Patrol Operations
Assisting residents, businesses and visitors 24/7
 In 2003, the BPD switched from all white squad cars to the traditional black-and-whites.
The Patrol Operations is the largest division and the core of the Bloomington Police Department. Patrol is generally the first assignment for new officers who work uniform patrol 24/7, responding to calls for service in the city. Commander Kevin Herman oversees the Division.
- Canine Unit - Officers and dogs team up to fight crime.
- Jail Operations and Management
- Patrol districts: Bloomington is divided into five patrol districts.
- Patrol staff: The uniformed, most visible members of the department.
Canine (K-9) Unit
The Bloomington Police Department has five officers and their canine partners assigned to this specialized unit. The K-9s are assigned to Patrol Operations and handle all facets of regular patrol work, but are available for specialized work such as:
- Burglary or robbery alarms.
- All crimes in-progress calls.
- Area and building searches.
- Vehicle and narcotic searches.
- Tracking and apprehension of fleeing suspects.
- Searching for lost persons.
K-9 teams go through ongoing training to maintain and improve their specialized skills, whether it is a bomb or narcotics. Some of the dogs are cross-trained to specialize in more than one area.
Bloomington's K-9s are a unique blend of breeds. We have German Shepherds, a Malinois, a Dutch Shepherd and a Golden Labrador. When not at work, the K-9s live with their handlers and are a valued part of the family.
K-9 demonstrations and requests
Contact Sergeant Jim Ousley by telephone at 952-563-8615 or by e-mail at jousley@ci.bloomington.mn.us.
Patrol districts
Patrol staff
Our patrol officers work either 10-hour or 12-hour days. With these hours, we have five different shifts that have many overlapping hours. Even with its complexity, this schedule has provided the Patrol Division opportunity during the day to engage in more proactive activities. Our core mission will always be responding to emergency or urgent calls, but we now can use crime and call data to enhance our general patrol activities.
Many officers go out on "directed patrol" activities which vary from neighborhood traffic details to verifying addresses and activities of drug offenders. We also have many community contacts with non-enforcement details. Our officers stop at after-school programs, like the youth Galaxy Centers  , and make stops at high school events in the evenings.
The Patrol Division is the most visible to the public and they respond to a wide variety of calls. One of the most frequent calls is a medical emergency. Our officers are first aid trained and we carry oxygen and other first aid supplies in our squad cars. We also have Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) that will provide life saving intervention for heart attacks victims.
We currently have 56 officers assigned to patrol and 10 sergeants working with each of the different shifts. Officers pick their shifts every four months and also have the ability to select their favorite area. We have two patrol commanders who provide the administrative and management functions for this division. Bloomington is fortunate to have a committed, active and professional patrol division that responds to calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
For more information, contact:
Bloomington Police Department
PH: 952-563-4900, FAX: 952-563-4936
E-mail: police@ci.bloomington.mn.us
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