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Tacoma Police Department

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Tacoma Police Department
AbbreviationTPD
Agency overview
Formed1885
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdictionTacoma, Washington, US
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersTacoma
Police Officers334
Civilians38
Agency executive
  • Avery L. Moore, Chief of Police
Website
www.cityoftacoma.org/government/city_departments/police
Tacoma Police Crown Victoria on Patrol

The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the city of Tacoma, Washington, United States.[1] The TPD employs 334 sworn officers and 38 civilian employees.[2] The Chief of Police is Avery L. Moore.[3]

Tacoma Police is divided into four Report Sectors or Precincts numbered Sectors 1 through 4. The department has several Operations Bureaus such as Community Policing, K-9, Marine Services and Dive Unit, and Traffic Unit. [4]

History

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Tacoma PD SWAT with Maritime Unit

On May 6, 1869, the first Law Enforcement precinct was established in Tacoma by H.N. Steele when he was appointed Inspector. However, at that time the County Sheriff was the primary police force for Tacoma.

In the year 1874, Tacoma was incorporated and appointed its first town Marshal Howard Carr. [5][6]

Recognizing the need for a specialized response team, the Tacoma Police Department formed its first tactical unit in 1984, initially named the "Special Operations Team." This team included a commander, assistant commander, eight entry operators, four marksmen, and four negotiators. A few years later, the unit was renamed the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team.[7]

Controversies and misconduct

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On March 3, 2020, Manuel Ellis, a black man, died while in TPD custody. Ellis said "I can't breathe" several times before his death.[8] On December 2, 2023, Officers Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank were found not guilty. The department offered them each a half million dollars to leave their jobs.[9]

In 2021, several people were hit by an officer in a police car, causing multiple injuries. The officer was responding to reports of vehicles doing doughnuts in the street. It was found that the officer acted in defense for himself and there was no wrongdoing as he was being attacked.[10][11][12]

References

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  1. ^ "Tacoma Police Department". cityoftacoma.org. City of Tacoma.
  2. ^ "Crime in the U.S." ucr.fbi.gov. Washington: FBI UCR. 2017.
  3. ^ "Tacoma Police Chief's Welcome". cityoftacoma.org. City of Tacoma.
  4. ^ "Patrol Division City of Tacoma". City of Tacoma.
  5. ^ "Police - City of Tacoma". City of Tacoma Departments. City of Tacoma. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  6. ^ "Cops and the Church: Order Out of Chaos - Part II". Job Carr Museum. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  7. ^ "Team Profile". Washington State Tactical Officers Association. WSTOA. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  8. ^ Baker, Mike (June 5, 2020). "Before the Death of Manuel Ellis, a Witness Told the Police: 'Stop Hitting Him'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
  9. ^ "Washington state officers acquitted in death of Manuel Ellis to receive $500K to leave police department". NBC News. January 17, 2024. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  10. ^ "Pedestrian run over by Tacoma officer surrounded by crowd; incident caught on camera". KIRO. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  11. ^ Alta Spells (January 24, 2021). "Tacoma police officer drives through crowd, leaving at least one person injured, officials say". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  12. ^ "Tacoma officer drives police car through crowd, injuring at least 2 in Washington state". USA Today. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
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