Police Divisions

Animal Control Division

Bethel Police Department employs one full time Animal Control Officer, Steven Shanley, who has been with the Bethel Police Department since 2011. The Animal Control Officer can be contacted at (203) 778-7424. If there is no answer, please leave a message and your call will be returned as soon as possible. If you have an emergency that requires immediate attention, such as a vicious roaming dog or an animal bite, please contact the Bethel Police Department at (203) 744-7900. An Animal Control Officer or Police Officer will be dispatched to assist you.

Detective Division

The Bethel Police Department Detective Division is immediately supervised by Detective Sergeant Courtney Whaley. Sergeant Whaley and Detectives are responsible for conducting criminal investigations for a wide array of offenses, including but not limited to:

Narcotics Crimes
Burglaries
Larcenies
Robberies
Sexual Assault
Missing Persons
Child Abuse
Homicide
Financial and Identity Thefts
Other in-depth or long-term investigations

Detectives work with other members of the Bethel Police Department, other municipal and State of Connecticut law enforcement agencies, as well as with Federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and Secret Service. Detectives are trained in advanced crime scene processing, interviewing, criminal investigations, and other advanced investigation techniques.

Investigative Services

The Investigative Services Division is currently under the command of Lieutenant George J. Bryce, Jr.

Lieutenant Bryce was sworn in as a Patrolman with the Bethel Police Department in November of 1999. In 2004, he was assigned as the School Resource Officer for Bethel High School before being assigned to the Detective Bureau as a Detective in 2006. During his time in the Detective Bureau, he worked numerous major crime cases specializing in computer and financial crimes and served as President on the Executive Board of the Fairfield County Detective Conference. In 2008 he became an affiliate member of the FBI Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force as well as being certified as a computer forensic examiner and in 2012 he became a POST certified instructor in Crimes Against Persons. In 2014 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and served nine months in the Patrol Division as the dayshift supervisor. Lieutenant Bryce then served as Detective Sergeant from 2015 through 2019 and his responsibilities included the direct supervision of detectives assigned to the Detective Bureau, case management, as well as evidence management and storage. In November of 2019, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and is currently assigned as the Investigative Support Commander where his duties include the overall management and supervision of Detective Bureau operations.

Lieutenant Bryce holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Post University.

Patrol Operations Division

The Patrol Operations Division is under the command of Lieutenant Robert Durkin. Lieutenant Durkin joined the Bethel Police Department in 1998 as a Patrol Officer. Since being hired, he has held many positions including Field Training Officer (FTO), Corporal, Detective, and he was a member of the Emergency Services Unit (ESU). In 2005, Lieutenant Durkin became our agency's third K-9 handler with K-9 Asco and served in that capacity for nine years. In 2008, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and remained in the Patrol Division as a Sergeant until being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2020. Lieutenant Durkin is also a POST certified instructor in Use of Force and Defensive Tactics. As Patrol Operations Commander, Lieutenant Durkin is responsible for the oversight of all aspects of the Patrol Division encompassing all day to day police related services provided directly to the public.

The Patrol Division is the backbone of the Bethel Police Department, and as such, it is the largest division within the Department. Of the Department's authorized strength of 37 sworn officers, 23 uniformed police officers and six Sergeants are assigned to the Patrol Division. Officers and Supervisors staff this division 24 hours a day / 7 days a week and perform a wide range of functions including:

Responding to calls for service: criminal complaints, motor vehicle crashes, recovery of stolen property, public assistance calls, calls for medical assistance and other incidents requiring a police response.
Preventive patrol: preventing crimes and other incidents before they occur.
Apprehending criminals and wanted persons.
Enforcement of motor vehicle laws.
Working alongside the public.
Prisoner control: The patrol division is responsible for direct monitoring of all prisoners being held by the department until they are turned over to court.

The Patrol Division utilizes various tactics and technologies to accomplish its mission. Patrol equipment includes:

Thirteen marked patrol vehicles are currently in use, and all are equipped with mobile data terminals which provide links to local, state, and national resources.
Radar and laser speed measurement devices are available for officers to use when conducting motor vehicle enforcement.
All primary patrol vehicles have Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and first responder basic life support (BLS) supplies to assist with medical emergencies. All of our Officers are trained Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs).

