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FAQ TOPICS
Administration
Where is the Police Department located?
The Police Department adjoins the Lufkin City Hall at the corner of
Third and Shepherd St.
The physical address is: 300 E. Shepherd, Lufkin Texas 75902
What are the office hours of the Police Department?
To conduct normal business needs, such as meeting with the Chief,
making deliveries, acquiring record information, meet with a
Detective, etc. the hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm each weekday.
The Police Department doors are open at all times in order for the
citizen to walk in to report a crime to an officer.
Should I call to make an appointment to speak with the Chief or
Deputy Chief of Police?
No, if the Chief or Deputy Chief are not in their office due to a
scheduled appointment, you may speak to the Chief's Secretary who
may be able to answer your question. If not, she can advise you the
time one will be back in their office.
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Alarm Billing
Are all businesses who have a burglary alarm required to have a
permit?
No permit is required, but we ask that each structure with an alarm
complete an Alarm Registration Form so that we have contact
information on file in case there is an emergency.
Are all home owners who have a burglary alarm required to have a
permit?
No permit is required, but we ask that each structure with an alarm
complete an Alarm Registration Form so that we have contact
information on file in case there is an emergency.
How much does it cost to register my alarm?
There is no cost to register an alarm, business or residential.
Why do I receive a service fee when my alarm activates?
As stated in the City Ordinance #3128, the Chief of Police or his
authorized representative is to charge for false calls when a police
officer is dispatched to a location, after the fifth false alarm per
year.
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Citizens Police Academy
What is a Citizens Police Academy?
The Lufkin Citizen Police Academy is a training program implemented
for the citizens of Lufkin who wish to experience and learn the day
to day duties and responsibilities of the Police Department.
Does it cost to attend this academy?
No, this is a service provided by the Lufkin Police Department for
anyone who lives or works within the city limits of Lufkin.
What will I learn about during the training?
During the course, class members will receive instruction in various
topics from officers and others who actually perform those job
duties. Subjects include, among others, organization and
administration, gangs, school-based programs, community policing,
patrol procedures, Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedures,
searches and the Fourth Amendment, firearms safety, district
attorney's office, and juvenile law. Class members will be required
to ride for at least 4 hours with and officer to obtain firsthand
knowledge of policing in Lufkin.
What is the Citizen's Police Academy Alumni Association?
This organization consists of past members of Citizen's Police
Academy classes since its inception 10 years ago.. This 100+ member
organization has been very proactive in supporting the Lufkin Police
Department. They have provided office equipment and a flag pole for
the South Base Office, volunteered time and services in community
affairs such as parades, fairs, and downtown activities, and are
actively involved in the annual police department toy and food
drive, just to name a few.
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Community Relations
What does the Community Relations Officer do?
Community Relations is the office that handles any information the
Police Department may share with the public. This includes
information, public relations, and informational programs. Community
Relations does all media press releases on services and programs
offered by the Police Department. They also do all news releases by
meeting with media representatives on a daily basis. The office
coordinates and schedules all public speaking programs for schools,
churches, civic clubs, and organizations, etc. Since Crime Stoppers
of Lufkin is a civilian-based program, the Community Relations
Officer is also the liaison, or coordinator, for that Board of
Directors.
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Community Policing
What is Community Policing?
Community Policing is a partnership between the people of a
community and the local police department to find new and creative
ways to reduce crime, the fear of crime, and to improve the quality
of life issues that affect the community.
What are some of the services that the Community Policing Section
provides?
Department liaison with Neighborhood Associations, liaison with
Adult and Juvenile Probation and with Adult Parole boards, liaison
with Angelina Beautiful Clean, work with Lufkin Code Enforcement and
Inspection Services, administer and enforce the Tobacco Prevention
Program are just a few of the areas that Community Policing is
involved in.
What is the Crime Triangle?
The Crime Triangle is the presence of a person (s) + location +
opportunity. Remove any one of these elements and it is impossible
for a crime to be committed. Community Policing works through
various law enforcement, business, regulatory, and community means
to affect one or more of the side of the Crime Triangle. Some
examples are, working with Probation and Parole Departments to
remove persons causing problems who are on active probation or
parole, working with Code Enforcement to remove or clean up
dilapidated houses or vacant lots, and working with residents of a
neighborhood or community to get them more active and responsible
for what happens in their area.
How do I start a neighborhood association or find out if there is
one in my neighborhood?
The easiest way is to contact the Lufkin Police Department's
Community Policing Section at 936-633-0330. With their assistance,
you can see if a neighborhood association is currently active in
your area or can assist you and your neighbors in getting one
started.
What / Who are the Police Explorers and what do they do?
The Police Explorers are a group of young persons, ages 14-20,
affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America who learn about a career
in law enforcement. The Explorers assist the Lufkin Police
Department with special events and participate in law enforcement
themed competitions with other Explorer Posts from around the state
and country. A young person interested in this program cannot have a
criminal history and must have a "C" average or better in school.
