Southlake Police Department – Top Things to Know

Southlake Police Department

Did You Know? …

The Southlake Police Department is proud to be a nationally accredited law enforcement agency and one that adheres to the core values of the City including: Integrity, Innovation, Teamwork, Accountability and Excellence. 

The department holds the Gold standard in Accreditation ‘with Excellence’ from CALEA. That means the department is a top rated agency and in compliance with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies best practices standards and has maintained that status for fifteen years. It also means that Southlake residents live in one of the safest cities in the country.

Part of our strategy as a transparent organization is to reduce crime; reduce the fear of crime; and enhance public safety through a strong collaborative partnership with our citizens, business leaders and volunteers.

These goals are accomplished through various strategic measures that include, but are not limited to:

• Achieving the highest standards of safety and security through ongoing police accreditation and leadership training; and by providing officers and staff with the best equipment to perform their professional duties.
• Providing excellent customer service to its citizens.
• Managing traffic mobility within the City through the Office of Traffic Management.
• Maximizing crime prevention strategies through public education and community partnerships.
• Delivering clear, accurate information to our citizens through direct contact as well as utilizing social media including: DPS Facebook, DPS Twitter, City of Southlake website, My Southlake News and emergency alerts through the City’s Connect CTY robocall system to engage and communicate with our citizens.
• Utilizing our active volunteers including; COPs – Citizens on Patrol and VIPs – Volunteers in Policing who are a tremendous asset to the department, the City and the citizens of Southlake.

Police Chief James Brandon says, “Our department strives to achieve excellence in everything we do. We accomplish our goals by strategically focusing our efforts on maintaining a safe and vibrant community and being responsive to the needs of our citizens.”

The police department’s focused mission and efforts have resulted in a reduction in crime in the City of Southlake over the last three years.

     CRIME REDUCTION:

• Auto burglaries – decreased by 33%
• Residential burglaries – decreased by 39%
• Accidents – decreased by 13%
• Thefts – decreased by 4%    (**Source: Uniform Crime Report)
• Police officers also perform more than 100+ neighborhood checks and business checks daily

SLPD is proud to have a clearance rate for property crimes that is higher than the national average. Year-to-date UCR information for 2015 indicates a clearance rate of 88.88% for crimes against persons (national average is 48-60%) and 36.26% for property crimes (national average is 19.7%).

The significant drop in property crimes is a trend the police department continues to maintain through the unique partnerships between our citizens and volunteers who play a vital role in our efforts to decrease crime. These programs can be found on our Police Department website and include:

• The District Sergeants Program – Residents can speak directly to the District Sergeant assigned to their area – either to help resolve an issue or to provide crime prevention tips to Home Owners Associations (HOAs).
• Take Me Home Program – The Southlake Police Department recently launched the ‘Take Me Home’ The program is designed for Southlake families who have loved ones with special needs. Family members or caretakers can fill out a ‘Take Me Home’ form for their loved one if they were ever found lost or wandering SLPD would have the information on hand to be able to help take them home. You can find the ‘Take Me Home’ form and more information on our City of Southlake website. 
• Exchange Zone – The police department offers a 24/7 video surveillance ‘safe zone’ for citizens to use for child custody exchanges, as well as the exchange of items bought or sold by individuals. The parking spaces are located on the southeast corner of DPS Headquarters in the last two parking spaces on the far right row on Division Street.
• House/Vacation Watch Program – Residents can notify the police department to have their home placed on special police patrol while they are away.
• The Holiday Crime Initiative – The police department steps up patrols and increases security measures during the holidays; works to maintain traffic mobility; and reminds residents and visitors to adhere to Hide, Lock, Take program to keep their valuables safe.
• Hide, Lock Take Campaign – Working with the public to remind them to “Hide their things, Lock their car and Take their keys” resulting in a significant drop in vehicle burglaries.
• Public Education and Safety programs – This includes CPR training, checking and installing child car seats for safety and proper installation, National Night Out and more.

This school year marks the third year for the Southlake Police Department to have a School Resource Officer (SRO) on every school campus in the Carroll Independent School District (CISD). The SROs are there to assist students, teachers and parents when classes begin as well as throughout the school year.

SROs not only provide an added layer of security on each campus but they also provide students with opportunities to learn valuable life lessons. They are positively impacting kids through anti-bullying, Internet safety, and cyber-bullying messaging. SROs also teach age-appropriate lessons such as anti-drug and alcohol messages. They also serve as positive role models and help to educate students on the importance of good decision-making and the consequences of negative behavior. We hope that you will look for opportunities to meet your child’s School Resource Officer.

From the classroom to Main Street, Southlake residents can feel very confident knowing that they live, work and play in one of the safest communities in the country – and that is due in large part to the City of Southlake and the Police Department’s commitment to public safety and excellence in customer service.

If you have questions, comments or would like to discuss any of the information presented here, we invite you to contact the Office of the Police Chief at (817) 748-8114. And as always, thank you for your continued support. Be sure to follow us