Patrol Division

The Patrol Division forms the base from which all police work is conducted. We are the most highly visible portion, and the most easily recognized. The division is comprised of 60 sworn officers, 9 sergeants, 5 lieutenants, and 16 civilian Public Safety Dispatchers who perform a variety of duties and are under the command of Deputy Superintendent Russ O'Neill.

Our Service

The Brookline Police Department provides 24-hour, continuous service to our community. Our patrol officers are a proactive, problem-solving group that recognizes the value of community involvement when identifying and solving problems. Our officers engage in a wide variety of activities including working with citizens to identify and solve problems, conducting security surveys, engaging in Park and Walks, implementing crime prevention tactics, responding to calls for service, enforcing traffic and criminal laws, answering complaints, identifying and arresting offenders, directing and controlling traffic, maintaining public order by enforcing laws and by-laws, providing emergency services, working with other divisions within the department, engaging in community relations, and effectively dealing with people in crisis. Patrol officers are most likely the first on the scene of an incident and will conduct the preliminary investigations.

Our goals are to

• Ensure public safety
• Enhance neighborhood quality of life
• Provide unparalleled service
• Ensure homeland security

Our role is to resolve problems through the enforcement of laws, and not through the imposition of judgment or punishment.

Communications Center

Sixteen certified E-911 tele-communicators who answer and dispatch all calls for police, fire, and emergency medical services, process inquiries through the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, search state and federal criminal history, and document activity using state of the art Computer Aided Dispatch technology. This unit has a civilian supervisor.

Lodging House Officer

This officer is responsible for the administration and enforcement of laws, rules, regulations, inspections and investigations of the 55 lodging houses and hotels in the community. The officer consults and coordinates with Health, Building, Fire and Legal departments.

Liquor Licensing Officer

The officer is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the alcohol beverage laws, rules, regulations, inspections, and investigations of 66 licensed premises in the community. The officer is also responsible for issuing temporary licenses.

Animal Control Officer

The officer investigates complaints involving dogs and other animals. They patrol the town as necessary to enforce animal laws and town by-laws.

Patrol Bike Unit

The Patrol Bike Unit was officially incorporated into the Patrol Division in 2010. The Patrol Bike Unit (PBU) is currently staffed by 17 Patrol Officers, led by Sergeant’s Brian Sutherland and Casey Hatchett.

The objective of the Patrol Bike Unit is to supplement the Patrol Division’s function by adding to the Department’s proactive approach to law enforcement and service to the community. The PBU is assigned to multiple tasks, including patrolling business areas, enforcing bike laws, enforcing motor vehicle laws in congested areas, assisting in anti-crime initiatives and serving as a visible presence in the community.

A regional initiative has been formed called COBRA (Cops On Bikes for Regional Assistance). COBRA is used for both bicycle safety and as a tactical asset for the aforementioned events.

All officers of the Patrol Bike Unit must attend and successfully complete a Mountain Bike Patrol School certified by the Massachusetts Criminal Justice Training Council known as COBWEB (Cops On Bikes With Education for Bicyclists). In addition, regular bike-related training is given to those assigned Officers. Significant progress has been made in this subject matter with Brookline PD being at the forefront of the area’s progressive use of mountain bikes in policing and education.

Patrol Warrant Unit

The Brookline Police Department has implemented a process of a systematic arrest warrant service. This is a proactive and cooperative effort with the Brookline District Court and Dedham District Court to increase the compliance of subjects with pending charges.

The Brookline Police Department has formed a Warrant Unit comprised of officers from within the Patrol Division. This unit will be under the direction of the Commanding Officer- Patrol Division. This unit will function with a Patrol Division Lieutenant known as the Officer-In-Charge (OIC), and a first-line Patrol Supervisor. This unit will work cooperatively with the Community Service and Detective Divisions of the Brookline Police Department with warrant service. The attentive effort of the Brookline Police Department to service these arrest warrants is compatible with our mission to reduce the fear of crime and improve the quality of life of our residents.