The Bureau of Field Operation is the largest component of the Florissant Police Department. It includes the uniformed men and women assigned to patrol the city, providing the first line of police services. The B.F.O. is under the command of Captain Tim Lowery and is divided into three squads and one Patrol Support Unit under the direct command of a Lieutenant and/or Sergeant.
The three patrol squads each have a Lieutenant, Sergeants and Police Officers. The Police Officers are permanently assigned to seven patrol sectors that strategically dissect the city so as to provide the most efficient police patrols with the shortest possible response times. The sectors are defined based upon calls for service, the residential and business composition of the areas, and geographic factors that would impede rapid response.
The Department is equipped with three Canine Officers and their canine partners. All teams are graduates of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Canine Academy. They are highly trained in crowd control, tracking, and narcotics detection and one canine has specialized training in bomb detection techniques. The Officers are assigned regular patrol squads and are on-call 24 hours a day to assist the department and other agencies as requested.
The department has a philosophy of community oriented problem solving, intended to maintain or improve the quality of life in Florissant. Assigning the Officers to their sectors on a long-term basis allows the offices to develop a rapport with the community and a greater working knowledge of their sectors. Each Officer is expected to identify problems or needs within their sectors and they are encouraged to develop solutions and enlist the assistance of other Officers, departments, or agencies that will assist them in solving problems.
The Patrol Support Unit is comprised of Officers assigned to Traffic Safety, School Resource Officers, D.A.R.E. Officer, Neighborhood Preservation and the Crime Interdiction Unit. The Police Explorer Post is also coordinated through the Patrol Support Commander.
• Traffic Safety Officers are certified Traffic Accident Reconstructionists who investigate crashes involving fatalities, serious physical injuries, and other crashes as deemed necessary. They also conduct and coordinate selective enforcement programs and consult with highway engineers and contractors regarding traffic hazards and construction projects.
• Three Officers are assigned to a local school district as School Resource Officers. Their assignments require them to be on campus for two high schools and one middle school. These Officers assist School Security Officers, handle any criminal offenses that may occur on school property, and are available for classroom presentations as well as school staff training.
• One Officer is assigned to the elementary schools as a D.A.R.E. instructor. They are responsible for teaching the D.A.R.E. core curriculum to fifth or six grade students.
• One Officer assigned to Patrol Support is responsible as a Neighborhood Preservation Officer working with a civilian Code Enforcement Officer and a Public Works Inspector to enforce ordinance violations ranging from derelict automobiles and property code violations, to illegal dumping of toxins and pollutants.
• The Crime Interdiction Unit includes four Officers who handle special "street level investigations ranging from code violations to narcotics violations. They have been extremely valuable in working with the patrol officers to rid neighborhoods of nuisance locations.
