Field Operations Bureau
The Field Operations Bureau includes the Northwest Patrol Division, Southeast Patrol Division, and the Special Operations Division. It is headed by a Deputy Chief of Police who is responsible for the day to day operations of the bureau. The Field Operations Bureau is the largest unit in the Department with more than 160 employees.
The Northwest and Southeast Patrol Divisions are responsible for answering an estimated 180,000 emergency calls a year in the 6 districts across the City of Wilmington. A specially formed downtown unit includes mounted, segway, bike, and boat patrol that patrols the downtown corridor along the Cape Fear River.
The Special Operations Division provides multiple services within the Bureau: Vice/Narcotics, Criminal Conspiracy Unit, FBI Gang Task Force, K-9 Unit, Special Event Planning, Traffic Unit, Bomb Unit, and SABLE - Southeastern North Carolina AirBorne Law Enforcement. These units help to implement geographic-based policing strategies throughout the city.
Support Operations Bureau
Support Operations Bureau includes the Criminal Investigations Division and the Support Services Division. It is headed up by a Deputy Police Chief who is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the bureau. This Bureau has the largest number of Civilian Support Staff. Civilian employees work in a variety of assignments, including Crime Scene Investigations, Data Entry, Telephone Response Unit, DCI Clerks, Property Technicians, Cadets and Administrative Assistants. The Support Operations Bureau lends support services to our Field Operations Bureau through: Criminal Investigations, Training, Career Development, Recruiting, Budget Purchasing, and other operational functions.
***For a better look at how the Wilmington Police Department is organized click here