Patrol

Patrol Division

Division Responsibilities & Services

The largest and most visible component of the Murphy Police Department is the Patrol Division. Patrol officers provide 24/7/365 coverage to the city.


The City of Murphy is divided into 4 “beats," to which an officer is assigned each shift. Officers spend their 12-hour shift preventing and reporting crime in their assigned beat. Patrol officers use intuition alongside crime mapping software to better predict and prevent crime throughout the city. View the Police Department District Map to see which beat you live or work in. 


Primary Duties

The primary duties of patrol officers are:

  • Crash investigations
  • Community policing (i.e., attending neighborhood functions or answering police related questions from citizens and businesses)
  • Crime prevention
  • Directed patrols (i.e., watching a specific area with a certain crime trend or reported problem)
  • Enforcement of state laws as well as city ordinances
  • Enforcement of traffic laws
  • Taking reports and conducting field investigations of crime and other incidents
  • Warrant arrests


Additional units and opportunities within the Patrol Division include:

  • Unmanned Aerial Surveillance/ UAS (Drone) Unit: Provide on-demand surveillance for critical calls such as missing persons/ high-threat situations, as well as overwatch during large events and city functions.
  • Bicycle Unit: Capable of continuous patrol of one certain area such as shopping centers, or responding to areas that normal patrol cars may be limited (i.e., special events or city functions).


Contact Us

To provide feedback or obtain additional information on the patrol division, please contact Lt. Adana Barber.


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