The Operations Division is comprised of all patrol, specialized and investigative units of the Police Department. The Operations Captain leads three Lieutenants who manage dayshift and nightshift patrol, the Street Crimes Unit, Criminal Investigations Unit and Special Investigations Unit.

The Dayshift Patrol Lieutenant oversees two patrol squads, the Traffic Unit and our Community Services Unit (School Resource Officers, Animal Control, Watercraft and Special Events, Neighborhood Watch and our Volunteer Program).

The Nightshift Lieutenant oversees two patrol squads, the Street Crimes Unit and the SWAT team.

The Investigations Lieutenant oversees the Criminal Investigations Unit (General crimes including crimes against persons and children, property crimes, financial crimes and other incidents requiring in-depth investigation) and the Special Investigations Unit (Narcotics and vice).

PATROL BUREAU

The function of the patrol bureau is the protection of the lives and property of the citizens of Lake Havasu City, maintaining the public order, preventing and deterring crime through uniformed appearance and responding to calls for service.

The patrol bureau is made up of four patrol squads of officers who are supervised by four sergeants.  The Traffic Unit, Community Services Unit and the Street Crimes Unit also fall under the Patrol Bureau. The Patrol Bureau has a day shift watch commander (Lieutenant) and a night shift watch commander (Lieutenant). The patrol officers engage in a wide variety of activities such as crime prevention, responding to calls for service, investigation of crimes, traffic accidents and direction, maintaining public order, emergency services, development of good relationships with citizens, and reporting to appropriate entities. Patrol officers shall thoroughly investigate and document incidents, and arrest violators for violations of city ordinances and state statutes. The patrol bureau is considered the front line of the Police Department and is the only function, other than The Dispatch Center, that is working 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

TRAFFIC UNIT

The Traffic Unit ensures safe roadways for the citizens of Lake Havasu City by reducing traffic crashes through engineering, education and enforcement.

The Traffic Unit consists of a sergeant, two traffic officers and three motor officers.

STREET CRIMES UNIT

The Street Crimes Unit (SCU) is a proactive policing unit which monitors crime trends and investigates street level criminal activity. They also monitor all city liquor licenses and liquor establishments.

Members of SCU also liaise with school/youth officers and assist with youth and gang issues as they arise. They also liaise with other law enforcement agencies including Probation, other Police Agencies, and Immigration Officials and assist in locating and arresting wanted persons.

The Street Crimes Unit is under the direction of a sergeant.

COMMUNITY SERVICES UNIT (CSU)

The Community Services Unit consists of a sergeant that supervises 3 boating officers, 2 School Resource Officers, and a Neighborhood Watch Coordinator.

The boating unit patrols the Bridgewater channel and several miles of shoreline within Lake Havasu City. The boating officers work closely with other law enforcement agencies in the area that include the Mohave County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Arizona Game and Fish Department.

SCHOOL RESOURCES OFFICERS (SROs)

SROs cover law related issues that occur at any school within Lake Havasu City. The SROs utilize both proactive and reactive community policing methods in dealing with educational institutions. The SROs foster a positive relationship with students and staff in order to further the goals of the police department and educational institutions.

ANIMAL CONTROL UNIT

This unit provides the residents of Lake Havasu City with professional animal control services. The unit consists of two Animal Control Officers supervised by a sergeant.

What we do:

• Animal pick-up including dead animals
• Animal bite reports and quarantines
• Animals running loose (dogs/livestock) not cats
• Investigate animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect
• Investigate unsanitary premises or animal fecal matter
• Investigate animal violations/restrictions

Animal Control does not pick up owned animals, except for bite animals that need to be quarantined.  We can pick up stray dogs or dogs running loose. If you need to turn in your dog or cat, please take it to the Western Arizona Humane Society and turn it over in person. You can also find a rescue group to accept your animal. Please call the non-emergency line of the police department if you need assistance from Animal Control.

If it is an emergency, please dial 9-1-1.

The Neighborhood Watch Coordinator oversees the Neighborhood Watch Program, which consists of all residents who are part of the 130 watch groups within Lake Havasu City.

INVESTIGATIONS BUREAU

The Investigations Bureau encourages cooperation, communication, and coordination, to accomplish the department mission of Ensuring a safe and secure community.

• Investigation of reported crimes through identification techniques.
• Apprehension and conviction of offenders.
• The recovery and return of stolen property.
• Conducting follow-up and investigation of serious crimes.

The Investigations Bureau is commanded by the Investigations Lieutenant, who is responsible to the Operations Captain. The bureau is comprised of two units each of which is under the direct supervision of a sergeant.

