Cape Coral Police Department
| Cape Coral Police Department | |
|---|---|
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| Abbreviation | CCPD |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1971 |
| Employees | 389 |
| Volunteers | 100 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Cape Coral, Florida, USA |
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| Map of Cape Coral Police Department's jurisdiction. | |
| Size | 115.10 square miles (298.1 km2) |
| Population | 165,774 |
| General nature | • Local civilian agency |
| Headquarters | Cape Coral, Florida |
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| Police Officers | 208 |
| Civilians | 98 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | |
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The Cape Coral Police Department is the police department of Cape Coral, Florida, which has approximately 165,000 residents and covers almost 120 square miles (310 km2). It was founded in 1971, and has 208 sworn officers and 133 civilian employees.[1] The agency is accredited by CALEA, receiving initial accreditation in November, 1989 and was most recently assessed in 2011.[2] The current Chief of Police is Bart Connelly.
Facilities
The department was previously housed in a building located at 815 Nicholas Parkway. Officials began to express concern about the safety of the building, which was shared with the Fire Department, in 2004.[3] In January, 2008 a referendum to construct a $110 million public safety building was rejected by voters.[4] The proposal was cut to a $30 million project in July, 2008 [5] and the new building opened in June 2009. The new station is located at 1100 Cultural Park Boulevard S., less than a block away from the former station.
Patrol
The city is divided into 3 districts, each with 5 patrol zones.[6]
Public programs
The agency provides crime prevention programs[7] and Neighborhood Watch[8] to the city as well as a Citizen's Police Academy.[9]
The department participates in "Project Lifesaver", a program designed to track and locate individuals who wander and become lost, such as the elderly with Alzheimer’s or Dementia and younger residents with Down syndrome or Autism.[10]
Police Volunteer Unit
The department has a very active volunteer program with over 150 members. The volunteers assist with traffic at crash scenes and special events. The unit also patrols for problems with handicapped parking and fire lane violations. An administrative part of the group provides fingerprint services and reception desk duties in the lobby of the police station.
Youth services
The department is a partner with the Parks and Recreation Department in operating the William "Bill" Austen Youth Center, which opened in 2003. The police department sponsors boxing, martial arts and wrestling programs at the center.[11] It also provides youth support through a Juvenile Systems Liaison Specialist[11] and through an active "Do The Right Thing" program which recognizes local youth for positive accomplishments.[12]
