Patrol
Commander Sam Varela oversees the Patrol Division and is responsible for over 50 sworn officers, which includes six sergeants and six corporals.
Duties
Most likely, if you call for police assistance, an officer in a black and white police car from the Patrol Division will respond. These men and women patrol the streets 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Patrol officers work a 4/10 shift schedule and are split into a total of six watches. Watches I, II and III work the A side of the week (Sunday through Wednesday) with an identical watch schedule working the B side of the week (Wednesday through Saturday). Their duties are many, including what most would consider traditional law enforcement:
- Response to emergencies and in-progress crimes
- Conduct on-scene investigations, including fingerprinting, photography, interviewing, and interrogation
- Write crime reports documenting incidents
- Arrest and book criminal offenders
- Stop traffic violators and warn or cite the driver
- Patrol their assigned area, checking residential and business areas for illegal activity
Additional Responsibilities
In addition to all these duties, patrol officers have several other responsibilities. Castle Rock police officers work within the COPPS philosophy (Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving). Our patrol officers are assigned to specific areas for at least six months at a time.
- They are expected to get to know their area, the streets, the residents, and businesses.
- They are expected to know the criminal element and problem locations within their area.
- They are proactive and become involved in community activities and events.
- When incidents are not best solved by traditional means, patrol officers are encouraged to use unconventional problem-solving techniques such as mediation, counseling, and referral to other agencies. Solving neighborhood or community problems often requires several meetings with involved parties.
Special Details
Our goal is to work with the members of our communities to continue keeping Castle Rock a safe, enjoyable and fun place to live, work and play. So the next time you see a patrol officer, wave and say hello.
- Community Action Team
- Crisis Intervention Team
- Field Training Officers
- Honor Guard
- K9 Units
- Recruitment
The Community Action Team (CAT) is an active full-time unit specifically addressing pattern crimes at the patrol level while utilizing crime analysis products/intelligence (data-driven policing). These officers continue to conduct directed operations utilizing analytics, intelligence, and the cultivation of internal and external partnerships. They work closely with regional task forces and operate in a variety of modes including uniform patrol in marked vehicles as well as undercover operations in unmarked vehicles. Officers assigned to this unit also assist the division with case investigations and follow-up.
A Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) connects individuals suffering from mental health issues with the appropriate levels of mental health services. The goals of CIT are to train law enforcement officers in the recognition of mental illness, to enhance their verbal crisis de-escalation skills, and to provide more streamlined access to community-based mental health services.
Field Training Officers are a dedicated group of officers responsible for the training of all new police officers.
The Castle Rock Police Department's Honor Guard Unit formed in 2016. To request Honor Guard services, fill out the request form.
The K9 Unit consists of Officer Matthew Fellows and Police Service Dog Shogun.
Shogun & Officer Fellows
Officer Matthew Fellows began his law enforcement career with the Castle Rock Police Department in October 2014.
Prior to being selected as the newest member of the K9 Unit in May 2019, Officer Fellows assisted the Castle Rock Police Department as a certified decoy. Officer Fellows assisted in trainings and K9 demonstrations for three years.
In September 2019, Officer Fellows was happily joined by his K9 partner Shogun. Shogun is a Dutch Shepard who was born on January 20, 2018. Officer Fellows and Shogun are fully certified and on the streets protecting the citizens of Castle Rock.
To request a K9 demonstration, fill out the request form.
More information may be found by navigating to the Becoming a Castle Rock police officer page.
All positions are posted on our Town's website.