DEXTER -- Steps are being taken at the recently restructured Dexter Police Department to increase safety throughout the schools and community.
"We now have two captains; you have a captain (Hank Trout) that runs the detective division, which is associated with the SRO (school-resource officer)," explained Trevor Pulley, who was appointed police chief May 14 after having served as acting chief prior to that time. He previously had headed up the department's detective division since 2002.
Pulley said the second captain, Josh Benton, oversees patrol, dispatch and field operations.
Along with the restructuring, "we are implementing programs that we have not had for several years," Pulley said.
For the SRO program, he said, the city, police department and Dexter School District are "working hand-in-hand to implement this program."
Both the city and school, according to Pulley, will benefit from the SRO program and jointly are funding it.
"The school is going to benefit by having a trained, experienced officer in the district, which is going to help the district and kids," Pulley explained. "It's going to benefit us to have an officer out there as well.
"The city of Dexter and Dexter schools are very enthusiastic about having that SRO on campus."
The department, Pulley said, also is going to re-establish its canine program.
Pulley said he has spoken with the city administrator and attorney about the program and will be seeking donations to fund it.
In addition to those programs, Pulley said, the department also has been hosting special training for its officers, as well as other officers in the area.
"We are using our (Dexter) Chamber of Commerce facility (which) has been very gracious enough to let us use that facility for training," at no cost, Pulley said.
In May, he said, the department hosted an advanced drug detection class (patrol officers' response to street drugs) through the Midwest Counter Drug Training Center.
Thirty-five officers from all over the area, including as far away at St. Louis and Kansas, attended the three-day class, Pulley aid.
"We put on training for 35 other officers, and we had five officers go to that training" for free, Pulley said.
Last week, he said, the department also hosted search-and-seizure training put on by Stoddard County Prosecuting Attorney Russ Oliver.
"It was probably one of the best search-and-seizure classes I've been to," Pulley said. "(Oliver) is very knowledgeable about search-and-seizure law and is a very, very good trainer."
Pulley said Dexter's officers were joined by officers with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and other Stoddard County agencies in attending the training.
"For us, we could send an officer off to St. Louis or Columbia," Pulley said. "We have to pay for the class; we have to pay for the hotel. We have to pay for meals and gas.
"Here, we trained our entire patrol (division) and detectives on search and seizures in one day at no cost."
Oliver, he said, was "very gracious" and didn't charge anything for putting on the class.
Pulley said the department will be hosting two more training classes throughout the summer, both of which will be opened up to agencies all around Dexter.
Dexter's officers, he said, will attend, "so the city benefits from us hosting the training" as it allows the department to "better train our officers" at no cost.
According to Pulley, the Dexter Police Department always has strived to keep up with technology.
"We are one of the few departments that still does a lot of computer and cellphone forensics," said Pulley. "If you don't stay up with technology, you fall behind."
Pulley said the department will continue "staying up with the times, staying up with the trends."
One thing that has been implemented to help the department's patrol officers is the use of "outer carriers," which can be taken off and on quickly and are more comfortable for them, Pulley said.
Within a matter of seconds an officer now can remove the tactical uniform outer carrier, which contains the ballistic vest.
"That's what we mean by keeping up with technology and keeping up with trends to provide for the comfort and safety of the officers," Pulley said.
While a number of changes have been made and programs implemented since Pulley took the helm, he said, his future plans include making "sure the SRO program continues and grows" and "the canine is established and is used properly and effectively within the city of Dexter."
Pulley also looks forward to working with the city and community leaders to see what the department can do to assist them.
The police department, Pulley said, is fortunate to have the city and community supporting it.
What's happening at the department, Pulley said, is not about him.
"The department is not one person; the department is every employee here," Pulley said. "That's what makes a good department," as does the "police department and city working together."