General Information

Gainesville Police Department

Protect & Serve

The Gainesville Police Department provides the City of Gainesville with emergency and non-emergency service 24 hours a day to more than 40,000 city residents and an estimated 150,000 visitors every day. Our jurisdiction covers approximately 40 square miles and includes houses and apartment complexes, businesses and industrial parks, recreational facilities, including parks on and around Lake Lanier, several:

  • Airport
  • Churches
  • Golf Courses
  • Numerous Strip Malls
  • Schools
  • Shopping Centers

Multi-Faceted Professional Public Safety Organization

We are a multi-faceted professional public safety organization serving a fast-paced, multi-cultural, and rapidly growing community. In 2022, officers responded to approximately 99,030 calls for service and 3,697 motor vehicle crashes. The Gainesville Police Department employs a total of 119 employees. All Gainesville Police Department officers are certified by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council and must complete 20-hours of training annually to maintain their certifications and their powers of arrest. The department is nationally accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Incorporated and is state-certified by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

Headquarters

The headquarters of the Gainesville Police Department is located at 701 Queen City Parkway, Gainesville, GA 30501 in the Gainesville Justice Center. The department also maintains a precinct at the Featherbone Communiversity located on Chestnut Street.

Staff

The Gainesville Police Department is headed by Chief Jay Parrish. A Deputy Chief, two Police Captains, who serve as bureau directors, are assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief. The bureau directors oversee the Operations Bureau and the Support Services Bureau within the police department.

Crime Prevention Programs

The department has developed and implemented a number of crime prevention programs. We utilize a community-oriented policing approach as a positive step in the development of both a working relationship and a communications network between our department and the community.

Police Traffic Services Unit (P.T.S.U.)

The police department maintains a Police Traffic Services Unit (P.T.S.U.), aimed at reducing the severity and number of motor vehicle crashes and fatalities in the City of Gainesville. The Police Traffic Services Unit utilizes the latest in law enforcement technology to ensure safer commutes for motorist traveling within our community.

Community Relations Unit

The Community Relations Unit is a component of the department tasked to work diligently to provide suggestions and update practices used for the security of persons and property, the preservation of public tranquility, educating and training the community and businesses, and remaining active in public organizations and community functions.

Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention takes a proactive approach to prevent criminal activity. The belief that preventing a crime from occurring being far less costly than investigating and prosecuting the criminal remains the standard in the industry of crime prevention

The Uniform Patrol Division is the backbone of the agency. Patrol responds to 911 calls, takes initial incident reports, patrols our community, and generally serve as the initial representative of Gainesville Police Department.

Specialty Units

The Gainesville Police Department prides itself in being able to work cohesively with other county, state, and federal agencies. Partnerships built over the years allow for specialty units, such as the following assignments:

  • Canine Teams
  • Crime Scene
  • Criminal Investigations
  • Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad
  • School Resource Officer Program
  • FBI/DEA Task Force positions
  • Hall County SWAT Team members
  • Georgia State Patrol Aviation Tactical Flight Officer partnership

Commitment

The Gainesville Police Department is committed to providing professional law enforcement and public safety services and we strive daily to provide those services to all citizens of and visitors to our city through the prudent allocation of resources the community has entrusted to us.