Professional Standards Division

The Professional Standards Division is under the command of Lieutenant Michael Libertini. Professional Standards encompasses training and CALEA accreditation, as well as other various assigned duties.
Lieutenant Libertini was hired in 2001 and has served as a Patrol Officer, a Field Training Officer, and was assigned to the Emergency Services Unit. In February of 2007, he was promoted to Sergeant. In August of 2014, he was assigned to the Detective Division as Detective Sergeant until being promoted to Lieutenant in September of 2015. Besides being the Professional Standards Commander, he is a Police Instructor who holds several certifications including Firearms and Use of Force. He currently heads the Department’s Firearms Training Unit.
Lieutenant Libertini holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arson Investigation from the University of New Haven and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University.

Records Division

The Records Division is responsible for all record keeping functions for the Bethel Police Department including arrest reports, incident reports, accident reports, and parking tickets. It operates a computerized records management system, and safeguards all property taken in by the department. The division is staffed by two civilian employees and is supervised by Records Supervisor Maria Wallenta. The Records division can be reached at 203-744-7900, option #3.

Records also handles Connecticut Pistol Permit applications. The application list below.

2024 Complete Pistol Permit Application

Specialized Units

K9 Unit
The canine unit may be used for building searches, tracking/searching (for missing persons, suspects, or evidence), the apprehension of criminal suspects, narcotic raids and searches, and handler/officer protection.

Sergeant Adam Cleary became a member of the Bethel Police Department in 2008 and inn 2013, he was chosen to be the handler for a new department K-9, replacing the K-9/Handler team of Sgt. Durkin and K-9 "Asco". Asco retired at the age of 11 years after serving the department for 9 years.

In the fall of 2013, Bethel resident Richard Verdi made a generous donation to assist the Police Department K-9 program. After testing several German Shepard dogs, the new department K-9 was chosen and named "Bishop". This name was chosen in honor of Captain Robbie Bishop from the Villa Rica Police Department in Georgia who was shot and killed during a "routine" traffic stop on January 20, 1999. Captain Bishop was best known for his drug interdiction work in Georgia and had set state records on interstate drug seizures, he was survived by his wife and two children.

K-9 "Bishop" is a Schutzund Level 1 trained German Shepard and was came to the United States from Hungary. Sergeant Cleary and Bishop attended an extensive basic training class in which Bishop was trained as a dual purpose Police Dog, including training in patrol work and narcotics detection. Sergeant Cleary and K-9 "Bishop" successfully completed training in January of 2014 and are both NAPWDA and CPWDA certified.
Major Accident Team
Comprised of Officers specially trained in crash reconstruction including crash physics and vehicle evidence interpretation. These Officers have specialized tools and equipment to aide in their investigations of serious or fatal collisions involving motor vehicles or pedestrians. The major accident team is under the command of Sergeant James Christos.
Bicycle Unit
Consists of Officers trained in patrol techniques involving the use of specially equipped mountain bikes to patrol our downtown area. Bicycle patrol Officers are also used for special events such as parades and community gatherings.
Honor Guard
The Bethel Police Honor Guard consists of officers who are assigned to respectfully and professionally carry our Country’s Flag in addition to the State, Town, and Department flags with dignity, honor, and respect.
School Resource Officers
Officers are assigned to all five schools on a full-time basis with offices in the Bethel Middle School and Bethel High School. School Resource Officers work closely with the school faculty, staff, and students to make the schools a safer, more enriching environment. The School Resource Officer's days are spent meeting with students, administration, support staff, and parents in regards to various issues or concerns. The School Resource Officers also visit classrooms to give guest lessons on alcohol and drugs, search and seizure, and other constitutional/law related topics. School Resource Officers generally work Monday-Friday during school hours.
Car Seat Unit
The Bethel Police Department has several Officers specially trained in car seat inspections and installation and who are Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians. The car seat unit periodically holds designated car seat inspection and installation days.

Training Division

The Training Division is responsible for providing mandatory and supplemental training to Department personnel to develop and enhance those skills and decision-making abilities necessary for the successful delivery of services. It provides comprehensive training to ensure our citizens are provided with quality services while being treated with professionalism, dignity, and respect. The Training Division oversees the recruitment, testing and training of new officers.