Athens-Clarke County Police Department
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia. As of February 2019, Cleveland Lee Spruill Sr. was sworn as the new Chief of Police.[1] The department serves a population of more than 115,452 people.
| Athens-Clarke County Police Department | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | ACCPD |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | January 14, 1991 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Clarke County, Georgia, Georgia (U.S. state), USA |
 | |
| Map of Athens-Clarke County Police Department's jurisdiction. | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 3035 Lexington Rd. Athens, Georgia 30605 |
| Sworns | 254 (~190 working strength) |
| Civilians | 65 |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County |
| Facilities | |
| Number of Stations | 5 |
| Holding Facilities | Clarke County Jail - Clarke County Sheriff's Office |
| Vehicles | Chevrolet Impala, Ford Interceptor, Ford Explorer, Ford F-150, Ford Fusion, Toyota Prius, DJI Matrice 210 |
| Website | |
| http://www.accpd.org | |
History
During the early days, law enforcement was done by the town council members who doubled as constables in the wards where they were elected. The council members were called wardens. The sheriff of Clarke County had offices in the courthouse in Watkinsville. The area of Clarke County covered all of what is now Clarke and Oconee Counties. There were no jail facilities in Athens. In 1847 the first assistant warden was hired to aid in keeping order in the village. This system was followed during the Civil War and beyond with the exception of a brief period immediately following the war when federal troops imposed martial law. The wardens were responsible for keeping the peace and also doing other tasks such as ringing the town bell to signify meetings and deterring marble playing on the sidewalks on Sunday. The year 1871 brought substantial changes in the law enforcement community in Athens. The area that had previously been known as Clarke County was divided and the new county of Oconee was created. Athens became the county seat of Clarke County. A new courthouse building and jail were constructed on a parcel of land bounded by the Finley Street, Meigs Street, Pope Street, Hill Street and Prince Avenue. Today the only building that remains from this complex is the old jail which is located just to the right and behind Captain D’s on Prince Avenue. The county sheriff worked out of this location until the current main courthouse was constructed in 1913. The community of Athens continued to grow due to the steady growth of the University, the growth of cotton related textile industries, and the influence of the first railroad, which had reached Athens in 1841. The growth of the town necessitated the reorganization of the city government with a new city charter in 1873.
The charter provided for the collection of city taxes, a police force, and a recorder court to hear cases of local ordinance violations. The first chief of police of the new Police Force was Middleton P. Davis. Beginning with just a few members, the Athens Police Department grew with the town, and by 1920 had a force numbering approximately 23 officers. Foot patrol was the main method of operation. The force was headquartered in the old town hall and was eventually moved into the basement of the new city hall building, which was constructed in 1904. The turn of the century brought the construction of a city jail facility at the west end of Boulevard
By 1893 the population of the City of Athens had reached 10,000 people. A building boom was in progress in the downtown area. Many of the old buildings now seen in the downtown area were constructed during the period of 1880 to 1930. Electric lights, electric streetcars, and paved streets made their appearance during this period. Law enforcement in the unincorporated area of Clarke County was still the responsibility of the sheriff whose headquarters was located at the courthouse. The county jail occupied the top floor of the new courthouse.
During the period of 1930 to 1950 many developments in technology, forensic science, and transportation would impact the delivery of law enforcement services. The City of Athens Police acquired its first police car in the early 1930s. The police department began to use new methods in forensic science in the area of fingerprints, examination of evidence, and evidence collection. Mr. E. E. Hardy and Mr. Walt McKinnon are regarded as the first criminal investigators of the modern era in Athens. In the late 1940s they began the practice of fingerprinting all arrested subjects, collecting physical evidence from crime scenes, and forwarding evidence to scientific labs such as the FBI lab in Washington. The development of transportation on a national level impacted Athens as additional rail lines, regular passenger bus service, and finally air transportation would create new concerns for local law enforcement. An event in 1929 would introduce a new challenge to local law enforcement that remains an important operational concern today. The phenomenon of college football grew by major proportions during the first half of the century. Athens joined the list of cities who would enjoy the effects of this growth in the fall of 1929 when Sanford Stadium was dedicated, bringing with it the traffic problems, crowd control and crime control issues that we still confront on many fall Saturdays. The 1930s also brought the first Southern Bell Telephone Service to Athens and the first successful commercial radio station (WGAU).
By 1951 the City of Athens Police Department could boast of three radio-equipped cars, four motorcycles, and thirty-four sworn officers. The department was divided into three branches: uniform, detectives, and traffic. Perhaps no period of American History brought more changes to law enforcement than the 1960s and 1970s. The continuing explosion in technology, changes in the legal environment, and social trends and changes forced many new directions upon the law enforcement agencies of the country. A steady increase in population, urban development and incidence of crime added other pressures to the law enforcement scene in Clarke County. Prior to 1960, much of the unincorporated area of Clarke County was rural and agricultural. The 1960s brought rapid changes to this environment with the advent of new industries, retail and commercial development, and the construction of planned residential subdivisions. By the early 1970s, the rising crime rate was creating a growing concern among the county government and the citizenry of the unincorporated area of the county. Many believed that the formation of a county police force similar to others that had been organized in urban areas in the state held promise for bringing the needed improvements in law enforcement services. These concerns and the efforts of the county leadership resulted in the formation of the Clarke County Police Department in 1974. The department began its operation in a small space in the basement of the county courthouse and later occupied the old health department building at the Hill Street/Pope Street government property. Mr. Kent Lawrence was appointed as the first Chief of the Clarke County Police Department. He would provide leadership to the department until 1976 and would later become the Judge of the State Court in Clarke County. It was the goal of the County Police to bring professional law enforcement and modern crime fighting techniques to the unincorporated area of Clarke County.
