ABOUT US

The Texarkana Police Department is Proud to be an ALEAP Accredited Law Enforcement Agency

The Texarkana Arkansas Police Department is a progressive, professional, and ALEAP-accredited agency. Our agency is comprised of some of Texarkana’s best men and women who strive to fight crime proficiently and proactively. Our commissioned officers and staff are highly trained and are held to the highest degree of integrity and honesty. Their compassion shines brightly in their daily work and community involvement. We find its success in holding firm to our mission and core values:

Our Mission

The mission of Texarkana Arkansas Police Department is to partner with the community to prevent, reduce, and deter crime. It is our duty to provide professional police services, build relationships with, and assist in improving the quality of life for the citizens of Texarkana.

Our Core Values

Teamwork– Working together to achieve a common goal

Accountability– Willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions

Professionalism– Conducting oneself with responsibility, integrity, and excellence

Dedication– Committing to a task or purpose

Inception

Founded in 1873, the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, or TAPD, began serving the of  population of approximately 1,300. The agency, while small at the time, sought to provide an invaluable service to the city’s residents of.

Structure

TAPD employs approximately 80 sworn officers and is broken into three distinct divisions.

• Services Division- The administrative team supporting  all members of TAPD
• Uniform Patrol Division- The first line of defense against crime and is the division responsive to the immediate needs of the citizens of Texarkana
• Criminal Investigation Division- The team tasked with investigating criminal cases and preparing cases for prosecution.

. The three TAPD divisions, consisting of some of the brightest and most dedicated men and women in law enforcement, work together to improve the quality of life for the citizens of and to make Texarkana a safe place to live and visit.

Training

All new officers at TAPD are placed on an 18-month probationary period. During that time, they attend a 13-week intensive police academy program that includes partial residency. Recruits to TAPD spend the initial 13 weeks learning the basics of law enforcement, qualifying with firearms, and preparing to become  police officers.

Upon return from the academy, officers advance through a two-week training in dispatch to provide an understanding of the volume of calls fielded daily and provide officers with knowledge of proper radio etiquette. Officers then complete a Field Training Program lasting up to six months. During field training, officers must put into practice all they have learned and apply it in real-world scenarios. Only after successfully completing the Field Training Program can officers be released to work independently.

As the agency has grown and evolved, so has the style of policing. As a result, Community Oriented Policing has become a key component of TAPD in recent years. Community Oriented Policing (COP) is a strategy of policing that focuses on developing relationships with community members. It is a philosophy of full-service policing that is highly personal, where an officer patrols the same area for an extended time and develops a partnership with citizens to identify and solve problems collaboratively. Each officer at TAPD is trained and encouraged to engage community members to identify potential issues and proactively come up with solutions to solve them.

TAPD values and emphasizes officer training and is proud to boast that its officers log more training hours than any other agency in the state. Along with annual training in racial profiling, bias-based policing, de-escalation, and duty to intervene,  our officers regularly participate in ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) which is recognized as the leading standard in active shooter situations, and defensive tactics with Gracie Survival Tactics certified instructors.

TAPD has developed a reputation across the state of Arkansas for providing quality instruction and regularly hosts officers from around the state to train them in less lethal weapon systems, Special Weapons and Tactics, and other essential tactics and techniques necessary for law enforcement.

Final Remarks

TAPD requires a lot of its officers and demands a high level of knowledge and professionalism.  We also recognize the sacrifices our bold men and women make to serve our citizens and we provide our officers with one of the highest pay packages among all agencies in Arkansas.  Our city has grown a lot since its early days and now home to nearly 30,000 citizens whom we proudly vow to protect and serve. We look forward to working with you to help make Texarkana an even more special place. Please browse the website and feel free to contact us.