Operations Bureau

The Operations Bureau is made up of the Patrol and Detective Divisions, with a total complement of 82 full-time and 13 part-time personnel. Each Division is managed by a Lieutenant.  Operations personnel are shown above during an inspection.

Some of the Specialty assignments to the Operations Bureau include:

Dive Rescue Team
Special Response Unit (S.R.U.)
Hostage Negotiation Team (H.N.T.)
Range/Firearms Training Team
K-9
D.A.R.E.

Kootenai County covers 1,310 square miles. 396 square miles (30%) of Kootenai County is Federal Land managed by either the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management. Kootenai County shares the Law Enforcement responsibilities of these areas with other agencies. More than 135,000 people live in Kootenai County. The Operations Bureau managed a $6,346,978 budget in 2008.

With a county the size of ours, with 18 lakes, 54 miles of navigable rivers, nearly 250,000 acres of national forest land and a residential population in excess of 135,000, law enforcement duties are a daunting task. As a destination location for regional, national, and international travelers, the law enforcement responsibilities increase significantly. The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department works diligently to meet the needs of residents and visitors alike, but is limited by resource constraints.