The sworn officers of the Mentor Police Department include the Chief of Police, three Captains, who command the three divisions which make up the department, four Lieutenants, nine Sergeants, and 56 basic Patrol Officers. Along with patrol officers, the department maintains eight detectives, one Crime Prevention Officer, one School Resource Officer, and four part-time Court Liaison Officers. Civilian personnel include seven full-time and one part-time Corrections Officers, 15 Communications Technicians, three Records personnel, two property/evidence technicians, a Victim’s Assistance Advocate, a research and training clerk, one part-time City Prosecutor three secretaries, and three school crossing guards.
The majority of the sworn officers are assigned to the operations division. This division is made up of the Patrol Division, the Detective Bureau, and the Chaplain Program.
Officers staff a number of special units, including the SWAT team, Bomb Squad, a Hostage Negotiations Team, K-9 team, accident investigations unit, bicycle and ATV unit, evidence technicians, and field training officers.
The Patrol operation is the backbone of the Mentor Police Department. The officers are the most visible to the citizens and visitors of the City of Mentor and are on patrol 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. Currently, the basic patrol officers are working 12-hour shifts, on a rotation that schedules them to work 7 days – or 84 hours, every 2 weeks. The officers handle all initial criminal investigations reported to the police department, traffic accidents and enforcement, patrol response to non-criminal complaints, and requests for police service. They also handle traffic enforcement duties. Community policing concepts are also employed by patrol officers in an attempt to solve problems and prevent the opportunity for criminal activity.
The Detective Bureau investigates crimes when the investigation is forwarded to them by the patrol officers. It is their responsibility to take these investigations to their eventual conclusion by identifying a suspect or exhausting all leads. The detective unit has evolved into a highly trained and specialized unit using the latest technology to assist in solving crimes. They also work to support patrol personnel in conducting investigations at their level.