DETENTION

In conjunction with state and local guidelines, the Stillwater Police Department (SPD) supplemented its ranks in 1997 through the addition of five, full-time Detention Officers. The City jail itself is comprised 26 overall cells; 3 holding cells, 14 Men's and 6 Women's cells.  Ultimately, under the supervision of Lt. John Irons, the Detention Officers' primary responsibilities are to:

• Coordinate the processing/handling of all city prisoners
• Facilitate the management of all other aspects of the city jail
• Provide support/resources to Patrol Officers and other departments

Upon their employment, SPD's Detention Officers completed 120 hours of classroom training in the form of lectures and demonstrations, during which time they learned: departmental policies/procedures; fingerprinting techniques; report writing; and basic self defense. Furthermore, each Detention Officer is required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of in- service training each year. Some of these specialized topics include:

• Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation/First Aid
• Suicide Prevention
• State Jail Inspector's Class
• Custody Control

Currently, the Detention Officers work a minimum of 40 hours per week; two officers are assigned to Day shift (0700-1500), a third is assigned to Evening shift (1500-2300), a fourth is assigned to Night shift (2300-0700), and the fifth is assigned a "swing" shift, in order to cover days off and/or sick/annual leave. Although this schedule rotates (to some degree) every six months, it does provide for the minimum staffing requirements of at least one Detention Officer on duty, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Handling the city's prisoners effeciently and effectively is how our jail staff operates, although it is certainly no easy task. Since their inception, SPD's Detention Officers have handled and processed an average of over 150 prisoners per month. To begin, the jail staff completes the entire procedures involved in both, prisoner intake (booking) and release (processing). Following the mandated guidelines, they are also responsible for providing each individual prisoner: any/all phone calls allowed; adequate supervision (the minimum of hourly jail checks); appropriate bedding, clothing, and/or medical attention (i.e. medications and/or first aid); and all meals. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of all their duties and responsibilities.

Our Detention Officers also provide a great deal of support and resources within SPD and other local agencies. Specifically, within the department and along with their actual jail/prisoner responsibilities, the Detention Officers:

• Maintain complete, accurate, and detailed prisoner logs/records
• Take non-criminal reports
• Process the release of impounded vehicles
• Complete a voluminous amount of data entry

Essentially, the Detention Officers provide a safe, compliant, and professional jail service, not only for SPD, but also for those we incarcerate. By providing this level of service, in the proficient manner that they do, SPD's Detention Officers help maintain our ultimate goal of keeping Patrol Officers on the street and our detainees safe and secure.