Community Response

Lieutenant Matt Smyser
Contact: (903) 531-1016
Hours: Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Tyler Police Department’s Community Response Unit is committed to keeping your neighborhoods safe. The ten Community Response Officers' primary duties include community policing efforts, community education, and crime prevention.

Priority Response Unit

Sergeant Tim Hutson
Contact: (903) 535-0152
Hours: Tuesday through Friday

The Tyler Police Department Bicycle Unit is assigned to the Investigative Division. The Unit consists of one Lieutenant, one Sergeant, and six Officers. The police bicycle is used in directed police activities. These activities include drug enforcement, burglary prevention, or other Problem Detection and Response (PDR) assignments. The bicycle may be used for crowd control activities associated with special events, which include the East Texas Fair, Rose Parade, Juneteenth Festivities, Christmas Parade, and others. The advantages of the police bicycle in its response to problem-solving are its mobility and stealth capabilities.

The Tyler Police Department Bicycle Unit also teams up with local businesses several times each year to offer Bicycle Safety Rodeos. The rodeos include bicycle inspections, bike safety lessons, and free bicycle helmets for local children. It is also a good opportunity for children of all ages to meet and interact with local police officers

Community Response Officers

Sergeant Kevin Mobley
Contact: (903) 535-0155

Beat 1: Officer Braden Barnes
Beat 2: Officer Bianca Smedley
Beat 3: Officer Darrell Gardner
Beat 4: Vacant
Beat 5: Officer Tish Loftis
Beat 6: Vacant
Beat 7: Officer Kerri Long
Beat 8: Officer James McCraw
Homeless Outreach Coordinator: Officer Shane Jasper and Officer Lance Parks
Downtown Business, Arts and Culture District: Sergeant Chuck Boyce, Officer Justin Lambert, and Officer Bryston Parker

K-9 Unit

Officer Steve Black and K-9 Dino

Utilization of properly trained dogs represents a highly cost-efficient police tool. This is accomplished by using the canine's acute olfactory and hearing sense. The K-9 is utilized in building and area searches for items and persons, tracking of criminal suspects and lost persons, narcotic searches, assisting outside law enforcement agencies with approved requests, and other functions consistent with the Department policies and procedures.

Dino is a German Shepherd and is excited to be a part of a team with Officer Black.

Steve Black and Dino

Narcotics/Vice

Contact: (903)747-1008

To investigate all vice/narcotics related complaints and to disseminate information about possible vice/narcotics activity to other divisions in the Department. To assist beat officers, other units in the Police Department, outside agencies, and the general public, to enforce the laws related to vice/narcotics activity.

Public Safety Cadets Post 310

The Tyler Police Public Safety Cadet’s goal is to reach the young adults and future leaders of our community and introduce them to the field of Law Enforcement.

Tyler Law Enforcement Cadets are offered every possible contact in the law enforcement community that can be provided. Cadets are given briefings by various Federal, State, County, and Local agencies to provide them with information on this diverse career field. Tyler Law Enforcement Cadets also are offered the opportunity to ride along with police officers during a tour of duty. Cadets boost their self-confidence in career opportunities through participation in programs that increasingly test their knowledge. Cadets participate in scenario training as part of the program.

Requirements for the PSC Program

Have a desire for a career in law enforcement or police service or a desire to learn more about the field of law enforcement.
Be a young adult age 14, and graduated from the eighth grade, through the training year of their 21 birthday.
Must undergo a thorough background review to assess character and integrity that may include interviews with neighbors, teachers, and employers.
Must not have a prior conviction for a criminal offense or serious traffic offense.
Must demonstrate and maintain a minimum of a 73 or 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in high school or college to remain in the Unit.
As a prerequisite for joining a hold harmless and release form for Public Safety Cadets and the partnering agency/organization must be executed by the parents or legal guardian and/or the Cadet if of legal age to sign such a form.
Must complete a basic training course (provided in our training), to include Youth Safety training and a probationary period.
Must strive to achieve body weight in proportion to height and maintain a high level of physical fitness.

Application Process

Complete Tyler Police Public Safety Cadet Application with parent’s signatures if under the age of 18. Cadets will receive the application during one of their meetings.
Once a background investigation has been completed and the applicant meets the requirements of the program, they will be notified of their acceptance. The applicant may be called upon to explain issues within his/her background history. The Cadet will be allowed to attend meetings until background investigation is completed.
Once accepted, the applicant becomes a Probationary Cadet and his/her membership will have started the date that the application was turned in.