About LCPD

The Administrative Services Bureau (ASB) is responsible for accounting, payroll, purchasing, planning, budget development, communications, and most other tasks that involve personnel, monies, or the storage and security of evidence and property.  In addition, the ASB handles all hiring, research and analysis, appropriations, inventories, and funding concerns.

The Administrative Services Bureau includes the separate divisions of Records, Property and Evidence, Training, and oversees the City's Parking Utility.

The Field Services Bureau (FSB) of the La Crosse Police Department is comprised of uniformed Police Officers and supervisors who are dedicated to providing a safe and vibrant community. Our primary purpose is the protection of life and liberty, order maintenance, and the personal security of our citizens and their property. We are committed to consistent enforcement, community policing, problem solving, restorative justice and continuing to build partnerships with our community.

Officers within the Field Services Bureau conduct day-to-day, street-level operations in uniform and respond to emergencies, alarms, reports of criminal activity, calls for service, traffic crashes, and conduct traffic enforcement. The services can range from preliminary investigations and documentation of crimes to problem solving complex quality of life issues. The Bureau also provides command and control for emergency response situations, dignitary escort and protection, community-oriented problem solving, and event coverage.

The Bureau operates with a day shift and a night shift. Within those hours, Officers’ workdays start at 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. for day shift, and 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. for night shift. In addition, a power shift (3 p.m.-3 a.m.) is in place to provide the maximum number of Officers working during the peak calls for service time. Officers work a 12-hour shift which provides ongoing patrol coverage for the community, more opportunities for training, decreases overtime, and allows patrol Officers to have every other weekend off. Each shift is commanded by a Shift Lieutenant supported by Sergeants (four on each shift) who directly supervise all activities while Officers are on patrol. Officers are assigned to one of six patrol beat sectors in the City of La Crosse. Download a PDF diagram of the six patrol beat sectors(PDF, 674KB).

Members of the Field Services Bureau can be seen patrolling in squad cars, boat, bicycles, or on foot. These alternative patrol formats allow for increased engagement with the public which improves our effectiveness as a police agency. Further, the Field Services Bureau is comprised of specialty groups such as ERT (Emergency Response Team), Water Patrol, Bike Patrol, and the K-9 Unit (visit the K-9 Unit webpage).  Officers also work within their assigned sector to form relationships with community organizations and formalized neighborhood groups. Internally, these specialty groups provide ample opportunities for continued career growth and a diverse work life for all LCPD Officers.

The Professional Standards/Community Services Bureau (PS/CSB) is primarily responsible for community crime prevention through community-oriented policing and education. Some of the major community programs that fall under the responsibility of the PS/CSB include the Community Resource Team (CRU) and School Resource Officer (SRO) Program. Visit the CRU webpage or visit the SRO webpage for detailed information.

The Professional Standards/Community Services Bureau is also involved in the community through the administration of Neighborhood Watch, National Night Out, La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers hotlines, as well as the annual department-hosted Citizens' Police Academy.

Members of the PS/CSB also serve as Police Information Officers (PIOs), fielding all media-related calls, emails, and inquiries, as well as assisting with interviews, tours, and other public information gatherings.

Additional department-specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to, recruitment and retention, internal investigations, Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG) accreditation, General Orders policy review and development, administration of the internship program, as well as the oversight of over $500,000 each year in federal and state grant funding.

The Investigative Services Bureau (ISB) is primarily responsible for the investigation of all criminal cases within the City of La Crosse. The ISB has a staff of twelve members assigned to one of three different areas: white-collar and general investigations; narcotic/vice investigations; and sensitive crimes including domestic violence, juveniles, sex crimes, and elderly victims’ incidents. Even though there are areas of expertise, all Investigative Bureau members are training in a variety of disciplines, capable of performing a wide variety of specialized tasks outside their regular assignments. This provides greater flexibility in their work assignments when the need arises.

ISB personnel not only provide expertise in crime investigations, they also initiate investigations, develop sources of information, and serve as liaisons to other organizations within the community. The ISB staff also provides educational and instruction training presentations at Western Technical College, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, Winona State University, both local hospitals, a variety of neighborhood groups, both downtown business associations, and the area public schools at all levels.

Investigative Service Bureau members serve on a variety of local, state, and national committees including the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Child Advocacy Center, Drug Endangered Children Task Force, La Crosse County Drug Court, Violence Against Women Association, New Horizons, Wisconsin Association for Identification, Wisconsin Association of Homicide Investigators, National Association of Gang Investigators, Outlaw Motorcycles Gang Investigators, and Domestic Abuse Reduction Team (D.A.R.T.).

With the formation of unique public-private partnerships, the La Crosse Police Department created a Neighborhood Resource Officer (NRO) Team, which is overseen by the Investigative Services Bureau. Visit the NRO webpage.

The La Crosse Police Department honors our history. The below list includes links to pages about our Police Chiefs and the Officers killed in the line of duty.

• La Crosse Police Chiefs
• La Crosse Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty