Mission Statement

The Officers of the Odessa Police Department aspire to provide the highest quality police services to the citizens of Odessa to ensure a safe, peaceful, and productive community. We are dedicated to maintaining the highest standards of professional ethics and integrity so that we may enforce the ordinance of the City of Odessa, the laws of the State of Texas, and the United States of America fairly and equitable to all.

Value Statement

As law enforcement professionals dedicated to service to the citizens of the City of Odessa we value:

  • Operational Excellence
  • Dedication and Innovation
  • Ethics and Integrity
  • Service and Respect
  • Safe and Secure Community
  • Accountability and Responsibility

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OPD is made up of three bureaus:

Administration Bureau 

Field Operations Bureau 

Special Operations Bureau


Organizational Chart

Our History

Fallen Heroes


OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE:

The Chief of Police serves as the chief administrator of the Odessa Police Department, is responsible for policy development, control, supervision, and program implementation of this Department and is accountable for the effective delivery of police services to the community. The Chief’s Office is the command center of the Department and administrates the Department’s annual budget.

Directly under supervision of the Chief is the:

  • Administrative Deputy Chief
  • Legal Advisor
  • Operations Deputy Chief
  • Personnel Specialist
  • Police Chaplain
  • Research and Grants Specialist
  • Senior Administrative Assistant


Chief Mike Gerke

Message from Chief Mike Gerke

Odessa is a unique community, situated in West Texas approximately 4-hours from major metropolitan areas. Odessa has grown into an Oasis in the desert and is home to a thriving economic hub of Oil and Gas activity. The Odessa Police Department was founded in 1936 with just one Police Officer serving a population of 2,407. Today, we are an agency with over 240 members, and we serve a rapidly growing population of 130,000. Annually OPD responds to an estimated 270,000 calls for service.

You will find throughout our various web, mobile, and social media platforms, OPD strives to be an engaged agency heavily involved with the community we serve. Each one of our employees takes pride in what they do, they act with integrity and honesty in every facet of our daily functions and maintain steadfast loyalty to our agency’s mission of ensuring a peaceful and productive community. We strive constantly to be highly trained, progressive, and lead the way in law enforcement best practices. Our goal is to ensure those that live, work, and visit Odessa, do so safely and enjoyably.

Please explore all that our agency has to offer, we are proud to host an advanced Law Enforcement Academy doing amazing things with regards to training and fostering the growth of our officers and staff. A Real-Time Intelligence Center serving the Permian basin region and offering advanced technology to bring timely resolutions to crimes committed in our community and region. These are just a few examples of the amazing things our agency is proud of, with countless more to share.

At any time, please do not hesitate to contact any of our staff members for assistance.

Michael Gerke, Chief of Police
Odessa Police Department

ADMINISTRATION BUREAU

Records Unit

The Records Unit is responsible for the data entry and maintenance of all reported offenses for our City.

Supply

The Supply Unit's responsibilities include the issuance of uniforms, duty gear, and other equipment and supplies necessary for the day-to-day operation of the sworn and civilian staff.

Community Relations

Discover the Community Relations Division and learn more about how they serve the Odessa community.

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 Citizen's on Patrol

Citizen's Police Academy

Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE)

National Night Out

Neighborhood Watch

Odessa Teddy Bear Patrol

Police Athletic League

Security Assessments



FIELD OPERATIONS BUREAU

The Field Operations Bureau is the largest of the three bureaus and is commanded by Deputy Chief Matthew Davidson with the assistance of Captain Darryl Smith.

Annually the Operations Bureau members respond to all Emergency and Non-Emergency requests for service from citizen and mutual aid agencies. Many members of our department serve in multiple roles, whether that be on the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, Crisis Negotiations, Hazardous Devices Unit, Drone Unit, or any one of the many other specialized positions our agency maintains. 

The primary mission of the Field Operations Bureau is the prevention and detection of crime and the protection of life and property of all citizens. We understand that each staff member has a unique impact on our community and the lives of those we serve. Our staff are held to the highest standards related to professionalism, ethics, integrity, and decency. We take pride in maintaining a staff dedicated to maintaining a safe and secure community, which many call home for their families.

The Field Operations Unit is comprised of the:

SPECIAL OPERATIONS BUREAU

The mission of the Special Operations Bureau is the prevention and detection of crime and the protection of life and property of all citizens.

Members of this Bureau include Detectives and Investigators who fully investigate incidents that are generated from 911 Calls and Citizen Reports, as well as proactive enforcement of other crimes. 

Members of this division can hold multiple positions within the agency, being assigned to Specialized Teams such as SWAT, Hazardous Devices, Crisis Negotiation, and others. Additional assignments can include assignment as a Task Force Officer for various federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Marshals, Homeland Security Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, and others as deemed necessary. These assignments can vary in responsibility and time commitment. 

The Special Operations Bureau is comprised of the following Units: