Police Operations
The Operations Division, the largest segment of the police department, consists of all the uniformed officers you see patrolling the streets.
Lieutenant John Blackmon commands the patrol operations division.
Patrol Division
The Patrol Division consists of four squads, which work 12 hour shifts. Each squad is commanded by a Sergeant who works as liaison between the officers and the command staff.
The Patrol Division is the backbone of the Police Department. They are the uniformed officers who provide the first line of defense for the public's safety. The officers are divided into four patrol squads consisting of a Sergeant and a team of patrol officers. The squads are assigned to work twelve hour tours.
The Patrol Division is charged with the enforcement of all Criminal Laws, Motor Vehicle Laws and City Ordinances. To this end, the Patrol Division's Officers conduct speeding enforcement with radar, investigate motor vehicle accidents, detect impaired drivers, identify narcotic law violations, handle domestic violence calls, conduct random patrol in marked patrol cars, patrol various areas of the City on foot and bicycle, and participate in our Community Policing programs. When you call for help, these Officers are the people that come to your aid.
Canine (K-9) Teams
The K-9 Unit of the Hanahan Police Department consists of an officer/canine team. Currently, we have one German Shepherd, Shadow, which is considered a "Dual Purpose" dog in that he serve as a patrol dog as well as detect illegal drugs.
Our dog is used in a variety of different ways. In addition to detecting drugs, the dog is able to track suspects, find missing persons, retrieve items such as guns and knives discarded by a fleeing criminal, search large buildings for intruders, perform demonstrations for schools and protect their handlers.
Before becoming a handler, an officer endures a physically and mentally exhausting training course. In six weeks, the officer has to learn how to care for his new partner, learn how to read the dog's body language, master voice and hand commands and give first aid. Many long hours are spent in the woods and the fields honing the new teams skills. Laws concerning search and seizure and the use of police canines are also addressed in depth. Weekly training takes place to keep the team's skills sharp.
There is generally at least one canine team on duty every day during peak hours of activity. There is always one canine team on call 24-hours a day to assist the patrol division or another agency. When not on duty, the dogs are not kept in kennels or pens. Instead, they live with their handler and become a member of the family. Officers are compensated for the time they must devote on their "day off" for the care of their "partner".Â
Traffic Safety Unit
The Hanahan Police Traffic Safety Unit is dedicated to promoting and improving traffic safety through education, analysis and enforcement. The two officer Traffic Safety Unit participates in Selective Traffic Enforcement and education programs for schools and civic organizations. The Traffic Safety Unit also utilizes a Radar Reader Board as speed reduction tool.
The Hanahan Police Traffic Safety Unit is a full time team based within the Patrol Division. It consists of two traffic officers. Each traffic officer has been trained in accident investigation and has attended schools sponsored by the Institute of Police Technology Management. Each traffic officer operates a fully equipped traffic vehicle containing specialized collision investigation equipment.
The duties of a Traffic Officer varies. The Officers main function is to investigate all serious or fatal motor vehicle collisions. In addition, the Traffic Officer also participates in Selective Traffic Enforcement and education programs for schools and civic organizations.
The Traffic Safety Office was established within the Police Department to provide varied but essential functions. Among these are:
- Investigation of serious or fatal motor vehicle collisions
- Enforcement of motor vehicle laws
- Surveys of dangerous intersections and other locations
- Training and education of Police Officers
- Education of the public
Investigation of serious and Fatal collisionsÂ
In the event there is a serious collision, a member of the Traffic Safety office will respond and take charge of the investigation. This Officer has the experience, training and equipment available to do a thorough and complete investigation.
Enforcement of motor vehicle lawsÂ
Officers are assigned to locations where there have been a high rate of motor vehicle problems in order to enforce the laws.
Education of the publicÂ
Officers of the Traffic Safety Office are available to speak to any school, church, or other civic organization on any topic related to motor vehicles or collisions.
A large part of the time of a Traffic Officer is spent on public related services and not on just writing tickets.
The Department will furnish an Officer to speak to your group on various traffic related issues. Among the recent topics have been: Driving While Intoxicated; Drive Alive at 55 (mature drivers); Bike Safety; Pedestrian Safety and Child Safety Seats.
Selective EnforcementÂ
Although we all know the motor vehicle laws, there are some people who just won't listen. If your street has people who constantly speed, drive carelessly, or possibly don't stop for the sign at the corner, contact the Department and your street can be added to our Selective Enforcement program. These areas get close attention from our patrol officers.
Reserve Officer Program
The Hanahan Reserve Officer Program supplements the resources of the Patrol Division with unpaid volunteers.
The purpose of the South Carolina Reserve Officer Training Program is to provide participating South Carolina law enforcement agencies with a training delivery system consisting of accredited instructor support and training content which conforms with the requirements of the South Carolina Reserve Officer Law (Chapter 28, Title 23, Code of Laws of South Carolina of 1976 as amended).
The Reserve Police Officer Program is comprised of non-paid, volunteer individuals who are sworn police officers with full arrest powers. Some Reserve Officers use the program to begin their police career while finishing school or completing a military commitment and hope to be hired as a full time officer. Others have no interest in becoming a full time officer but want to serve their community and have always been interested in law enforcement. Many former full time officers have moved on to other careers but remained a reserve officer to maintain their involvement in police work.
Reserve Police Officer candidates are subject to the same hiring procedure as a candidate for a full time position. Reserve Officers, however, are not required to go to the Criminal Justice Academy for nine weeks of training. Reserve Officers, after they are hired, attend training at a local agency and are taught Academy approved classes by certified law enforcement instructors and local attorneys. The reserve officer class is sixty hours in length and meets one to two nights a week. After graduation, Reserve Officers must successfully complete "Field Training" just like their full time counterparts. After accumulating one hundred hours of duty time, a Reserve Officer may be assigned to solo patrol if he/she desires. A minimum of twenty hours a month of on-duty time, or sixty hours a quarter, must be accumulated for a Reserve Officer to maintain certification. The Officer also attends a "Legal Update" once a year to maintain a current understanding of the law.
For a small agency such as ours, the Reserve Officer Program helps put more officers on the street at a minimum cost. The Hanahan Police Department is proud to have these dedicated volunteers who serve this community for no compensation other than for their own personal satisfaction.
Bicycle Patrol Unit
The Bicycle Patrol Unit is comprised of specially trained patrol officers who in their off-duty hours patrol neighborhoods and shopping plazas on bicycles to ensure the safety and security of citizens and shoppers.