Meetings are scheduled for each Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. until
9:00 p.m.
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Crime Stoppers
How does a person remain anonymous if they call Crime Stoppers?
Callers to Crime Stoppers do not have to give their names. After
giving the information, the caller will be given a Tip Number. This
Tip Number is used as a reference for information. The caller can
call back with additional information or to find out what has
happened with the information and thy use that Tip Number as their
identifier. The information is passed on to the appropriate
investigator who uses the Tip Number as a reference for the
disposition of the information.
How does a person get paid for a Crime Stoppers tip and still
remain anonymous?
After the information given has been shown to be accurate and a case
was solved because of it, the Crime Stoppers Coordinator presents
the information to the civilian Board of Directors at their monthly
meeting. The Board approves the payment of the reward and sets the
amount. The Coordinator is given a check made out to cash for the
reward. The check, along with the Tip Number and a password, are
taken to a local bank. The caller has already been instructed to
call back to receive instructions on how to pick up their reward and
at that time they are given the location of the bank and password.
The caller goes to the bank's drive-through and gives the teller
their Tip Number. The teller sends out a slip of paper with the
reward amount, Tip Number, and blank line for the password. The
caller writes their password and sends the slip of paper back to
the teller. The teller matches matches the password with the
password given to them and sends out the reward in cash.
Why does Crime Stoppers say they will pay a cash reward of up to
$1,000?
Crime Stoppers is certified by a state office. It has long been the
rule for all Crime Stopper organizations to limit the maximum amount
to $1,000. Many Crime Stopper organizations do not have the funding
to pay more than $1,000 and, if one did, callers might refer their
information to that one organization rather than their own. There is
also the feeling that it would be unfair to have a person, say in
Lufkin, receive a $1,000 reward for information that cleared a
murder when a person in Houston might get $5,000 for giving
information clearing a similar case.
Is every Crime Stoppers reward $1,000?
No, unfortunately we cannot pay $1,000 for everything. Crime
Stoppers will pay a cash reward of UP TO $1,000. The reward is
figured on a numeric scale. Certain crimes are given a number with
the less serious low and more violent, serious high. There is also a
number value given to how much property is recovered and another on
how much drugs are confiscated. Another number value is given for
the number of people arrested and another for the number of offenses
cleared. All of these number values are added up to get a total.
Another scale equates t he total to a range of money, such as:
3.5.-3.9 equals $450-$545. If the information given falls within
this total range, the Crime Stoppers Coordinator makes a
recommendation to the Board of Directors to pay a reward amount with
this range. The Board of Directors may accept the recommendation,
deny it, or raise or lower the reward amount.
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Criminal Investigations
How many detectives are there?
There are currently six detectives assigned to the Criminal
Investigation Section, as well as a Lieutenant, a Sergeant, and a
Corporal.
What types of cases do the detectives investigate?
Lufkin Police detectives investigate cases ranging from Class "C"
Misdemeanors to Capital Murder.
What hours do the detectives work?
The investigators work Monday through Friday. Five of these
detectives work ten hour shifts beginning at 8:00am while two of
these detectives work 8:00am to 5:00pm.
How do I find out what detective is assigned my case?
Call the detectives secretary at (936)633-0335 between 8:00am and
5:00pm, Monday through Friday and give her the offense number the
responding officer gave you at the time the report was made.
Why does it take so long for a detective to take action on my
report?
Due to the heavy case load, detectives prioritize their case
assignments in order as bodily injuries vs. property damage,
therefore, the bodily injury cases will be investigated first.
After filing my report, should I contact the detective assigned
to my case?
No, the detective assigned to your case will contact you at his
earliest convenience.
Why does it take so long to arrest someone after a police report
has been filed?
Before a warrant can be obtained, statements have to be taken from
all involved parties, which include the victim(s), witnesses, and
possibly the offender. A probable cause complaint has to be
completed and presented to the Judge, who then issues the warrant.
Why do I have to give a detective a statement when I've already
told a patrol officer what happened?
Written statements are used in court as evidence.
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Dispatch / 911
What is the major benefit of having 911?
The major benefit of 911 to a citizen and public safety agencies is
the amount of time saved by the use of a common national phone
number. In some cases such as Angelina County, 911 also receives the
phone number and address from which a call is made, saving valuable
time that is crucial to successful emergency service. This is called
Enhanced 911 (E911).
When should I call 911?
To stop a crime in progress
To report a fire
To save a life
When a person or property is in danger.
You should call 911 anytime you believe there is an actual
emergency. If you are unsure, call 911 and the operator will make
the determination.
How will my call be handled by the 911 Dispatcher?
