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Mission Statement

The Columbia Heights Police Department is committed to active partnerships with the community in order to protect life and property, innovatively solve problems, and enhance the safety and quality of life in the communities we serve.

Core Values

  • Committed - As a group, we are committed to the honest and fair treatment of all our community members, while recognizing that each citizen has different needs and values.
  • Helpful - Employees of the CHPD will strive to meet the needs of our community and the people that we have contact with. We are mindful that we draw our authority from the public, and it is our mandate to assist others whenever possible.
  • Professional - The employees of the CHPD will hold themselves to the highest professional standards, utilizing the best practices in law enforcement to carry out our duties professionally and with integrity.
  • Dedicated - The CHPD is dedicated to excellence in its delivery of law enforcement services. We will seek opportunities to serve in a manner that exceeds expectations and adheres to the ideals of the United States Constitution and our professional Oath of Honor.
2022 Use of Force Summary
Use of force continues to be a much-discussed and analyzed topic for police and the community. Columbia Heights officers hold the highest regard for the dignity and liberty of all persons and place minimal reliance on the use of force. The police department respects the value of every human life, and the application of deadly force is a measure to be employed in the most extreme circumstances. The Columbia Heights Police Department goes beyond the state and federal reporting requirements to monitor our use of force incidents and ensure compliance with state and federal law and department policy. Click here for Summary Information on the 2022 Use Of Force.
 
2023 Strategic Plan
Since 2009, the CHPD has operated under a Strategic Plan that outlines goals and objectives in support of our overall mission of creating a safe community.  In December 2022, officers, civilian employees, and supervisors reviewed the 2022 Strategic Plan and provided input in developing the new Strategic Plan for 2023.  

We also solicited input from community partners including Neighborhood Watch groups and other residents, members of the Multi-Cultural Advisory Committee, representatives of the School District, businesses, and other city departments in order to assure that the plan is responsive to what the community expects from its Police Department. Click here for the 2023 Strategic Plan.

2021 Annual Report
The 2021 CHPD Annual Report includes a letter from Chief Austin, a description of our major initiatives and awards from the past year, our Community Oriented Policing and Problem-Oriented Policing strategies, an explanation of crime stats, and many cool photos. Click here for the annual report.
 
Training Overview

We as an agency have continued to evolve our training and policies when it comes to police use of force. We as a department hold the highest regard for the dignity and liberty of all persons. Our officers are trained for several years in de-escalation, bias awareness, and crisis intervention to ensure that we are prepared to perform our duties in situations with the least amount of force needed. For more about our training, go here.

Immigration Statement
The Columbia Heights Police Department has not, and will not, be asking for the immigration status of those we come into contact with. As a police agency, it is essential that we have the trust of all of our residents and that we do not have or create barriers to residents wanting to work with us or report crimes.