Operations Division
The Operations Division is the Department’s largest with a total of fifty (50) employees. This Division is comprised of the four Patrol squads, FTO Squad, SRO/DARE Unit, Reserve Unit and the Patrol Administrative Support Officer.
Commander Daniel Smutz
407-571-8309
COMSTAT (Computerized-Statistics)
The Operations Division conducts monthly Comstat meetings where lieutenants from Patrol, Traffic, Investigations, and Street Crimes Unit collectively meet with the Deputy Chief and Commanders assigned to the five division. During this meeting, the Department’s Crime Analyst and Intelligence Officer provide an overview of criminal statistics, crime trends, repeat calls for service, and intelligence information. Lieutenants are then required to report the activity of their respective units during the previous month and discuss strategies for the upcoming month.
Any areas showing an increase in criminal activity, traffic crashes or calls for service are identified as “hot spots”. The areas are targeted and officers and lieutenants are held accountable for decreasing activity within these areas.
Quality of Life Issues / Community-Oriented Policing Services
The department has placed a high priority on improving the quality of life in the City of Altamonte Springs. In furtherance of these efforts, officers are required to identify problems, issues, concerns, etc., and work with citizens to resolve or rectify the situation.
For example, an officer responded to a complaint regarding people failing to stop at a three-way intersection in a residential area. After speaking with the citizen, the officer discovered the road curved just preceding the intersection and that the sign was also obscured by overgrown shrubs. The officer took the initiative to have the overgrown shrubs trimmed back and also requested a warning sign be posted prior to the curve warning motorists of the stop sign ahead.
Other projects include those identified in Comstat meetings. Lieutenants frequently assign officers to meet with residents and business owners to discuss crime issues or repeat calls for service. Officers utilized Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) and Code Enforcement strategies to reduce crime and improve quality of life.
