In an effort to more efficiently react to violent crime, the Durham Police Department has created a Special Investigations Division, which began operations Oct. 1.
The division will respond to these incidents by deploying the needed number of officers from across Durham-not just the local police district.
The Special Investigations Division officers will also be the first to respond in case of a riot.
None of the officers are new hires. Instead they come from several specialized groups including the Selective Enforcement Team, the anti-gang squad and the liaison of the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
The division's 33 officers will only work in Special Investigations when needed and will continue to perform their usual duties.
DPD formed the division after a stray bullet found 56-year-old Nathaniel Barnes as he drove through a gun battle on Fayetteville Street in August, said Capt. Lee Russ, who coordinates the Special Investigations Division.
"The community and the district were crying for help," Russ said. "We needed to move in a group of officers to stabilize that area."
Barnes remains in fair condition at Duke Hospital.
Before DPD established the new unit, each of the five policing districts were responsible for the disturbances in their particular areas.
Often during periods of unrest, uniformed district personnel may have been too busy to devote an adequate amount of their time and attention to all their obligations, Russ said. "The captain in each district is responsible for everything in their district and sometimes they're overwhelmed. The district commanders were always needing help," Russ said.
Police spokesman Lt. Ed Sarvis said he did not think the new division's dependence on officers from other units would affect the divisions from which the officers were culled.
Although the officers will now be working under a different commander, their job descriptions will not change, Russ added.
The Special Investigations Division will not only respond to situations of unrest as they arise, but may also target high-crime areas.
"If a neighborhood or district commander had identified a problem, then we would move into that area, but not necessarily all 33 officers," Russ said.
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