Page 357 - Bedford-FY24-25 Budget

Bedford Police Department

Bobby LaPenna
Interim Police Chief

The Bedford Police Department provides leadership and support to all members of the public, as well as all
Police personnel through scal responsibility and modeling of the City's values. The Department is
committed to strengthening and maintaining an atmosphere of community partnership, providing
transparency to the citizens, supporting continued training and leadership development of personnel, and
providing opportunities for career growth and employee retention. The Department employs 116 full-time
employees and 4 part-time employees: 81 full-time sworn and 2 part-time sworn, and 35 full-time non-sworn
and 2 part-time non-sworn and is organized into ve primary Divisions: Uniformed Services, Criminal
Investigations, Community Services, Animal Control and, Support Services.

Fiscal Year 2024 saw the expansion of the Public Service Of cer program, placing two Civilian PSO’s in the
eld working alongside Patrol Of cers. The Public Service Of cer program is responsible for assisting citizens
on non-emergency eld calls, assisting patrol of cers, and also handling parking complaints throughout the
city. The year also saw the addition of a Drug Drop Box that allows citizens to safely dispose of unused
medications in the Police Department lobby. The Police Department also expanded its involvement in the
Special Olympics by hosting our rst Polar Plunge event at the YMCA. This event helps raise funds to sponsor
Special Olympic Athletes as they prepare and compete in the State Games.

The Department participates in regionalized teams such as the Northeast Tarrant County Area SWAT Team
(NETCAST), the Mid-Cities Drug Task Force, Combined Reconstruction and Accident Specialist of Hurst-
Euless-Bedford (CRASH), and partners with the Cities of Euless and Hurst for Mental Health and Crime
Victim resources. While the primary focus of the Department is to ensure a safe environment for residents
and businesses, several programs and services exist to address community needs and foster partnerships
with the community. Programs designed to promote positive relationships are the Citizens Police Academy,
Volunteers in Policing Service (VIPS), Police Explorers Post 2121 and the Social Media Program. Services
offered to assist the community and address challenges include the Bedford Citizen Observation Program
(BCOP), Senior Care Call Program, Safe Return Program, Santa Cops, the Safe Exchange Zone, Vacation
House Watch, the fostering program through the Animal Shelter and the Behavioral Intervention Unit.

City of Bedford, TX | Adopted Budget FY 2024-2025 Page 357