Patrol Division

The Patrol Division of the Alvarado Police Department is the largest and most visible division within the police department. Citizens and visitors coming to, or passing through, the City of Alvarado enjoy quality service from the certified professional officers assigned to the Patrol Division. Patrol operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Members of the Patrol Division are normally the first to respond to all calls for service, both service and emergency. While everyone else typically runs away from trouble, and other emergency services such as fire and ambulance will wait until a scene is secure, these dedicated officers are the first to respond toward it, placing their lives in danger on a daily basis.

New officers joining the Alvarado Police Department, referred to as Recruit Officers until they graduate training, start their career in the Patrol Division. They receive extensive training in a wide variety of areas and are trained to function self sufficiently. This training program usually lasts for 16 weeks. This field training is in addition to the approximately 20 weeks of training the officers have already received while in the police academy prior to joining the department. While in training the Recruit Officer is assigned a Field Training Officer (FTO). This FTO is with them the entire shift and is fully invested in the success of the Recruit Officer. Training within the department is taken very seriously because ultimately the FTO is training someone that he, or someone else, has to trust with their safety and possibly their life.

While many of the patrol officer's duties are reactive, the officers of the Alvarado Police Department Patrol Division take great pride in their proactive approach toward law enforcement, stopping many crimes before they happen or while they are occurring.

The Alvarado Police Department recognizes the tireless effort and dedication put forth on a daily basis by the members of the Alvarado Police Department Patrol Division and would like to thank them for their professionalism, service and endless sacrifice.