Asheville Police Department (North Carolina)
Encyclopedia
The Asheville Police Department (APD) is a nationally accredited
police department and the primary law enforcement agency servicing a population of 72,789 people within 40 square miles (103.6 km²) of the municipality of Asheville, North Carolina
.
In 1932, the department was using vehicles and had the first radios put into use. The radios at the time were one-way and required the dispatcher to repeat the message for service multiple times, slowly and loudly as there was no way for the beat officer to acknowledge receipt of transmission. By 1934, the police cars were equipped with Thomson .45 caliber submachine guns and riot gas deployment devices. In 1938, the first two-way radios were placed into operation.
, Emergency Response Unit
, and Patrol Special Services.
Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies
The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc., is a credentialing authority , based in the United States, whose primary mission is to accredited public safety agencies, namely law enforcement agencies, training academies, communications centers, and campus public safety...
police department and the primary law enforcement agency servicing a population of 72,789 people within 40 square miles (103.6 km²) of the municipality of Asheville, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
History
The APD was created in 1849 with a volunteer force of 5 officers and a captain. Because they were not authorized to carry weapons at the time, the volunteers had to weigh no less than 190 pounds (86 kg). Later the next year, the town constable became the first chief of police. After several changes to staff and procedures, the force was officially created by ordinance on November 1, 1875.In 1932, the department was using vehicles and had the first radios put into use. The radios at the time were one-way and required the dispatcher to repeat the message for service multiple times, slowly and loudly as there was no way for the beat officer to acknowledge receipt of transmission. By 1934, the police cars were equipped with Thomson .45 caliber submachine guns and riot gas deployment devices. In 1938, the first two-way radios were placed into operation.
Organization
The APD is divided into 3 districts: Adam (western), Baker (north and east), and Charlie (south and central). The department also has a variety of specialized units such as: K-9Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
, Emergency Response Unit
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
, and Patrol Special Services.