The 1960s and 1970s also saw expansion and changes at the Athens Police Department. The space that had been occupied by the department in the basement of the City Hall for many years was no longer adequate to house operations. A search for a new home for the department led to a four-story building that sits on the same block as City Hall and was constructed in the 1920s by Joseph Costa and his family. Mr. Costa had operated a successful ice cream business in Athens for many years. The building was remodeled and the department moved to its new headquarters in the late 1960s. This building would serve as city police headquarters until unification.
The passage of the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Act, the mandates of Supreme Court decisions, and the growth in communications and record-keeping functions forced both the city and county police departments to organize administrative divisions to augment their operational functions. The role of record keeping, communications, training and other support functions increased greatly in importance during this era. The 1960s marked another milestone as the first African American police officers were hired by the City of Athens. Among some of the first African American officers that were hired were Clifton Freeman, James Billups, and Archibald Killian.
Accreditation and Certification
ACCPD is an internationally accredited police agency, having been the forty-third agency to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Since its initial accreditation, ACCPD has been reaccredited four times and was named a "Gold Standard Agency" in 2013.
In addition to its CALEA accreditation, ACCPD is a State Certified agency by the State of Georgia and the first agency to receive such certification from the state.
Operations
The Chief of Police, who is appointed by the County Manager, is responsible for the overall operation of the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. The Deputy Chief of Police is in charge of daily operations, which includes Uniform Patrol Division, Criminal Investigations Division, Special Operations Division, Central Communications Division, Community Outreach Division, and Support Services.
The police department operates East and West Precincts and has 14 police zones in the county.
Working Environment
Officers assigned to the Uniformed Patrol Division work fixed ten-hour shifts: Day Watch (7-5) Evening Watch (2-12) and Morning Watch (9-7)
Each shift is managed by a Watch Commander with the rank of Lieutenant, supervised by three Sergeants and consists of Senior Police Officers and Officers.
Officers are initially assigned to one of the six Uniformed Patrol Shifts after completing all training requirements established by the Career Development and Training Unit. Officers may request a transfer to a specialized unit or an alternate shift assignment at various times throughout their career.
Officers assigned to specialized units may have a condensed work schedule to include 10- or 12-hour shifts.
Specialized Units
The Traffic Unit operates from the Baxter Street Substation.
The Crime Emergency Unit is based at the Police Headquarters on Lexington Road.
The Taxi and Alcohol Licensing Unit operates out of the Fairview Street Substation.
The Downtown Operations Unit is operated out of the Downtown Substation on College Avenue.
The Centralized Criminal Investigations Unit operates out of several locations within the county.
The Communications Unit is housed in the Police Headquarters on Lexington Road.
The department also operates a nationally recognized Strategic Response Team.
Ranks and insignia
| Title | Insignia |
|---|---|
| Chief of Police |  |
| Deputy Chief |  |
| Captain |  |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant |  |
| Corporal |  |
| Master Police Officer |  |
| Senior Police Officer |  |
| Police Officer First Class |  |
| Police Officer |  |
Equipment
Officers with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department are issued all required uniforms and equipment, at no cost to the employee.
Vehicles: ACCPD uses a variety of vehicles for its operations. The primary fleet vehicle for patrol is the Chevrolet Impala. Investigators are issued more fuel efficient unmarked vehicles including Ford Fusion's and Toyota Prius's.
Firearms:
Glock 17
Remingon 870 12 Gauge Shotgun
Patrol Rifles - Authorized
Less Lethal: Taser X26P
Handcuffs: Two Pair of Hinged or Chain
Secondary Weapons: OC Spray, ASP Baton, PR-24
Body-Worn Cameras: Taser AXON-Flex officer worn cameras.
Training
The Career Development and Training Unit is responsible for training new officers as well as the continuing education of all sworn employees. New officers attend the State required Basic Mandate and an in-house New Officer's Basic Course where they are instructed on various law enforcement related topics from qualified instructors. They also must successfully complete a minimum of 16 weeks of field training during which their actions are closely monitored by a qualified Police Training Officer. Officers are required to attend a minimum of 20 hours of continuing education each year. Officers with ACCPD consistently attend well over the minimum required hours with many officers receiving over 100 hours of continuing education training per year.
Line of Duty Deaths
Officers Killed in the Line of Duty:[2]
March 22, 2011 SPO Elmer Basco "Buddy" Christian - Died from gunshots after being ambushed by a perpetrator who wounded another officer who was investigating a kidnapping.
January 16, 1985 Cpl Thomas Earl Bowles - Died as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage suffered after a vehicle chase.
November 3, 1963 Ofc Donald Moon - Died from a gunshot wound while investigating shots fired at his personal vehicle. As he pursued the offender on foot, he was shot and died at the scene.
November 29, 1936 Ofc Herman Karl Stein - Shot and killed while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect.