Dickinson Police Department (North Dakota)
The Dickinson Police Department is a small southwest North Dakota police force for the City of Dickinson. It currently employs 42 full-time sworn police officers and 20 full-time civilian employees to include dispatchers, records staff and animal control.
| Dickinson Police Department | |
|---|---|
 Dickinson Police Department patch | |
| Agency overview | |
| Preceding agency |
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| Employees | 64 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | Stark County, North Dakota, United States |
| Population | 25,000 |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 2475 State Ave North Dickinson, ND 58601 |
| Police Officers | 42 (2020) |
| Professional Staffs | 21 (2020) |
| Agency executive |
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| Facilities | |
| Detention Centers | 1 |
| Marked and Unmarked Cars | 20 |
| K-9 Units | 2 |
| Website | |
| Dickinson Police Department web site | |
Organization
There are several divisions within the hierarchy of the Dickinson Police Department. Each division is supervised by a captain.
- Patrol: The Patrol Division has 31 officers.
- Patrol Officer 20
- Corporal 4
- Patrol Sergeant 4
- School Resource Officer 3
- Investigations: The Criminal Investigations Division (CID) has 7 officers.
- Detective Sergeant 1
- Detective Corporal 1
- Detectives 3
- Narcotics Task Force 2
- Professional Staff (Non-Sworn): The Records and Dispatch Division employs 21 civilian employees.
- Dispatch Supervisor 1
- Dispatcher II 3
- Dispatcher I 9
- Records Supervisor 1
- Records Clerk 2
- Animal Control Officer 3
- Intelligence Analyst 1
- Administrative Assistant 1
- Administration: The Administrative Division of the DPD has 3 sworn officers.
- Chief of Police 1
- Police Captain 2
- Lieutenant 1
Department Rank Structure
| Title | Insignia | Positions |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of Police |  |
1 |
| Assistant Chief |  |
2 |
| Lieutenant |  |
1 |
| Sergeant |  |
6 |
| Corporal |  |
5 |
| Police Officer | 26 | |
List of Dickinson Police Chiefs
- J.E. McCoul (1900–1902)
- J.M Carroll (1902–1904)
- Pat Corbett (1904–1918)
- Jerry Hayes (1918–1919)
- William Nichol (1919–1925)
- George Nolan (1925–1937)
- Cyril Drury (1937–1942)
- Alex Wolf (1942–1946)
- Anton Zastoupil (1946–1947)
- Ernest Reiche (1947–1948)
- Matt Zabel (1948–1963)
- Gerald Barnhart (1963–1969 and 1972–1984)
- Don Ehli (1969–1972)
- Robert Webb (1984–1987)
- Henry Weber (1987–1989)
- Paul Bazzano (1989–1992)
- Duane Wolf (1992–1998)
- Gary Banyai (1998–2005)
- Chuck Rummel (2005–2011)
- Dustin Dassinger (2011–Present)
Patrol
The patrol division provides 24-hour service to the City of Dickinson. Officers are currently on 12-hour shifts and a 28-day rotation.
The fleet consists of 10 marked patrol cars and two unmarked units. Also included are two specialized vehicles used for tactical responses. The city bids for two new patrol cars each budget year in an effort to keep maintenance costs low.
Officers are required to attend an 11-week police academy held in Bismarck, ND. Upon graduation, they are placed on a 12-week Field Training Operations (FTO) program.
Equipment that DPD officers are issued include Glock 17 handguns, pepper spray, Taser X-26 devices, and AR-15 patrol rifles.
Southwest Tactical Team
The Southwest Tactical Team (SWTT) was formed shortly after the events of 9-11. Federal Homeland Security money became available. The DPD utilized the funding to purchase operator entry vests and other related SWAT equipment. Within a few years, the SWTT became a state-certified regional tactical team. This qualifies the team to receive reimbursement if they travel outside of their jurisdiction.
Calls that the SWTT have been deployed to have included armed barricaded subjects, high risk search and/or arrest warrants, dignitary protection, and other related SWAT activities.
In June 2009, the team deployed to Gladstone, ND after four fugitives from Alabama barricaded themselves in a farmstead after robbing a local movie store and a subsequent high-speed chase and shootout with the North Dakota Highway Patrol. All four fugitives were arrested after another shootout at the farmstead. The team was assisted by the West Dakota SWAT Team of Bismarck, ND.
K-9
In late 2005, the Dickinson Police Department began utilizing drug-detection canines as a part of their patrol tactics. The first dog, a black Labrador retriever named "Duke", was donated to the DPD by Becker Canines in Richardton, ND. Since then, two other labs ("Buster" and "Talon") have also been donated by Becker Canines. Narcotic K-9s are trained to detect the odor of five commons drugs; marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and ecstasy. They are also trained to track human scent and locate discarded objects, such as a murder weapon or other item.
As of 2020, the Dickinson Police Department has two active K-9 units; K-9 "Kalo" and K-9 "Norman".