The watch commander is the staff officer responsible for the monitoring of street activities during a specific tour. The watch commander is supervised by the deputy chief of operations. Their authority is subordinate to persons of higher rank and to persons of equal rank responsible for a particular event or incident.
The primary function of watch commander is one of inspection, review, and to notify the appropriate person to be responsible for events which arise.
Functions:
- Review arrests to ensure the validity of charges, elements and arrest procedures.
- Receive complaints from the public about police service and remedies the issue through a district supervisor or reports to the appropriate unit for further investigation.
- Receive telephone inquiries from the public on matters of a police nature that cannot be satisfactorily addressed by another element of the department.
- Serve as liaison with judges and attorneys seeking the release of clients and causes notification of the investigative unit when the release of a felony suspect is ordered prior to formal charging.
- Inspect the headquarters building complex periodically to ensure physical security.
- Monitor ongoing activities and notifies the appropriate district commander, unit heads, assistant chief or deputy chiefs when necessary to investigate or resolve the respective issue.
- Handle routine media inquiries.
- Perform administrative tasks related to the function of the watch commanders office.
- Schedule personnel to work the office during holiday, vacation, overtime, or other required watch commander relief:
o Maintain current acting watch commander relief list.
o Notify personnel assigned to relief duty.
Updated January 14, 2019