NOTICE: The information provided in this section does not supersede Department SOG/SOP, General Orders, or Shift Commander decision making; rather meant as general guidance for job decision making. CLICK ON THE BELOW TOPICS TO VIEW THE FAQ. Got a FAQ suggestion? Email it to online@ctownpd.com.
In addition, since we are approaching a new year I want to remind everyone that if you take the first few accidents of the year there should always be four (4) digits behind the year. Example: Case #20220001 would be the first accident of 2022 and so on.
Crash Scene Investigation: Always take photos of each side of all involved vehicles and objects when conducting a crash scene investigation or documentation. Photos should be taken at a 90 degree angle of the vehicle or object, and from an over scene view as well as at a closer distance of six to ten feet. It is also a good idea to take plain view photos of the interior front and back seats of involved vehicles, documenting possible reasons for contributing factors.
Crash Scene photos should be saved, at your earliest convenience; to your CHPD OFFICER FOLDER, creating a FOLDER to separate all by case number.
Disposal Collection: Ammunition voluntarily turned over to the Department by a citizen; that is unwanted, in need of disposal, and NOT connected to a criminal investigation can be secured in a Department Evidence Locker. This ammunition is not packaged or logged in like evidence, however should include a communication which identifies “for disposal” and the submitting officers name.
If you experience a problem completing or reviewing a crash report, stop (leaving the problem on your screen) and call support using the following directions for purposes of effective technical support troubleshooting.
If you need immediate assistance, please contact us at 866-495-4206 (option 2, then option 1) or by email aries.support@lexisnexisrisk.com
Mobile GPS Reset: Mobile GPS is the ability of your Unit location to be seen on the CAD Mobile Map (F10) and Dispatch Center CAD map; except when your status is OFF SHIFT. This is an important officer safety feature; as well as, helpful to dispatch when assisting in locating calls tactically….among other reasons.
The GPS connectivity feature disconnects automatically after eight consecutive hours of a stationary position.
However; since this is an electronic feature; there are times a unit’s GPS connectivity is interrupted.
The following steps (in the following order) can be taken to refresh your GPS connection; any one step may work, if none work notify 519 for further assistance.
-Click on the CHECK IN icon, along the top of Mobile program. Check for your unit on the map.
-Click on UTILITIES, then REGISTER in Mobile. Check for your unit on the map.
-Click the GPS icon at the top of the Mobile program; ensure your computer name is primary. Check for your unit on the map.
-Unplug the USB cable of your unit’s black GPS puck (from the bottom of your tablet dock or laptop); wait 20 seconds, and plug it back in. Check for your unit on the map.
CHARLESTOWN CITY SERVICES DURING BUSINESS HOURS (Animal Control, Streets & Sanitation): 502-297-2387 or 502-523-3650. (Wastewater: 812-256-7131)
CHARLESTOWN CITY SERVICES AFTER HOURS: Including Animal Control / Streets & Sanitation: 502-297-2387 or 502-523-3650.
CHARLESTOWN CITY SERVICES AFTER HOURS: Indiana American Water: 502-664-1675 / Wastewater: 812-256-7131.
The main focus of the position will be to provide support for residents in need of services related to domestic violence, suicide prevention, substance abuse treatment and recovery, general mental health, and financial support.
Contact the current Community Liaison (Courtney Rodewig) at 502-263-3502 (do not give out her cell number to the public) refer them to contact city hall or provide on of her business cards.
Email the Community Liaison at socialworker@cityofcharlestown.com.
More information at https://cityofcharlestown.com/208/Community-Liaison
Initial Stage
For the first 24 to 72 hours, the body undergoes very little observable change. Liquids settle in the tissues, creating lividity, or discoloration on whichever side of the body faces downwards. Rigor mortis locks tendons and muscles in place, and enzymes begin triggering cells to die and break down. Aerobic bacteria inside the body use up the available oxygen and create an ideal environment for the proliferation of anaerobic bacteria which do not require oxygen. Insects may also begin to lay eggs in and on the corpse.
Bacterial Bloat
Once anaerobic bacteria begin to run rampant in the intestinal tract, they produce odoriferous gases that bloat the internal organs. Bloating is particularly apparent in the face. The skin also begins to darken and discolor, taking on a greenish hue, and the expanding gases may rupture the skin and organs. This allows liquids and odors to escape and grants scavengers access to the interior of the corpse. This stage occurs between four and 10 days after death.
Active Decay
During the active decay phase of decomposition, insects and maggots feed on the body, helping break it down even further. The skin blackens. Most of the liquid leaves the body, creating a pool or soaking into the earth. The odor from decay remains very strong. This stage occurs anywhere from 10 to 25 days after death.
Advanced Decay
From around 25 to 50 days after death, the maggots and other insects complete the breaking down of soft tissues, skin and hair, as well as muscles and connective tissue inside the body. Body cohesion breaks down, exposing bones to the environment and possibly allowing them to roll away and scatter. Insect activity begins to die down, as scavengers consume the last remaining nutrients.
Dry Bones
After 50 days or so, the corpse becomes a skeleton. Bones, teeth, hair and dried skin may be present, but with the breakdown of muscle and connective tissue, they may not remain in an identifiable human configuration. Over time, the bones will dry out and become brittle, but may last for centuries or even millennia if protected from the elements.
The Mummification Process
Extremely dry conditions may alter this process, desiccating tissues instead and leaving the skin dry and leathery. The ancient Egyptians encouraged this process by removing wet internal organs and treating the corpse with a salt called natron, a procedure designed to remove extra moisture from a corpse. While full mummification is extremely rare in nature, the right hot and dry conditions may partially preserve a corpse, preventing or forestalling complete disintegration.
