Police Department

The Watauga Police Department recently purchased the body-worn video system called Vievu. Historically, the police department's interaction with the public has been captured by a dash camera mounted inside a police vehicle. Video obtained by a dash camera is stationary and only depicts what happens directly in front of the patrol car. The Vievu camera attaches to an officer's uniform and gives them the ability to record up to four (4) hours of footage at a time. There is no rewind or erase capability and the video is downloaded onto a computer where it cannot be altered. The cameras are currently being used by the department's three motorcycle units.

Important Notice - Motor Vehicle Burglaries on the Rise

The Watauga Police Department has seen an increase in the number of thefts from motor vehicles over the past few weeks. Vehicle burglaries are crimes of opportunity, and residents can minimize their chances of being victimized by taking a few simple steps:

Keep all car doors and windows closed and locked at all times, even if you are only running a quick errand. Approximately 30% of vehicle burglaries occur when doors were not locked or a window was down.
Do not leave valuables or packages in plain sight, including laptop computers, GPS units, cell phones, briefcases and cameras. If you must leave valuables in the car, put them in the trunk.
Never leave an electronic garage door opener in the car. It can provide a thief easy access into your home.
Do not keep items containing personal information in the vehicle (such as an insurance card, address book, vehicle title or mail). Identity theft happens when items of this nature are stolen.

Crime prevention is a partnership between the residents of the City of Watauga and the Watauga Police Department. We encourage you to report any person(s) in your neighborhood who appear suspicious or out of place. Getting involved in a Neighborhood Watch Group is an excellent way to get to know your neighbors. For more information, please call Lt. Bill Sink at (817) 514-5881 or wsink@cowtx.org.

Mission Statement

As members of the Watauga Police Department our mission is to provide a professional community-oriented police service. We are committed to creating and maintaining an active community partnership and assisting citizens in identifying and solving problems to improve the quality of lives in our neighborhoods. We are dedicated to protecting life, property, and maintaining order while assuring fair and equal treatment to everyone.

Our Statement

We are capable, caring people doing important and satisfying work for the citizens of our community. Therefore, we respect, care about, and trust and support each other. We enjoy work and take pride in our accomplishments. We are disciplined and reliable. We keep our perspective and sense of humor. We balance our professional and personal lives. We involve our community in decisions that we make. We have a positive, can do attitude. We cultivate our best characteristics: initiative, enthusiasm, creativity, patience, competence, and judgment. We do nothing to discredit or dishonor ourselves or our department.

Vision Statement

The Watauga Police Department is a proactive police agency dedicated to excellence through quality customer service. We shall ensure quality customer service for everyone we serve by way of accountability and community involvement. We shall maintain a quality of professionalism for employees through training, development and education to assist with the personal and career growth with a constant emphasis on innovation and improvement.

Crime Control and Prevention District

The City of Watauga is proud of its low crime rate and quick response time to emergency calls.

Determined to maintain this community strength, Watauga citizens created a Crime Control and Prevention District. This district insures a long-term commitment to providing a safe environment for Watauga families.

Funds generated by the Crime Control and Prevention District will provide for additional officers and equipment and an upgrade in the technology available to the officers.

Watauga citizens are encouraged to take an active role in preventing crime in their neighborhoods by forming Crime Watch Neighborhoods. The Citizens Police Academy has also been created to form a partnership with the community and educate them in the responsibilities of the department.

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