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The Sweetwater Police Department, headed by Police Chief
Eddie Byrum is a proactive force in the Sweetwater Community.
Assistant Chief Mike Jenkins helps direct the department,
which is made up of 16 full-time officers, 11 auxiliary and
part-time officers, and 2 TIBRS certified clerks. All full-time
officers are post-certified, radar certified, CPR certified,
and required to attend 40 hours of in-service training annually,
with special instruction in their chosen fields.
Patrol Captain Gary Newman facilitates training programs,
is a child seat technician, and along with the 3 patrol sergeants,
helps direct the 12-hour patrol shifts. The department includes
D.U.I. Instructor, Brandon Cansler, Patrol Sergeant, Kevin
Watson; a domestic violence instructor, Sergeant John Brewster;
5 CPR instructors; 2 PR-24 instructors; a 5-man seasonal bike
patrol unit; and an ESU team for tactical and high-risk operations.
Sergeant Detective John Scruggs and Detective Bill Illingworth
head investigations; David Lewallen is a full-time School
Resource Officer (See picture at right). The K-9 division
hinges on SPD's drug dog, a Dutch Sherpard named Luca and
his handler, Patrolman Nick Ferrell. Sergeant Marty Kyle serves
as the Drug Officer.
Numerous educational programs include bike safety, the Eddie
Eagle gun safety program, several drug awareness programs,
and the Stranger Danger program. The detectives head up the
Fingerprint America program, which provides child identification
kits for local school children. The department also sponsors
the Explorers program, headed by Sergeant Kris King, which
trains teens and young adults, ages 14-20, who are interested
in police work.
Sweetwater
citizens make up several programs supervised by the SPD. There
are currently 9 participating Neighborhood Watch programs.
SPD has a Citizen's Police Academy, which is a 10-week training
program, held in the Spring and Fall annually, to give citizens
an inside look at the SPD. Graduates may become members of
the Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association, which is
headed by its President Beth Collins, and SPD liaison, Kenny
Wilkins. The Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association assists
the SPD with citywide functions, such as parades, festivals,
and car shows. They also assist in the organization of the
nationally award-winning "2006 National Night Out" program.
The Sweetwater Police Department is a major force in the
effort to make Sweetwater a wonderful place to raise a family.
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