The Operations Bureau is commanded by Deputy Chief Thomas Shaw and is responsible for providing direct police services to the public, including the protection of life and property, protection of the constitutional guarantees of all people, reduction of opportunities for the commission of crime, resolution of conflict, identification of criminal offenders and criminal activity, and apprehension of offenders.
The Deputy Chief of Operations is responsible for coordinating the response to emergency incidents and any unusual occurrences within the City.
The Operations Bureau consists of the Patrol Division and is responsible for providing general police services throughout the City of Rochester. City Patrol Divisions are comprised of four geographical patrol sections: Lake, Genesee, Goodman, Clinton, and also include the Specialized Teams and Special Events Unit.
View the interactive Patrol Division map
The Special Events Unit is responsible for assessing logistical requirements, traffic and crowd control plans, identifying potential problems and developing contingency plans as needed in the coordination and direct supervision in the multitude of community events held in Rochester each year.
The Police Lieutenant and Officer assigned to Special Events are liaisons to the City of Rochester’s Office of Cultural Affairs and Special Events that coordinates and plans for police assignment at various City events, like the Lilac Festival, Corn Hill Arts Festival, Fringe Festival, Park Avenue Summer Art Fest, Rochester International Jazz Festival, the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge, Flower City Challenge, Rochester Marathon and sporting events and concerts at the Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial, Frontier Field and Martin Luther King, Jr. Park at Manhattan Square.
Specialized Team Functions
- Bomb Squad is a specially trained and equipped team responding to incidents involving explosive devices, bombs, explosive chemicals, military ordnance and bombings. Members are trained to respond to chemical, nuclear or biological terrorist threats and conduct post-blast investigations.
- Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team is a specially trained and equipped team responding to dangerous incidents involving barricaded armed subjects, high-risk warrant execution and suspect apprehension, hostage rescue protection of dignitaries and other highly-specialized assignments.
- SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) Squad is a specially trained and equipped team responding to incidents involving underwater search and rescue, including drownings, and underwater evidence recovery within Rochester's waterways.
- Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) is a specially trained team dealing with emotionally disturbed persons in the Rochester community. Special situations include dealing with suicidal persons, psychiatric patients and persons exhibiting irrational behavior, homeless persons, various mental health issues, and other situations that deal specifically with the needs of the mental health community.
- Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) is responsible for intervention in volatile situations that may involve hostages, threats of suicide, barricaded armed subjects and other incidents where their expertise in negotiations is deemed necessary.
- Mobile Field Force (MFF) is a specially trained and equipped team providing a rapid, organized and disciplined response to civil disorder, crowd control or other tactical situations.