

The men and women of the Port Angeles Police Department recognize our role as the most visible branch of municipal government. We take very seriously our mandate to perform professionally in our role as community leaders; we know that this responsibility extends to our private lives as well. We welcome public scrutiny of our efforts and recognize that accountability is a critical component of any branch of government, but especially critical to law enforcement. We want you to know what we do, we want to do it well, and we need to hear from you for that to occur.

PAPD employs 33 commissioned officers and 28 civilian employees. We provide police, fire and medical dispatch for 12 emergency service agencies in Clallam County and staff a full-service law enforcement Records Division. The core of any police department is the Patrol Division. However, the Department also staffs an Investigations Division, is an active member of the local drug task force, and assigns one officer as a School Resource Officer. New in 2007, the Department assigned one officer full-time to our downtown business area. The job of the Downtown Resource Officer is to identify and, through collaborative problem solving efforts, address the needs of our downtown business community. In the spirit of partnership this position is partially funded through contributions from various downtown stakeholders.

Do you possess at least two years of college education? Are you interested in public service and a person of outstanding character? If so I urge you to consider a career in law enforcement. PAPD utilizes PublicSafetyTesting.com to administer the required entry level written and physical tests to those interested in serving as a commissioned officer or emergency services dispatcher. You can visit their web site to learn more about our department, career opportunities, and the community of Port Angeles. Testing for other positions in the department (such as Records Specialist) are administered by the City of Port Angeles Human Resources Department. Contact them at 360-417-4910 and ask for an application.

PAPD is an outstanding organization privileged to serve a community unique in its quality of life and beautiful location at the foot of the Olympic Mountains and along the shores of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. I encourage you as a citizen to contact the Department's Community Services liaison at 360-417-4925 to learn more about how you can contribute to public safety and the quality of life in our community.

As a citizen, you are the key to our success. We want to hear from you whether that be in the form of a constructive comment, a question, or a concern. On behalf of the Port Angeles Police Department, I wish you and your family the best and give you our promise to provide you with the highest level of law enforcement services possible as we continue in our mission of service to the community.

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321 East 5th Street - P.O. Box 1150 / Port Angeles, WA 98362
Phone: 360-457-0411 / TTY: 360-417-4645
General City Email: information@cityofpa.us
Web Site: webmaster@cityofpa.us
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