Special Operations
The Special Operations Division is made up of various units that work on special events and assignments throughout the city.
BIKE PATROL
BOMB SQUAD
The Bomb Squad was organized in 1971 to provide the capability to effectively deal with explosive related incidents. Each member of the Bomb Squad is a graduate of the Hazardous Devices Course at Redstone Arsenal.
DUI TASK FORCE
The DUI Traffic Task Force was first started in 1983 to educate the public and enforce Alabama DUI Laws. Since its beginning, the Unit has annually ranked as the number one DUI enforcement unit in the State of Alabama. The Alabama Department of Forensic Science ranks the seven HPD DUI Officers in the top ten listing of highest-performing DUI arresting officers in the State every year.
HONOR GUARD
The Honor Guard’s primary functions are funeral services and the posting of colors. In funeral services, honor guard members are utilized in paying last respects to an individual who has served as a law enforcement officer. Members stand guard over the fallen officer during the viewing ceremonies and conduct the flag folding ceremony at funerals to include a bag piper’s song tribute. In the posting of colors, our color guard (which is made up of honor members) presents the colors (the American flag and Alabama flag) at certain ceremonies such as parades, academy graduations, city events, and sporting events to open or begin the ceremony. Lastly, members of the Honor Guard are utilized as representatives of the department that are sent to other departments in the area that have officers killed in the line of duty.
K-9
The HPD K-9 Unit is one of the oldest continuously operational K-9 Units in the United States. It was founded with the donation of canine, “King,” in 1963. Today, our Unit employs ten dual-purpose patrol/narcotics teams and a single-purpose explosive detector team. We are certified through the USPCA , and several of our members are credentialed judges in narcotics, patrol, and tracking. We have two USPCA-certified trainers, and our K-9 Range is a certified training facility. The Huntsville Police Department is a member of Region 22 in the USPCA, which represents the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. We have trained canine officers and dog teams for over 20 police agencies in the last few years alone.
INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM
The Incident Response Team responds to civil disorders, natural disasters and incidents that require long-term perimeter containment.
PUBLIC SAFETY AIDES – CROSSING GUARDS
Safety Patrol provides crossing guards for public and private schools. Crossing guards help ensure the safety of about 35,000 K- 12th-grade school children each day at hazardous or congested school crossing locations.
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS
The School Resource Officer (SRO) program is executed throughout the Huntsville City School System. Through community and corporate donations, SROs conduct a summer youth camp to offer children the opportunity to interact with officers.
SPECIAL WEAPONS AND TACTICS TEAM
The SWAT Team specializes in high-risk crime situations. Officers sharpen specialized tactical skills for serving felony warrants, barricaded suspects, and hostile situations.
TRAFFIC TASK FORCE
To request traffic enforcement, please call (256) 427-5580.
HOMELAND SECURITY COORDINATOR
The Homeland Security Coordinator for the Huntsville Department receives/transmits information from many Homeland Security sources and relays the information to the appropriate people. The coordinator works closely with local EMA and other emergency response agencies to ensure we are ready to combat, detect, and respond to incidents of terrorism. This is necessary due to our many defense contractors, Redstone Arsenal, and NASA. HPD officers who are members of the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force work alongside other agencies in homeland security matters. Contact the coordinator at (256) 427-7008.
