Specialty Units

Traffic Unit

The Traffic Operations Unit is responsible for

Traffic law enforcement
Traffic crash prevention and investigation
Impaired driver enforcement
Traffic control at various functions and events
Neighborhood traffic complaint investigations

The unit also engages the community by educating citizens about traffic laws and safety, speaking to driver education classes, and promoting the use of seat belts and child restraints.

The Pelham Police Department is one of the few agencies in the Birmingham area to have full-time traffic personnel dedicated to traffic safety.

Email the Traffic Unit.

Emergency Services Unit

The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) is a highly skilled and well-equipped tactical unit that responds to extremely hazardous situations where conventional police tactics and equipment may be inadequate. The Unit may be called upon for incidents involving hostages, armed suicidal subjects, clandestine drug labs, or barricaded/wanted subjects.

The Unit also assists in serving warrants in high-risk situations for the arrest of dangerous felons.

Crisis/Hostage Negotiations

The Crisis/Hostage Negotiations Team is a part of our Tactical Operations. These officers assist individuals who are in a crisis or critical incident. Their goal is to facilitate a successful and peaceful resolution, without injury, to all involved.

Email the ESU.

K-9 Unit

The Pelham Police Department takes great pride in its K-9 Unit because of the proficiency and ability of the animals working in partnership with their handlers. The canine sense of smell is over 400,000 times greater than that of a human. For this reason, the K-9 Unit has become a valuable asset to the Pelham Police Department and the community we serve.

Email the K9 Unit

K-9 Teams

Our department has three K-9 teams comprised of a police officer and his canine partner. All are specialized in the detection of explosives.

Evidence Technicians

The Evidence Technician Unit is responsible for maintaining crime scene integrity, properly collecting evidence, documenting incidents through proven methods, and establishing scientific facts surrounding crimes.

Requirements

Our Evidence Technicians are required to attend an intense in-house training program involving:

Latent fingerprint examination
Photography
Crime scene sketching
Laser training
Evidence recovery
Evidence document techniques

They then complete lengthy, on-the-job training with an experienced Evidence Technician.

Email the ET Unit.

School Resource Officers

At least one Pelham Police officer is assigned to each campus of Pelham City Schools. SROs serve as a visible deterrence to crime and handle any incidents that arise during school hours. They also serve as a resource, problem solver, and mentor to students. The idea is to establish a lasting partnership with the school system and its student population.

Email SRO Sams - Pelham Ridge Elementary
Email SRO Martin - Pelham Oaks Elementary
Email SRO Miller - Pelham Park Middle
Email SRO Campbell - Pelham High
Email SRO Magill - Pelham High

Code Enforcement

Code Enforcement is responsible for educating and informing citizens of the codes and ordinances established for the city by the Pelham City Council. They set minimum requirements and standards regarding property and structures to promote and protect the public health, safety, convenience, order, and general welfare of all Pelham citizens and those who visit our city.

The goal is to provide a proactive approach by maintaining a clean, healthy, and safe environment through public education, compliance, and enforcement.

Questions or concerns? Email the Code Enforcement Officer.

Bike Patrol

The Bike Patrol was reinstated in the spring of 2018. The main goal of the assignment is to break down barriers between police and the public. Removing the patrol car allows officers to actively engage with people in our community.

Special Events

Bike Patrol Officers are responsible for patrolling special events, such as:

Concerts at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Hockey games at the Pelham Civic Complex & Ice Arena
Fire on the Water at Oak Mountain State Park

They also participate in targeted patrols at shopping centers, recreational areas, and neighborhoods.

Certification

Bike Patrol officers are certified through the International Police Mountain Bike Association.

Email the Bike Patrol Unit.

Professional Standards & Training

Pelham Police officers are some of the highest-trained law enforcement officers in Shelby County due to an aggressive field training program for new police personnel, as well as regular required in-service training for all police officers.

Both sworn and civilian employees of the department complete certification and specialty courses, as well as in-service and re-certification training on a yearly basis. All employees have the opportunity to participate in specialty training outside the agency, as well.

Give Feedback

Field Training Officers

Field training takes up where the classroom leaves off. The field training experience is used to see if a new officer can function effectively as a member of the department.

Field Training Officers teach all officers new to Pelham PD the department's policies and procedures, regardless of whether they've been officers for ten years or just graduated from the academy. Ideally, field training serves as a continuation of the selection process in addition to its training functions.

Email the FTO Supervisor.