Police Department
Divisions of the Police Department
Under the supervision of the Director of Public Safety, the Port Wentworth Police Department is organized into four divisions: Administration, Code Enforcement & Community Services, Investigations, and Patrol. Click on each division to learn its functions. 

  • Administration 

    The Administration Division is staffed by four full-time civilian clerks. This division processes all incident reports, accident reports, arrest and booking reports, traffic citations and warnings, court dockets and warrants. They are also responsible for all entries made into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) network which includes arrest warrants, stolen vehicles and boats, stolen firearms, stolen serial-numbered articles and missing persons.

    Police Reports

    All police reports for the City of Port Wentworth are computer generated. Entry and documentation of these reports are conducted on a daily basis. Correspondence to proper County and State Agencies are compiled each week and distributed. Such correspondence will include validation of NCIC records, forwarding accident reports to the Department of Public Safety, court records to State and Superior Courts of Chatham County and preparing the Uniformed Crime Statistics.

    Municipal Court

    The City of Port Wentworth Municipal Court conducts preliminary hearings on felony cases, warrant hearings, motion hearings, traffic and misdemeanor cases, as well as City Ordinance violations. Monthly records are kept of all persons arrested, suspension notices to the Department of Public Safety, probation records, incident reports, crime statistics, traffic citations, vehicle impoundments, NCIC files, field interview cards, daily activity logs, and criminal warrants.

    Inquiries can be made by contacting the Administration Division at 912-964-4360, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Municipal Court is held on Wednesdays (baring a Holiday) at 8:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

  • Code Enforcement and Community Service 

    One Police Officer is assigned to the Division of Code Enforcement and Community Services, which includes Community Watch and Crime Prevention. Code Enforcement notices are placed as a door hanger at the property in violation, as a courtesy.  In some cases, a formal written letter is issued to violators or a subpoena to Municipal Court is delivered to those persons who do not comply with City Ordinance Codes.

    The mission of Code Enforcement is pubic health, safety and welfare for all and the enforcement of property maintenance codes. 

  • Investigations

    The Investigations Division is staffed by two criminal investigators and one drug investigator. They are responsible for conducting criminal investigations into all crimes reported within the jurisdiction of the City of Port Wentworth. This includes crimes against persons, and/or personal property, missing persons, juvenile crimes, undercover and drug investigations, as well as City Ordinance violations.

    Investigators also assist the patrol units in their day-to-day operations. Detectives receive required training to enhance their ability to successfully investigate and document criminal cases.

    Port Wentworth Police Department utilizes current knowledge of State and Federal Laws to:

    • conduct interviews and interrogations
    • obtain and document witness statements
    • prepare and update criminal case files
    • execute search warrants when applicable
    • obtain subpoena's for required information
    • perform background and criminal history checks
    • obtain criminal warrants and 
    • effect arrests of persons suspected of committing crimes, both felonious and misdemeanor in nature.

    In addition, this division performs all forensic investigations to include:

    • latent print lifting and identification
    • use of the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) when applicable
    • trace evidence collection
    • photographic (to include 35 MM and digital) and video tape documentation
    • sketching, inventory, and processing of crime scenes
    • attendance of medical procedures as necessary
    • transportation of evidence to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab as needed
    • providing all documentation required to complete the criminal case file and forwarding that file to the designated authority as prescribed by law, as well as 
    • obtaining technical evidence which may require the assistance of experts.

  • Patrol

    The Patrol Division is the largest division within the Port Wentworth Police Department.

    The primary mission of the Patrol Division is crime suppression and criminal apprehension.
    Although certain officers have specialized training, each officer is expected to patrol their assigned areas in order to be visible to prevent crimes and to reassure the public by their presence. Officers assigned to the Patrol Division are responsible for the investigation of suspicious persons and activities, responding to calls for service and investigation of less-than-serious traffic collisions.
     
    While they are the primary responding officers to crime scenes and are charged with collecting the initial information and determining if more specialized units need to be contacted, patrol officers may complete most investigations themselves if they wish.
    The Patrol Division currently has twelve officers, each assigned to one of four "watches". Each watch works 12 hour shifts that rotate every 28 days. Watches are commanded by an officer ranking Sergeant or higher and consist also of a Corporal and a Patrolman. Each Watch commander reports directly to the Director of Public Safety.
    Officers are initially assigned to the Patrol Division, but may be reassigned based upon the needs of the Department as defined by the Director of Public Safety, and that officer's specific training and general aptitude. Every officer attends a minimum of 20 hours training each year at one of the regional police academies or at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, but they may attend additional training.
    Every officer has an assigned patrol vehicle that is equipped with a radar unit, mobile radios, an in-car video monitoring system and any other necessary emergency equipment. The department has a "take-home" policy regarding the officer's assigned vehicle that allows for greater visibility in the community, as well as helping the department maintain a larger base of officers to draw from in the event of an emergency.
    Every officer is also extensively trained in the Pursuit Intervention Technique, P.I.T., and every vehicle is equipped with a special front bumper that allows the application of this technique during a high speed pursuit to minimize damage to the patrol vehicle.
In the event of an emergency, please dial 9-1-1. All non-emergency calls should be directed to the Port Wentworth Police Department by calling 912-964-4360. 

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