Support Services

The Bureau of Support Services is Commanded by Lt. Kevin Pyatt and is comprised of the Communications Division, Records Unit, Internal Affairs, Community Projects and D.A.R.E., Grant writing and administration, Animal Control/Park Rangers, Police Reserve Unit, School Resource Officer, and the Firing Range.

Lt. Kevin Pyatt Email Lt. Kevin Pyatt

Grant Writing and Administration:

The acquisition of funds outside of General Revenue sources is an important function of the department. Such funds allow for the acquisition of equipment and personnel not otherwise available through the normal tax funding mechanism. Funds acquired from Federal and State grant programs have provided additional police officers through the C.O.P.S program, and safety equipment through a MIRMA grant. Civic groups such as the Wentzville Community Club have funded such equipment as portable radios, a remote control robot car, and a first responder emergency defibulator machine.

Internal Affairs Unit:

The Lieutenant of Support Services staffs the Internal Affairs Unit and reports directly to the Chief of Police. Internal Affairs is an investigations unit used to regulate and review the conduct of employees regarding any alleged violations of personal integrity, civil rights, etc. This unit serves to protect the public from potential abuses of police functions or authority. Misconduct by department personnel must be detected and, as with reported allegations of misconduct, must be thoroughly investigated and properly adjudicated to assure the maintenance of fairness, honesty, and proper conduct. It is the function of Internal Affairs to protect the public from any form of misconduct by any employee, to protect the organization from public censure due to misconduct by one employee, to protect the employees from false allegations of misconduct, to provide for the removal of unfit personnel, and to identify and correct faulty procedures, policies, or tactics.

Community Projects/D.A.R.E.

One patrol officer, Richard Grange, staffs this function and is responsible for the proper presentation of our Drug Resistance Awareness Education program within our elementary schools, both public and parochial. The program introduces the dangers of illegal drug use, builds self-esteem, identifies peer pressure, and develops a rapport between our police officers and the youth of our community. Officer Grange presents D.A.R.E instruction in all five elementary schools within our community. This position is also responsible for developing, maintaining, and facilitating community projects offered or sponsored by this department. Such projects include the Citizen Academy, Block Watch, Bicycle/Roller Blade Safety and inspections, File for Life, Adopt-a-Buddy, Gun Safety, Youth in Need Day Camp, and the Special Olympics Torch Run Fund Raiser.

Officer Richard Grange Email Officer Richard Grange

KEEP BURGLERS OUT OF YOUR BUSINESS
JOIN BUSINESS WATCH

Crimes against business are usually crimes of opportunity. If you make it easy for someone to steal from you, chances are, someone will. Make crime against your business risky and unrewarding... Join BUSINESS WATCH program. The Wentzville Ploice would rather work with you to PREVENT crimes than spend time apprehending the criminals and causing lengthy court appearences and sometimes costly legal fees for you.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN ORGANIZING A BUSINESS WATCH IN YOUR AREA, click on the business watch link and follow the instructions. If your area is not listed send a message requesting one be started.
Businesswatch@wentzvillemo.org

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

Across the nation crime is of concern to citizens in cities, suburbs, towns, and rural areas. Increasingly, citizens and law enforcement professionals realize that neither one can eradicate crime working separately. Neighbors and other concerned citizens, working cooperatively with law enforcement, can have a positive effect.

Home burglaries, in particular, can be minimized when community residents take steps to make their homes less attractive and vulnerable to burglars.

Burglary, the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft, is generally considered a crime against property. It has, however, a high potential for death or injury to the victim who comes into surprise contact with the intruder. Through the well recognized concept of NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, a community-based program supported by the National Sheriffs' Association since 1972, residents of thousands of communities across the nation have discovered that they can make a difference in preventing crime. The Wentzville Police Department offers many programs and services to assist the community with these efforts.

