By Deputy Chief Dewayne McCarver
Investigations Bureau
The City of Huntsville is growing leaps and bounds, and with that growth comes new challenges for the Huntsville Police Department (HPD). In the last five years, the City’s population has grown by about 30,000 people, and developers have responded by building new restaurants, entertainment venues, hotels, and homes. Likewise, HPD has responded to the growth to ensure that we continue to experience the high quality of life that we expect.
One way that we have responded is by effectively using resources through the integration of the Criminal Investigations Division and the North Alabama Multi-Agency Crime Center. This created a seamless collaborative environment for crime analysts and investigators. They use the latest technology and traditional investigative techniques to solve crimes. The department credits efforts like this for helping us solve many of our cases, giving us high clearance rates. FBI data shows our clearance rates are much better than the national average, and a high clearance rate has a direct impact on keeping the crime rate low.
Another challenge for all of law enforcement is staffing. This is especially tough here in Huntsville because there are so many jobs available in every sector. We have two recruitment officers who are working every day to find the best and brightest to become Huntsville Police Officers. Recruitment has become a national endeavor for our department, and we enjoy being able to boast about both the police department and city. Fortunately for us, if you want to be a police officer, there is no better place than the Huntsville Police Department.
While we are always working to recruit the best to fill our ranks, we have amazing men and women who currently serve our department. They work hard every day to provide our community with caring, empathetic, and professional service. Effective deployment of these officers coupled with the latest technology has allowed us to keep up with the challenges of this incredible growth. It is a source of great pride that we see our violent crime rates dropping as the city’s population increases. This is a testament to the amazing men and women who serve and protect this city.
In closing, I am proud to tell you that your police department is staffed with some of the finest men in women in law enforcement, who receive the outstanding training in some of the best facilities in the country, and use technology and other resources in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Rest assured, the Huntsville Police Department is prepared to respond as our city continues to grow.
South Huntsville Neighbors 