Uniform Services

The Bike Unit was formed in 1995 and currently consists of 1 Lieutenant and 18 Officers. The Bike Unit works civic events, directive patrol and patrols the downtown area. You may see the Bike Unit working any one of the many civic events hosted in the Abilene area including parades, West Texas Fair and Rodeo, and monthly at the downtown "Art Walk." 

Patrolling

The Bike Unit may be deployed in a directive patrol anywhere an identified problem exist, such as an area of town experiencing a rash of burglaries or in the mall area during the holiday season in an attempt to prevent motor-vehicle burglaries. Patrolling via bikes has proven to be very successful and a valuable public relations tool. One of the great things about policing on bikes is that Officers can be highly visible when needed or extremely stealthy, too.

The Abilene Police Department (APD) Bomb Squad serves a 21-county area surrounding Abilene and is made up of five certified bomb technicians. Each is first certified in a one-week Hazardous Material Technician course followed by an intense 12-week Hazardous Devices School in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Mission Statement

To intervene on the behalf of the public, APD officers, and outside agencies in the safe handling, disarming, and recovery (evidence) of explosive, suspicious or hoax devices.

Hazardous Devices School

The Hazardous Devices School is taught jointly between the United States Army and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). All members of the Bomb Squad also serve in other areas of the department full time. The Bomb Squad carries equipment with them on most calls to include:

• An Andros F6A robot
• 2 EOD-8 bomb suits
• 2 search suits
• An X-ray system
• Several disruptors
• Numerous hand tools and power tools

24 / 7 Service

The bomb squad is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The Tactical Team is made up of the (Special Weapons and Tactics) (SWAT) Team, Hostage Negotiations Team (HNT) Team, and Fire Medics. The team works together as one unit to handle high-risk enforcement situations such as hostage situations, suicidal subjects and high-risk search warrants. The goal of the team is always the protection of life.

SWAT Team

The SWAT team is a part-time unit comprised of officers from various divisions and sections of the department. SWAT members are on call 24/7 and maintain the highest level of physical fitness. The team trains every week on a variety of situations which include physical shooting scenarios, dynamic entries, building clearings, and tactical weapons education. The SWAT Team provides security for visiting dignitaries.

Hostage Negotiations Team

The HNT is a part-time unit made up of six Officers. The officers come from various divisions and sections of the department. They perform HNT activities in addition to the regular duties of their respective assignments. 

Each member is a volunteer and receives specialized training to be qualified as a negotiator. HNT members receive 40 hours of negotiation-specific training yearly as well as all other training required as a peace officer. HNT responds with SWAT when called for barricaded subjects as well as any situation which may involve hostages.

Fire Medics

The Fire Medics train weekly with the SWAT Team and respond to all SWAT calls. The Medics are full-time firefighters and are paramedic trained. They are there to provide immediate lifesaving treatment for injured SWAT members or citizens.

The Patrol Division is the most visible of all divisions within the Police Department. The Division comprises two-thirds of the Department’s complement of sworn officers and serves as the first responder to almost all citizen calls for service.

Mission Statement 

The Patrol Division is dedicated to protecting the freedoms of our citizens through an effective, compassionate response to calls for service and proactive problem-solving.

It is the goal of the Traffic Division to make Abilene’s streets and highways safe for the motoring public through focused enforcement programs and effective problem identification and problem-solving techniques. Additionally, the Division strives to improve appearance and safety issues resulting from abandoned and junked vehicles in the roadway city-wide.

Mission Statement 

We exist to serve the citizens of Abilene and improve the safety of our community by consistent and fair collision investigation and traffic enforcement.