The Field Services Division is the most visible element of the Bay County Sheriff's Office with it's iconic green and white vehicles. The Field Services Division is made up of East and West Districts with the dividing line being Highway 231.
Uniformed patrol deputies are assigned to different zones of Bay County, and each is responsible for responding to the calls for service in his or her assigned zone. This group of men and women patrolled more than 1.7 million miles annually and answered in excess of 100,000 calls for service in addition to the thousands of business and residential security checks performed each year.
Bay County is divided into two districts, east and west. The East District is comprised of the eastern half of Bay County including the city of Callaway. The majority of the East District is comprised of uniformed patrol deputies. The East District is under the command of Captain Michael Branning. Captain Branning oversees East District Patrol, Traffic unit, Honor Guard, Marine unit, the Callaway and Fountain CPO's and Auxiliary/Reserve unit.
The men and women of patrol make up the largest and most recognized unit of the Sheriff's Office. The EastDistrict patrol unit responds to over 45,000 calls for service annually. You will find these deputies in your neighborhood patrolling the streets, helping victims of crimes, looking for missing persons, and answering calls for service. Patrol units are quite often the first on the scene and the agency's first line of defense.
Patrol deputies are not only reactive, but proactive in their duties. The patrol section also assists other various divisions of the Sheriff's Office throughout their daily functions. Patrol also preforms business and residential security checks. The patrol unit provides professional law enforcement protection 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
The East District also has CPO "Crime Prevention Offices" the deputies assigned to these offices "Crime Prevention Deputies" primary functions are to deter and reduce crime. Their objectives are to reduce your vulnerability to a crime, provide safety information, and give community residents and business opportunity's to interact with a deputy in an informative and constructive manner. CPO Deputies attend community meetings and help in coordinating community functions. CPO Deputes gather information from residents, business owners, homeowner associations, and community meetings and disseminate it to other divisions within the Sheriff's office to detour crime.
Your Field Services West District is comprised of six zones, these zones encompass the unincorporated areas of Lynn Haven, Panama City, Southport, West Bay and the 18.39 square mile area of Panama City Beach.
The West District has Alpha and Bravo Platoons who maintain 24 hour coverage of these zones working twelve hour shifts under the command of a Shift Lieutenant and supporting supervisors. There are now additional dedicated personnel assigned to each zone who are not rotated through other zones. Because the West District has the added responsibility of surf rescue all patrol members are life guard certified and equipped for water rescue.
The District has a satellite office on Panama City Beach, housed within this office are dedicated officers from Criminal Investigations Division, Special Investigations Division and Field Services Division. The benefit of having this satellite office include shortened response time, increased cooperation, streamlined supervision, increased zone coverage and better water rescue.
The West district is unique in that it maintains law enforcement response for the ever growing tourist corridor of Panama City Beach, the rural areas in the north and the larger cities centered in the County.
The West District is ever ready to ensure public safety and order, suppress unlawful conduct, protect human and constitutional rights, and provide traffic control by continuing to raise the standard of Law Enforcement for the public we serve.
3421 N Highway 77
Panama City, FL 32405
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Panama City, FL 32404
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