When you call 911 to report an emergency, the operator will ask you
a series of questions such as:
What is happening and where
When did this happen
Who is involved
Is anyone hurt
Other information you may need to know includes the exact location
or address of the emergency and a clear description of what is
happening. When giving locations, include nearby intersections,
landmarks, building names, floors, room numbers, etc as well as
directions to the address if possible.
Does it make a difference if I call from a cell phone (wireless)?
Yes! When you make a call from a wireless/cellular phone, the
operator DOES NOT receive the phone number and location from where
the call originated.
When making a call from a cellular phone keep in mind that you need
to know...
Your cellular phone number.
A good description of your surroundings.
Many people do not know their cellular phone number. Make sure that
you have the number written down in an easy to find location before
you call 911.
What should I teach my child about 911?
While many children are familiar with dialing 911 in an emergency
situation, they often do no know other important information, such
as their address or how to reach a parent at work. Here is some of
the most important information children need to know about calling
911.
Teach your child their parents full name, their phone number, and
home address.
Teach your child the name of your employer and phone number.
Teach you child what an emergency is and when to call 911.
Teach you child how to hold the phone and to speak loudly and
clearly to the operator.
Teach your child not to be afraid to call 911. It is for everybody
Teach your child it is against the law to call 911 as a joke or a
prank.
The Lufkin Police Department has material and personnel available
for any public education engagement for schools, civic
organizations, clubs, business, etc.
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Patrol
What hours do the officers work?
The officers work 12 hour shifts. "A" shift works from 6:00am to
6:00pm every Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and every other Saturday. "C"
shift works 6:00pm to 6:00 am the same days as "A" shift. "B" shift
works from 6:00 am to 6:00pm every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and
every other Saturday. "D" shift works 6:00pm to 6:00am the same days
as "B" shift.
How many officers are on each shift?
As of now a normal shift includes 10 officers, not including
officers working off duty assignments and other support personnel
that assist the patrol officers.
What do Patrol Officers do?
Patrol Officers are responsible for answering calls in their section
of town and assisting other officers with calls for service all over
town. Between calls officers enforce State Criminal Law, Traffic
Law, Alcoholic Beverage Law, Health and Safety Law, and City
Ordinances.
Why do I see patrol cars driving over the speed limit without
their lights and siren activated?
When responding to certain types of calls, the officer has to
consider the department's policy manual and tactical training when
deciding to use the emergency equipment. For example, when
responding to an burglar alarm the officers want to get there as
quickly and safely as possible but do not want to give their
location away to the suspect by using emergency equipments, i.e.;
lights and siren.
Do the officer have to purchase their own equipment and uniforms?
No, the officers are issued uniforms and equipment.
What firearms are the officers issued?
Officers are issued a Glock 21 .45 caliber pistol and a Remington
870 12 gauge shotgun. Some police units are equipped with Ruger
Mini-14 Rifles that were donated by a number of local businesses.
What is the Robot looking thing on top of one of the patrol cars?
This device is called a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) System. This
unique piece of equipment allows the officer to detect heat sources
which allows them to see objects in the dark. The FLIR is better
know as R2D2.
What kind of car does the officer drive?
As of this time, the officer drives the current year model Ford
"Police Interceptor" Crown Victoria. This model has a heavy duty
suspension and cooling system that allows the vehicle to run at high
speeds for an extended period of time.
Can a civilian ride with one of the officers to see what he does
during his shift?
Yes, there are two ways the civilian can participate in a
ride-a-long program. The best way is to attend the Citizens Police
Academy where one will learn about the department and be assigned to
ride with an officer during his regular shift. One may also contact
the Police Chiefs office and sign a waiver so they may be able to
ride with an officer. All ride-a-longs are subject to the approval
of the Chief of Police, the Shift Supervisor as will as the Patrol
Officer, and the "rider" must be of good moral character.
What do I do if I see an officer behind me with his lights and
siren on?
First thing, don't panic. Pull to the right lane or shoulder of the
road and let him pass. If he is attempting to stop you, he will stay
behind you and follow you to the shoulder of the road.
What do I do if I am stopped by an officer?
When you see an officer behind you activate his overhead lights,
look for a safe place to pull your car to the right hand shoulder of
the road. As the officer walks towards your car, just relax and keep
your hands in plain sight. The officer will provide you with further
instructions or requests when he makes contact with you at your
window.
Why do officers use numbers and signal codes when talking on the
police radio?
The officer uses numbers and codes to simplify what they are trying
to tell the Communications Operator. There are numbers to identify
who is talking and numbers to relay information in a concise and
clear manner.
When I listen to my scanner I sometimes hear nothing but garble
noises, what are those?
When giving out sensitive information, the Communications Operator
will activate a radio transmission scrambling device that allows
only the officers access to the information being transmitted over
the radio system.
