Westville Police Department
editThe Westville Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency within the Town limits of Westville, Oklahoma. The Town of Westville, Cherokee Nation Indian Territory was established in 1895. Westville was incorporated into the State of Oklahoma in 1907 following state hood and was established as the County Seat. The County Seat was later relocated to Stilwell, Oklahoma. Before state Westville was located in the Going Snake District of the Cherokee Nation.
The Department consists of 11 commissioned full time and Reserve certified Officers, and 6 non-commissioned employees. Westville Police Department Dispatch serves the as primary dispatching agency for Westville Police and Fire Department, as well as the rural fire departments and emergency medical services for the northern half of Adair County.
Westville Police Department | |
---|---|
Abbreviation | WPD |
Agency overview | |
Formed | Date unknown, incorporated 1920 |
Employees | 17 |
Annual budget | $670,854USD (2023-2024) |
Jurisdictional structure | |
Operations jurisdiction | Westville, Oklahoma, US |
Map of Westville Police Department's jurisdiction | |
Size | 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) |
Population | 1,361 (2022) |
General nature | |
Operational structure | |
Headquarters | Westville, Oklahoma, US |
Police Officers | 11 |
Civilian employees | 6 |
Agency executive |
|
Facilities | |
Police Stations | 1 |
Patrol Cars | 8 |
Dogs | 2 |
Website | |
https://westvillepd.wixsite.com/website |
Operations Division
editThe Operations Division consists of uniformed patrol; special operations; traffic enforcement; dispatch operations; police aides/ assistants; investigative functions; property control; records maintenance and release; internal investigations; crime analysis; forensic services; and technical and administrative services.
Rank Structure
editRank | Insignia | Badge | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Chief of Police (Colonel) | Appointed by Town Council, as Chief of Police of the department, Responsible for overseeing department-wide operations | ||
Assistant Chief (Major) | The Assistant Chief is appointed by the Chief of Police, is responsible for assisting the Chief in overseeing the operation division. | ||
Office Manager | No insignia | No Badge | Non- Commissioned civilian employee, hold rank equivalently with an Assistant Chief. Responsible for overseeing administrative services and the Dispatch Operations. |
Reserve Captain | Reserve Coordinator is appointed by Chief of Police, is responsible for overseeing operations of Reserve Division. | ||
Insignia are worn as metal pins on the collars of a shirt and as shoulder marks on a jacket. |
- Department shoulder patch is worn at the top of the sleeve beneath the shoulder.
- Service Stripes are worn above the left cuff on a long-sleeve shirt. Each stripe represents five years of service in the WPD
Personnel
editNon-Commissioned Personnel
editPre-Qualifications for Employment of a Communications Representative.[1]
- Be a United States Citizen, or be legal to work in the United States;
- Possess a high school diploma or G.E.D. Certificate;
- Be no less than 18 years of age;
- Possess a valid driver’s license;
- Must be able to pass a criminal background check;
- Be able and available to work any shift assigned;
- Must have reliable transportation
- Possess minimal computer knowledge/skills, phone skills, people skills and the ability to multitask efficiently.
Commissioned Officers
editPre-Qualifications for Employment of a Certified/Sworn Police Officer
- Be a United States Citizen, or be legal to work in the United States;
- Possess a high school diploma or G.E.D. Certificate;
- Be no less than 21 years of age;
- Possess a valid driver’s license (must have Oklahoma DL at time of employment);
- Ability to establish residency within 15-miles of the town of Westville within 6 months after employment begins.
- Submit to a pre-employment investigation by the Chief of Police or his representatives;
- Ability to read and write the English language’
- Submit to and pass a medical exam (after job offer);
- Submit to and pass a psychological exam (after job offer);
- Submit to and pass a drug screen for illegal substances (after job offer);
- Be free of a felony record;
- Be able and available to work any shift assigned;
- Must be or be able to become CLEET certified within a timely manner; including being able to pass all physical requirements and agilities as required by CLEET to become certified in the state of Oklahoma).[2]
Chief of Police
editScott Mitchell is the Chief of Police for Westville Police Department, having been appointed in December of 2016. The Chief served as an Officer of the Westville Police Department since 2009, until 2015 when he was appointed as Assistant Chief. As Assistant Chief he oversaw the day to day operations of the department.
Previous to law enforcement, Mitchell worked as a grocery store manager. It was in 2004 that he became interested in law enforcement and became a reserve officer in Haskell County, OK. Knowing that this was his calling he became a full-time certified officer through Oklahoma’s Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) program.
In 2015, Mitchell became a certified K9 handler and Police K9 Officer Farris joined him in team to combat narcotics that negatively impact the community’s well-being. Chief Mitchell attends multiple training sessions a year to ensure he stays abreast of new narcotic situations that may arise.
He is trained in multiple areas to include, but not limited to; evidence based sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking suspects and victims, active shooter response, interdiction, etc. He is taser certified, with a vast understanding of the effects of the neuro‐muscular incapacitation, medical and safety information, and risks associated with the use of a taser, and O.C. certified for the use of defense pepper spray.
Chief Mitchell is dedicated to providing the community with the up-most service, protection, and assistance. He strives to ensure officers of the Westville Police Department are properly trained and equipped with the knowledge and tools to complete their duties and be a positive enforcer in the Town of Westville that others should choose to emulate.[3]
Specialized Units
edit- Canine Unit, Call sign "King Unit''
- K9 Officer Farris
- K9 Officer Harry
- School Resource Officer (SRO)
Equipment
editVehicles
editFirearms
editEnergy Conductive Weapons
editBody Cameras
editLine of Duty Deaths
editOn the evening of Friday, Feb. 25th, 1927, Adair County Officers were conducting a search for prohibition violators. Around 8:45pm., Officer Thomas Rather and Deputy J.W. Duke approached a car parked near the ballpark in Westville. The car was occupied by two men and a woman, Marion Jewell, Jack Robbins and Mrs. Oma Kirk. As Officer Rather began questioning Jewell when he got out of the car and shot Rather once in the right side of the chest. He died half an hour later after he name Jewell as the man who shot him.
Jewell escaped from the scene but was captured around 9pm the next night. Rather and other officers had confiscated illegal liquor from Jewell's home and arrested him two months earlier. Jewell admitted the murder to the Attorney's Office. Jewell was sentenced to death for the murder of Rather, but his sentence was later commuted to life in prison.
Officer Rather had been with the Westville Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife Lillie and eleven children.
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ "Employment Opportunity". website. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Employment Opportunity". website. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Chief of Police". website. Retrieved 2023-12-20.
- ^ "Officer Thomas Henry Rather". The Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP). Retrieved 2023-12-20.