Divisions
The Endicott Police Department is comprised of several different divisions in order to most effectively serve Village of Endicott residents. Each division has specific assignments and duties that collectively provide a multi-faceted and highly versatile police department to serve our community.
Patrol Division
The Patrol Division is composed of 26 full-time police officers, including four (4) sergeants. Members of the Patrol Division are the uniformed officers who make-up the backbone of the department. They are the initial responders for both emergency and non-emergency calls for service. The Patrol Division is on-duty, 24 hours-per-day, every day, providing around-the-clock protection to the Village of Endicott residents, businesses and visitors.
Patrol Officers police the village in marked units, ensuring a high-visibility presence in an effort to deter crime and respond quickly to emergencies. During patrol hours, they travel the streets looking for both criminal offenses and Vehicle and Traffic Law violations when they are no responding to public calls for assistance that are assigned through the Broome County Emergency Services Communications Division Emergency 911 Center.
Within the Patrol Division, the department has five specialized units that provide service to the village and, in many instances, surrounding communities: the Bike Patrol; Bomb Squad; Canine Unit; SWAT team, and School Resource Officer (SRO).
Bike Patrol
The Department has three New York State Certified Bike Patrol Officers. Bike patrol officers are used to assist the Patrol Division in the parks, playgrounds and business districts. Bike patrols are designed to put the officer closer to and in better contact with the community, while possessing the ability to respond quickly, where needed, in his assigned patrol area. In many instances, Bike Patrols supplant the “foot patrol” or “walking beat” officers of the past, as they can do everything a foot patrol officer can, but cover much more ground. Bike Patrol officers provide a visible presence and deterrent when they want to be noticed, but they also have the capability of being much more covert in surveillance of suspected criminal activity.
Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad is the only regional hazardous devices unit that resides exclusively in the Southern Tier Region. Originally formed through a grant from IBM, the squad continues to meet the community needs and provide a fast response to industry, schools and other entities in the village and surrounding communities when suspected improvised explosive devices, old military ordinance, dangerous fireworks and other explosive or hazardous devices are located. The Bomb Squad is accredited through the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). It is a tremendous asset to the village at little to no cost to the taxpayer as it is funded through federal grants. The team trains continually to ensure proficiency.
Canine Unit
The department’s K-9 unit is currently suspended due to the retirement of one canine officer and the unexpected departure of our second officer. The immense amount of training and recent changes in New York State laws related to cannabis legalization have also contributed to the temporary suspension. Our K-9 teams are trained in Narcotics Detection and Tracking. The teams are used for narcotics interdiction during vehicle stops, pedestrian searches, search warrant executions and similar incidents. The teams also assist in the tracking and arrest of criminals who have fled crime scenes on foot, as well as the tracking and location of missing or vulnerable children and adults.
SWAT Team
Members of the department are part of the joint Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team along with our partners from the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. The team consists of tactically trained officers as well as crisis negotiators, snipers and tactical medics provided by the Broome County Office of Emergency Management. The SWAT Team is used for the mitigation and resolution of high-risk incidents such as active shooters, hostage situations, barricaded subjects posing risk to others and high-risk warrant executions. Team members train regularly to maintain peak firearms proficiency and the most up-to-date tactical skills.
Detective Division
The Detective Division handles nearly all felony level investigations occurring in the village, especially serious or violent incidents. The Division also follows-up and coordinates investigations requiring specialized training or services. While most incidents in the village can be handled by patrol officers during their regular shift or by a follow-up the next day, the Detective Division handles cases that are too time intensive to be handled by patrols, or require follow-up outside the village. Sometimes these cased take weeks or months to close.
Within the Detective Division, there are specialized units that assist and coordinate the department’s resources to make us more efficient. These units are: the Community Response Unit (CRU) and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU).
Community Response Unit
The Community Response Unit is a hybrid patrol unit using problem-oriented policing techniques. As the name implies, the unit responds to community problems that require more focus than regular patrol. The CRU is assigned specific locations or areas in the village where offenses are prevalent, or specific and recurring problems are noted that require a dedicated effort to prevent or investigate. Many times, these cases are narcotics-related. Sometimes, it is a problem offender or location in the village causing unrest or disorder on a street or in a neighborhood. Regardless of the type of issue, to that neighborhood, it’s their biggest problem and the most upsetting to residents. Accordingly, the CRU team takes an “all-hazards” approach in that no problem is too small to try to solve. CRU members adapt between uniform and civilian clothing based on what the crime is and what tasks are required to mitigate the problem.
SRO
Officer Brandon Leonard, the School Resource Officer, is a specially trained uniform officer who is assigned to the schools in the village. Though he reports to school in his uniform, he is assigned to the Detective Division to ensure proper coordination and consultation with Detectives, since many juvenile crimes end up in the Detective Division due to their nature and the processes required by the court system and other government support agencies. The SRO works at both the Union-Endicott High School and Jennie F. Snapp Middle school to assist the Union-Endicott School District in a multitude of ways. Some examples of SRO duties include: helping students in conflict resolution, restorative justice, crime awareness and anger management; providing training to school employees, educators, and parents; and assisting in building crucial relationships between the Endicott Police Department, school students and school personnel. The SRO also identifies trends and provides an early warning system to both the school district and police department when problems are emerging with a student or group of students. Another primary duty for the SRO is to assist the school district in the preparation of emergency response plants, security concerns, and physical changes in the environment that may assist in reducing or deterring crime in and around the schools. During the summertime, Christmas Holiday break, Easter break and other times when school is not in session, Officer Leonard patrols the village as part of the Patrol Division.
Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force
The Endicott Police Department participates in the multi-jurisdictional Broome County Special Investigations Task Force, which was formed for the primary purpose of investigation and apprehension of those involved in the illegal narcotics trade in Broome County. The Task Force investigates individuals and illicit organizations that manufacture and distribute illegal narcotics in Broome County. In addition to narcotics, the Task Force enforces laws related to illegal firearms, prostitution, and illegal cigarette and alcohol sales, among other things. When appropriate, the Task Force also assists regular detectives with the investigation of other crimes, such as homicides, robberies, extortion, etc. The Task Force is comprised of law enforcement officers from the Endicott Police Department, Binghamton Police Department, Broome County Sheriff’s Office and Johnson City Police Department. The specialized investigators conduct undercover operations, surveillance, search warrant entries and a multitude of other tasks that are related to their craft.
The Village of Endicott is named after Henry B. Endicott, founder of the Endicott Shoe Factory. In 1899, Mr. Endicott partnered with his factory foreman, George F. Johnson, to form the Endicott-Johnson Corporation (E-J). The Endicott community was planned by E-J and in 1906, the Village of Endicott was incorporated. Within six-weeks, the new Village of Endicott established a police force. At that time, the neighboring Village of Union (now known as the Union District) was separate from Endicott and had its own police department.