Mission Statement
It is the mission of the Seneca Falls Police Department to protect, serve and assist community residents, business owners and visitors in a professional manner. Cooperating with others in the community, officers will work to prevent and detect crime, protect life and property and achieve a peaceful society; free from fear of crime and disorder. Members of the department will continually strive for excellence and maintain peace through lawfulness, diversity, service, leadership, and fair treatment of all. Supported by integrity, courage, and respect, we will remain proactive and diligent in our effort to enhance the quality of life in our community, and for all citizens with loyally serve.
Agency Overview
The Town of Seneca Falls Police Department is a full-time, full-service Law Enforcement Agency providing service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Numerous emergency and non-emergency services are provided to people who reside in, work in, or travel through this town. Examples of the types of services provided include, but are not limited to; judicial protection of the court, crime scene investigation, crash investigation, residential & vehicle lock-out’s, School Resource Officer and child safety seat installation. We pride ourselves on reducing fear in the community through the prevention of crime, protection of persons, property, community events, and community policing. Our Police Officers seek to preserve public confidence by demonstrating impartial service to law, and by offering service and trust to all members of the public. Seneca Falls Police Officers are routinely trained above and beyond mandated levels to provide the highest level of service.
The Town of Seneca Falls Police Department formed on January 1, 2012, after the Village of Seneca Falls dissolved along with the police department. The newly formed Police Department increased its geographical area of employment drastically. A nearly 500% area increased was seen after the 4.6 square mile village dissolved into the 27.4 square mile town. Additionally, this expanded the population base by over 35% from 6,861 people to 9,040 people. The Department applied for and received its certification from the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council on September 18, 2014. Accreditation is a progressive and contemporary way of helping police agencies evaluate and improve their overall performance. It provides formal recognition that an organization meets or exceeds general expectations of quality in the field. Accreditation acknowledges the implementation of policies that are conceptually sound and operationally effective.
The Seneca Falls Police Department is a highly trained and professional law enforcement agency comprised of twenty-four members, both sworn and civilian. The Chief of Police is the Chief Executive Officer of the agency and has full authority and responsibility for the management, direction, financial administration, and control of the operation and administration of the department. The department is broken down into three divisions, administration; road patrol; and criminal investigation. The administrative division includes; the Police Lieutenant who oversees the daily police operation and reports directly to the Chief of Police, two data entry clerks, and three school crossing guards. The road patrol division includes four Sergeants and ten Police Officers. The criminal investigation division includes two highly skilled investigators who investigate crimes ranging from theft to homicide. With a nearly one-million-dollar budget, the police department responds to any call for service that comes in from the public. Last Year alone the Department responded to over 9,000 calls for service. Our patrol area is separated into two zones, divided by the Seneca-Cayuga Canal System. These primary zones are identified as the north zone and south zone.
The Town of Seneca Falls, New York is located in the heart of the Finger Lakes region on the northern shore of Cayuga Lake. We are proudly known as the Birthplace of Women’s Rights and the inspiration for the movie set of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Just these two social graces draw thousands of visitors throughout the year to visit the Women’s Rights National Historical Park, National Women’s Hall of Fame, the Canal Harbor, Heritage Area, and many more parks, trails, and museums. In addition to all the many reasons to visit the Town of Seneca Falls, we also pride ourselves for having many diverse businesses, retail stores, restaurants, and the New York State Chiropractic College.