Specialized Units
The Bellaire Police Department utilizes specialized units to address specific criminal trends, strengthen community engagement, and manage high-risk or technically complex situations that exceed the capabilities of routine patrol operations. These units require advanced training, specialized equipment, and, in some cases, formal certification to ensure effective and professional service delivery.
The following are specialized units utilized by the Bellaire Police Department:
Bike Unit (Bicycle Patrol)
Purpose: Provides highly visible, proactive patrol services in areas with significant pedestrian activity or limited vehicular access, including business districts, parks, residential neighborhoods, and school campuses.
Capabilities: Bicycle officers are able to respond more quickly than foot patrol while accessing locations inaccessible to patrol vehicles, such as alleys, narrow pathways, and congested areas during special events. The Bike Unit is an effective community-oriented policing resource, fostering increased officer visibility and meaningful one-on-one interaction with the public.
Special Response Team (SRT)
Purpose: A specially trained and equipped tactical unit responsible for managing high-risk incidents that exceed the scope and capacity of standard patrol operations.
Capabilities: Team members receive advanced training in firearms, tactical entry techniques, and crisis negotiation, enabling them to safely resolve dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations while prioritizing the preservation of life and minimizing the use of force.
Drone Team (Unmanned Aerial Systems – UAS)
Purpose: Utilizes unmanned aerial systems to provide enhanced situational awareness through real-time aerial observation, reducing the need for personnel deployment in hazardous environments.
Capabilities: Equipped with high-definition and thermal imaging technology, UAS platforms can be deployed rapidly and provide critical intelligence more efficiently than manned aircraft. These systems support operations involving fleeing suspects, missing persons, and search and rescue efforts.
Key Responsibilities:
Crime scene documentation, traffic collision analysis, search and rescue operations, disaster assessment, and aerial monitoring during large-scale events.
Accident Reconstruction Team
Purpose: Conducts in-depth investigations of serious injury and fatal traffic collisions using specialized training and advanced technology.
Capabilities: Employs 3D laser scanning, drone imagery, and forensic analysis to generate precise digital reconstructions of collision scenes. Team members apply scientific and mathematical methodologies to determine vehicle speeds, impact dynamics, and contributing factors.
Key Responsibilities: Comprehensive scene mapping, determination of collision causation, and expert testimony in criminal and civil court proceedings.
Traffic Unit
Purpose: Focuses on traffic enforcement and safety initiatives aimed at reducing roadway accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Key Responsibilities: Conducting directed patrols in high-traffic and high-collision areas, responding to traffic crashes, enforcing traffic laws, conducting DUI enforcement operations, and providing traffic control and escorts for special events.
Crime Scene Unit (CSU)
Purpose: Responsible for the identification, collection, documentation, and preservation of physical evidence at crime scenes.
Capabilities: Staffed by a specialized evidence technician trained in forensic photography, fingerprint processing, and evidence documentation.
Key Responsibilities: Processing crime scenes for DNA and other physical evidence, documenting evidence in homicide and serious felony investigations, and providing technical support to detectives throughout the investigative process.