Patrol

Patrol Officers are the backbone of any police agency.  Patrol Officers work every day of the year and cover every shift at all times.  They are the first responders for all emergencies and begin all investigations.  The Meriden Police Department uses a shift bid system to assign officers to each watch.  There are 3 watches covering every 24 hour period:
1st Watch 11:00pm to 07:00am
2nd Watch 07:00am to 03:00pm
3rd Watch 03:00pm to 11:00pm

Each Watch has a Lieutenant that serves as the Watch Commander.  Watch Commanders report directly to Captain  Milslagle, Police Operations Commander.  Each Watch has at least three Sergeants assigned.  Sergeants are the first line supervisors in Police Operations.  They are responsible for inspecting all personnel prior to assuming duty, responding to and supervising all major incidents/crimes, and ensuring that Patrol Officers perform their duties properly.  Each Watch has Patrol Officers deployed to every geographical area of the City of Meriden.  Patrol Officers attend a daily briefing, or "Roll Call" where they are given details about crime patterns, special patrols in their areas, problem areas that affect quality of life, and information about wanted or dangerous persons.  Patrol Officers usually drive marked cruisers but may also use unmarked cruisers, motorcycles, police mountain bikes, and foot patrol to cover their assigned post. When not responding to criminal investigations and calls for service, Patrol Officers perform general patrol duties, traffic enforcement, deal with quality of life issues, and business and residence checks.

All members of the department started their careers as Patrol Officers where they receive in-depth training on our department policies, laws of arrest, criminal procedure, penal and motor vehicle codes, and victim services.