Department Overview And Philosophy
Department Overview
The Lindsay Department of Public Safety is comprised of 19 sworn police officers. This includes the Director of Public Safety, two administrative lieutenants, 4 sergeants, and 12 patrol officers. The Department also employs on a full time basis, one police and fire dispatcher, a records clerk, a records supervisor, and one Code Enforcement Officer.
The Department of Public Safety utilizes fuel efficient Toyota Highlander Hybrid marked patrol vehicles. All of these vehicles were purchased with the assistance of a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture. The Department of Public Safety has (3) Fire Engines and (1) Ladder Truck for aggressively fighting fires.
The Department of Public Safety has (4) Police K-9’s patrolling the City of Lindsay. All four K-9’s are Belgium Malinois breed and are named Riddick, Riley, Kosmo and Reno. These service dogs are trained in obedience, protection, and searching. The Department of Public Safety maintains a Tactical Entry Team which specializes in utilizing advanced officer tactics and weaponry.
Anyone interested in becoming a Public Safety Officer with the Lindsay Department of Public Safety should have already attended a P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement academy. After they are hired by the City of Lindsay, their law enforcement education is continuous and ongoing. New officers will receive 16 weeks of intensive training with a field training officer through a field training program. Once they complete their field training program, officers generally receive training through the department or are sent to outside agency schools, such as DUI, traffic accident investigation, narcotics investigation, or sexual assault investigation, just to name a few. The officer then receives in-house firefighter training to become a true Public Safety Officer.
Patrol officers patrol an area comprised of 2.8 square miles. Their duties are to respond to calls for services, traffic enforcement, crime suppression through directed patrol and many other duties atypical of larger departments. The Lindsay Department of Public Safety does have a specialized investigative unit. A patrol officer is responsible for all traffic on his or her beat. This includes anything from a minor vandalism investigation to a burglary. This makes Lindsay police officers some of the most well rounded law enforcement officers in the state.
Anyone interested in any information not listed above may contact the Director of Public Safety, Rich Wilkinson at (559) 562-2511, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m., PST.
Department Philosophy
The Lindsay Department of Public Safety incorporates a fire department and a police department into one organization. This is unique within California as there are only four other cities in the state doing so. Both fire and police services take direction from the Director of Public Safety.
The current authorized strength of the Public Services Division is 18 sworn personnel who are responsible for multiple disciplines within the Public Safety Department. The Public Safety Officers are cross trained in police services and fire fighting techniques. The Public Safety Officer is unique in that on any given day they are called upon to perform police services, fire services and animal control services. This consolidation allows the department to expand its services to the community and utilize its resources in an efficient manner.
The Lindsay Department of Public Safety strives to achieve excellence in all areas of public safety. All staff, sworn law enforcement and civilian support, make every effort to provide the City of Lindsay with the best public service possible. Public Safety Officers provide services in a professional and ethical manner. Through proactive fire protection and crime prevention, the citizens of Lindsay can feel secure in the knowledge that their families and property are protected twenty four hours a day.
The Department fulfills its commitment to the children of the community through a partnership with the Lindsay Unified School District, McDermont Field House, and the Tienken Academy. Providing service to the citizens of Lindsay is the most important function of the Lindsay Department of Public Safety, and shall remain so, well into the future.
Anyone requesting information about the Lindsay Department of Public Safety should direct their questions to the Director of Public Safety Rich Wilkinson at (559) 562-2511.