Police Divisions

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).

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.

• 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 Robinson

  Sergeant Jared Robinson became a member of the Bethel Police Department in 2015 and in 2022, he was chosen to be a handler for the Department's first ever Bloodhound. A Bloodhound was selected from a Virginia breeder named Momma’s Bodacious Bloodhounds, who donated “Penelope”, or Penny for short, to the Department! Penny was an instant hit and she has gained many, many followers on her Instagram page.

  Sergeant Robinson and K9 Penny spent their first few months bonding and becoming a team; they then went through an extensive training program with Zeus Canine Training. At the end of training, K9 Penny and Sergeant Robinson worked to maintain a tracking certification from NAPWDA. This certification requires the team to follow the scent of a person that has traveled over one mile and had been missing for over an hour. Sergeant Robinson and K9 Penny specialize in tracking lost or endangered persons, or even suspects that have fled the scene of a crime. K9 Penny is considered to be a single purpose K9, but she has been known to enjoy large groups of kids and Bethel’s community events!

  Officer Ammon

  Officer Gregory Ammon became a Bethel Police Officer in 2018 bringing four years of police experience from previously working for the New Haven Police Department. In 2023, Officer Ammon was selected as the next K9 Handler, replacing Sgt. Cleary and retired K9 Bishop. In the summer of 2023, Bethel’s K9 Rebel was selected and named in honor of Prince George’s County Police Department K9 Rebel, who was the first K9 member of that agency to heroically give his life in the line of duty during an attempted apprehension of a burglary suspect.

  K9 Rebel is a 2 year-old German Shepherd born in the Czech Republic. Officer Ammon and K9 Rebel attended an extensive 12-week training program and successfully completed their training in November 2023. K9 Rebel is a dual-purpose police dog including patrol work and narcotics detection certified through NAPWDA. K9 Rebel may also 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.

• 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.