What are the honeycomb shaped strobe lights on top of the patrol
car used for?
This device is called an Opti-Com Transmitter. An officer can
activate this device when approaching a traffic intersection, which
changes the traffic light he is approaching to green.
Does the officer have to read me my rights if I am arrested?
No, the officer is not required to read your rights unless he is
asking you to give an official statement about an offense in which
you are a suspect.
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Recruiting and Employment
How large is the Lufkin Police Department
The Lufkin Police Department employs 77 sworn officers, as well as
26 civilian employees.
What is the officer's starting salary?
Starting pay rates for the L.P.D. recruit is $31,593.84 per year.
What equipment would I need to provide to become an L.P.D.
Officer?
A strong desire to help the citizens of the City of Lufkin is all
that is required of any police recruit. The police department
furnishes all equipment, excluding footwear.
How long would I have to work patrol before I could transfer to
another section?
After an officer completes one year with the Lufkin Police
Department, he or she is eligible to transfer to any of our many
support sections. An officer is eligible to take promotional
examinations after completing two years in each of the lower ranks.
What are the benefits offered by the City of Lufkin when I become
an officer?
Some of the benefits offered by the city are:
Vacation- Accrual of 10 hrs per month, eligible to be taken after
one year.
Sick time- Accrual of 10 hrs per month.
Uniform- $40 per month for uniform maintenance.
Holidays- Seven paid holidays plus birthday off. Available upon
request and approval, depending on manpower of days requested.
Longevity- $8 per month for the number of years employed, i.e. 8 yr
equals $80.
Certificate Pay- $85.46 for each T.C.L.E.O.S.E. certificate beyond
the basic certificate.
Retirement- Twenty-year TMRS Retirement at seven-percent, matched
two to one.
Insurance- Employee receives full health insurance paid by the city,
optional insurance provided for employee's family members, paid by
employee.
How do I become a Lufkin Police Officer?
Contact the City of Lufkin Human Resources Department at
(936) 633-0228 for information on civil service testing
announcements, or contact
Det. Renea’ Cutler at 633-0362 for further
information regarding employment as a Lufkin Police Officer.
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Records and Reports
What is the primary responsibility of the
Records Division?
To maintain the case management record system of the department as
well as provide services to the police personnel and the public.
What are the regular office hours of the Records Division?
The Records Division is open to the public Monday through Friday,
8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m., except holidays.
What kind of reports are available to the public?
Vehicle accident reports and Offense Reports are readily available,
and can be released as regulated by the Texas Public Information
Act. This could mean that if the case is currently under
investigation, only part of the report may be released at the time.
Active compute scans for a particular location or street are also
available as a public service, and are handled on a case-by-case
request.
How do I go about getting a copy of a report?
Generally, reports are available the following day of the incident,
and should be asked for by either the case number issued at the
scene of the incident, or by a party's name involved in the
incident.
Am I required to buy a copy of the vehicle accident report when
involved in a motor vehicle accident?
No, If you desire to obtain a report copy for your personal files,
that is your choice. Usually the insurance company will need a copy
of the report, but whether they get it or you get it for them, is
between you and the insurance agent.
Is there a cost for the reports?
Currently accident reports are six dollars ($6) and offense reports
are two dollars ($2).
One law enforcement agency explained that I could expect the
documents in the mail in approximately two weeks. How long will it
take from the Lufkin Police Department?
Our mission statement is "To provide Effective Police Service for
the City of Lufkin". We feel that one way of making compliance to
this goal is to provide public access to the records as soon as
possible.
In most cases of record requests, the report will be made available
at the time of request, usually 3-5 minutes.
In cases where more processing, research, or manual retrieving is
involved, the packet can be mailed, if more convenient to the
requestor. Usually a request can be completed in 2-4 days.
I would like a copy of a vehicle accident report that occurred
more than 8 years ago in Lufkin. Can I still get it?
Vehicle accident reports are collected for, submitted to, and
regulated by, the Texas Department of Public Safety, headquarters in
Austin Texas. A vehicle accident report, known as a ST-3, is kept
on file locally at the Lufkin Police Department for 3 full years, a
copy can be obtained from the Texas Department of Public Safety,
where the reports are kept on file for 10 years.
Where can I get my fingerprints taken?
The police department will fingerprint any person who needs a set of
fingerprints for employment at a cost of ten dollars ($10). The
individual should report to the Records Division who then will
contact the Jailer to take the prints. Although there is no need to
make an appointment, fingerprints are taken from 1:00pm - 4:00pm,
Monday through Friday.
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Traffic Tickets and Fines
Where can I find out where to pay traffic ticket that I received
from a Lufkin Police Officer?
Although you may have received a traffic citation from a police
officer, all fines, tickets, and court costs are to be paid at the
Lufkin Municipal Court.
One may wish to visit the Schedule of Fine page.
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