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (CIU)

The Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU) investigates a wide variety of crimes including: homicides, aggravated assaults, sexual offenses, child-related crimes, fraud, burglary, and theft. This unit is also responsible for investigating unattended deaths and missing persons, as well as officer involved shootings in neighboring cities. Detectives assigned to the CIU receive extensive training in their assigned specialties.

CRIME SCENE SPECIALIST

The Crime Scene Specialist (CSS) responds to crime scenes to document, locate, and recover evidence through a variety of methods; including fingerprinting, photography, crime scene reconstruction, and gunshot trajectories. The CSS is an integral member of the Investigations Bureau and provides valuable support to detectives investigating major crime incidents in Lake Havasu City. When called upon to do so, the CSS may provide expert testimony in court proceedings. In addition to attending ongoing training, the CSS is responsible for the acquisition of both standard and specialized forensic science equipment that enhance investigative capabilities.

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT (SIU)

The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is primarily responsible for investigating narcotic and prostitution-related crimes. The SIU is part of the Mohave Area General Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET) task force and collaborates with other Mohave County law enforcement agencies to suppress illegal sales and distribution of controlled substances on a regional and national level.

PROPERTY/EVIDENCE

The Property and Evidence Unit shall maintain secure storage and control of all property necessitating custody by the Department. The Property and Evidence Technician reports to the Professional Standards Unit Sergeant and is responsible for the security of the Property and Evidence Room.

HOURS OF OPERATION

• Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Except holidays)

Appointments are preferred.

HOW TO CLAIM PROPERTY

Property - Items taken or recovered in the course of an investigation, including photographs and latent fingerprints, that are held for use in a judicial or administrative proceeding.

Evidence - Items taken or recovered in the course of an investigation that may be used in the prosecution of a case. This includes photographs and latent fingerprints. The property unit is unable to return items listed as evidence without the authorization of the case officer or a disposition from the City or County Attorney.

Safekeeping - Storage of property, other than evidence, having any value and that belongs to a known individual. To claim, provide your property receipt or other proof of ownership, the police report number along with a current government issued photo identification.

Found property - Property turned over to the Department where the owner may or may not be known and that has no apparent evidentiary value. To claim, provide proof of ownership along with a current government issued photo identification. Found property may be returned to the finder, if requested. Found property is held for 30 days.

SPECIAL UNITS

SEX OFFENDER TRACKING

The Lake Havasu City Police Department's Sex Offender Registration & Compliance detail is overseen by the Criminal Investigations Unit.

This detail is one of many essential components of the police department's commitment to public safety. Members of CIU have received advanced training in the investigational processes of managing registered sex offenders who reside within the jurisdiction of the Lake Havasu City Police Department. Team members contact offenders at various, and unannounced times throughout the year to update information, obtain current photographs, and identify indicators suggestive of re-offending behavior.

In an effort to provide the most modern and effective awareness information to our community, the Lake Havasu City Police Department has developed a specialized offender webpage.

The Police Department has developed various community notification methods, which include distributing awareness fliers on all Level II and III Offenders who reside in the community. The sex offender tracking detail has developed a school protection program, which provides offender informational booklets containing updated photographs of offenders, all of which are provided to educational institutions. This effective detail is essential to the Police Department and the community. A community empowered with knowledge is better equipped to protect themselves and their families.

SWAT TEAM

The Lake Havasu City Police Department’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) is a team of specially trained police officers, which will respond to any incident where special weapons and tactics are needed within the city or other jurisdictions as authorized by the Chief of Police. 

The unit consists of highly trained personnel with specific skills in the areas of marksmanship, tactical response and containment, emergency medical response, and hostage/crisis negotiations.  LHCPD SWAT is under the direct supervision of a unit commander and a team leader.

The purpose and intent of LHCPD SWAT is to serve as a specialized, flexible and mobile unit, activated to assist the department in the containment, de‑escalation and ultimate control of all situations beyond the capabilities of today’s police officer.

DIVE TEAM

The Lake Havasu City Police Department Dive team consists of seven sworn officers with one being a master scuba dive trainer, who is responsible for all training and the proper execution of all dive missions. Each member of the team is required to complete advanced open water certification through one of the world recognized training programs of PADI, NAUI, or SSI. Team members are also required to pass annual evaluation testing, which includes the proper execution of various underwater skills, as well as the completion of rigorous physical fitness requirements.

The Dive team's primary function is the search and recovery of drowning victims, evidence, and property. However, the team now has one piece portable SCUBA units which can be operational within seconds. These portable units can be carried on board at least one of the agencies patrol boats during the boating season, possibly reducing team's response time to a few minutes. With these portable units this transformed recovery dives in to rescue dives.

As in past years the Lake Havasu City Police Department Dive team looks forward to another boating season to coordinate rescue and recovery efforts with the Mohave County Sheriff's office and the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Our team will endeavor to be of service to the local community as well as its many visitors.