Follow the instructions below to join your neighborhoods program. If your subdivision is not listed, send information requesting that one be started in your neighborhood.
neighborhoodwatch@wentzvillemo.org

Citizen Academy:

The Citizen Police Academy classes are conducted by members of the Wentzville Police Department and other members of the Law Enforcement Community. This program is open to all residents of Wentzville and adjacent areas. The purpose of this training is to identify and evaluate the role of law enforcement within this community, to provide training in the areas of personal and property safety, and to identify resources available that may impact our citizen concerns in establishing a sense "of quality of life".

School Resource Officers:

Three School Resource Officers are assigned to provide an "on campus" response to the nine schools within the city, and is responsible for facilitating the regulations of the "Safe Schools Act" on those campuses. This function is presently funded by a Federal grant and by School District participation. Presently this function is performed by Officer Michael Melton, Officer Michael Brophy, and Officer Linus Kersting.

Animal Control/ Park Rangers:

The Animal Control/Park Ranger reports to the Bureau of Support services and is staffed with two members Mike Toney and Don Voepel. The function of this unit is to provide half- time animal control and half- time Park Police functions. As animal control personnel, the officers are responsible for detecting and citing leash law violations, licensing violations, animal neglect or abuse offenses, and carcass removal. The officers respond to and conduct animal bite investigations, impound functions, and other related duties. As Park Rangers the officers conduct patrols of the city's parks, assist the Park Department with facility management, and monitor activities within our parks to insure a safe, family-orientated environment.

Police Reserve Unit:

The Police Reserve Unit is under the Bureau of Support Services and is staffed by Reserve Lieutenant Ralph Back (pictured) and a number of Reserve Volunteers. The Reserve officers are required by the Missouri P.O.S.T. Commission to have and maintain a requisite level of training hours consistent with those of full -time commissioned officers. The Reserve unit supplements the patrol force during large community events, assists with prisoner conveyances, aids with court bailiff duties, performs patrol functions, and assists the Bureau of Field Operations whenever needed. The unit is required to perform at lest twenty hours of service per month per officer. The unit is a valuable asset to the department and provides an available pool of potential commissioned employees.

Lt. Ralph Back

Communications Division:

One Supervisor and five full-time and three part-time Dispatchers staff the communications Division. Often described as the "life line" of the police department, the communications division provides the police operation with a communicative link to the community and to other agencies. Links to other city departments, utilities, and/or to support resources utilized for the betterment of the community or the efficiency of the police service, is also established by the communications unit. Among other functions, the dispatcher receives telephone reports of criminal activities, offensive conduct, emergency services, or investigative inquiries. The dispatcher's duties include entering warrants, stolen articles and guns, validations of computer entries, and processing impounded vehicles. All 9-1-1 telephone reports for emergency services within the corporate limits of Wentzville are received through the communications center, and the dispatcher is then responsible for making necessary telephone transfers for other required services (i.e. ambulance, fire department, rescue). The dispatcher inputs calls for service and officer activities into the police computer management system. This data provides statistical information, record keeping, activity planning information, and serves as a bases for performance/community response evaluation. The dispatch center is the nucleus for investigative support, and functions as an informational database for the patrol officer.

Records Unit:

Supervisor Doris Ausburn (pictured), one full-time, a half time Michelle Witt, and one part time clerk staff the Records Unit. The functions of the records section are to transcribe police incident report recordings to a typed document for an official record, to maintain police records, and to provide information on criminal convictions that assist in evaluating the machinery of the Criminal Justice System. The records section serves to provide comprehensive reports to the prosecuting officials of all available information to be used during criminal actions in courts of law, to provide valuable information of activities which may identify and direct personnel and equipment needs, and to serve as the Central Information Center of the police department.

Doris Ausburn Email dorisa@wentzvillemo.org

It is the responsibility of the records section to compile data that aids in determining training needs, resolving citizen complaints, and/or provides a tool for the injured within the community to identify accountability and/or enable pursuit of civil remedies. Some other responsibilities of the records department include data entry of all case reports, traffic tickets, bookings/arrests, auto accidents, prisoner meal costs, and vehicle mileage. The records supervisor, in addition to overseeing, scheduling, and managing the department, is responsible for co-managing the police department computer management system, monthly statistical reports such as the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) for the FBI, and the Missouri Crime Index Report.