Citizens can now go to www.ctownpd.com/send; either using their mobile device or a desktop computer, and easily send digital photos, videos or documents associated to our investigations.
At the CHPD end, we have set up a secure Google Drive location to receive and manage digital photos or videos submitted to www.ctownpd.com/send automatically.
CHPD officers expecting case digital photos, videos or documents from citizens via www.ctownpd.com/send can access the CHPD Google Drive using the following credentials, from any internet connected computer.
CHPD Google Drive URL: www.Google.com/drive
Log in Using: online@ctownpd.com / Password: Chpd@4711!
***Importantly, the above CHPD Google Drive access credentials are strictly confidential to CHPD personnel only and will be considered a breach of department security to provide to anyone else. Regardless, any access to the CHPD Google Drive is trackable and traceable via IP and MAC addressing.
All CHPD Members => CHPD@ctownpd.com
All CHPD Full Time Officers => FullTime@ctownpd.com
All CHPD Reserve Officers => Reserves@ctownpd.com
CHPD BOLO’s, X-Patrols, & Officer Safety => POST@CTOWNPD.COM
CHPD Reports to Prosecutor Case Intake => REPORTS@ctownpd.com
CHPD Crime Tips => CrimeTips@ctownpd.com
Online Requests to CHPD => OnLine@ctownpd.com
All CC911 Employees => Employees@clarkcounty911.com
All CCSO Personnel => 93@clarkcount911.com
All Jeffersonville PD Personnel => Officers@Jeffersonvillepdin.gov
All Clarksville PD Personnel => cpdinfo@clarksvillepolice.com
All Sellersburg PD Personnel => spdofficers@sellersburg-in.gov .
Accessing Department Email: You can log into your email account on any computer with internet connectivity, always remember to LOG OUT when completed, especially on a public computer.
The home page of the department website (www.ctownpd.com) contains a link in the lower right corner labeled “Email Log In”, to make it easy to access your email log in page at http://webmail.ctownpd.com. Log in using your first name initial and full last name in front of @ctownpd.com; and your initial password P@ssword1
Email address example: jsmith@ctownpd.com.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO CHANGE YOUR INITIAL PASSWORD:
Once you have accessed your new email box via http://webmail.ctownpd.com, click on “settings” along the left side menu.
On the SETTINGS menu, click on “PASSWORD” then “CHANGE PASSWORD”. This is where you should change your new email box password as soon as possible for security reasons, replacing the use of the initial password of P@ssword1. Your password should include the following specifications:
Your email password must be 6 to 30 alphanumeric characters in length; with NO SPACES and special characters. Your password must contain at least one lower case letter, one upper case letter, one number and cannot be the same as or contain your last name.
Place the phone into airplane mode (If you’re not familiar with how to do this please refer to the following links);
Apple: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sueZc1dPWxM
Android: https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-turn-on-airplane-mode/
Once you’ve placed the phone into airplane mode complete the evidence bag label and place the device into the bag with the charging port facing the opening, but do not seal the bag or envelope.
A hallway wall shelf has been affixed outside of the Evidence Lab door (on camera) equipped with a charging bank and power cords. Place the phone on the appropriate charging cable while in the bag and place it on the hallway wall shelf adjacent to the Evidence Lab door with the Evidence Property Sheet indicating Shelf E (Evidence Shelf) for the location.
If the connected case is time sensitive, send an email to the Evidence Property Officer indicating that you have placed an evidence phone on the Evidence Shelf for purposes of expedited transfer to the Property Room.
#1 The motor vehicle should be towed (in a manner that preserves any potential physical evidence) to inside City Garage Hut #6 for storage; by the next wrecker agency on CHPD rotation. The motor vehicle should be wrapped in POLICE LINE TAPE for security purposes. The wrecker agency should be informed to bill the tow to CHPD, referenced by the corresponding CHPD Case Number.
#2 The motor vehicle should also be identified and entered as property using a CASE REPORT or CASE SUPPLEMENT (if not connected to a case already submitted).
#3 A CHPD Property / Evidence Entry Form should be completed (including make, model, and VIN) and submitted to the Evidence Processing Room door mailbox; unless keys were recovered with the vehicle. If the recovered motor vehicle’s keys are also recovered, they should handled with gloves at all times, used to lock the recovered motor vehicle within the CHPD Hut, secured in a paper evidence envelope or bag as a separate evidence item, and locked in a Locker B evidence locker with the associated CHPD Property / Evidence Entry Form of both the vehicle and keys.
Note: Motor Vehicles impounded to the City Garage CHPD Hut for evidence processing, will be released to the vehicle’s owner (Case Victim) by CHPD CID personnel when processing is completed. This will prevent victims from being held responsible for tow and storage fees.
Note: Motor Vehicles recovered by CHPD, but reported stolen in any other jurisdiction; should be impounded according to directions attached to the NCIC entry. Recovered stolen vehicles from other agencies that do not have NCIC entry recovery directions/requests; should be impounded by and to the next CHPD rotation wrecker agency. Such vehicles are not logged in as department evidence.
Individuals requesting release of confiscated property or evidence; must be the owner of said property, be ordered its release by a Clark County, Indiana judge, or have legal guardianship or power of attorney over the property owner. Contraband of Indiana law can not be released and will be destroyed according to department policy.
Individuals requesting the release of ANY property confiscated by the Charlestown Police Department; and secured within Department Evidence custody MUST:
First – Compose a written request for release of the property, identifying the property as clearly as possible (make, model and serial number if possible), the date when or under what department case number it was confiscated; as well as, return contact information (name, address and phone number).
Secondly – The composed written request should then be forwarded to the attention of the Department Evidence Property Manager via email to cledbetter@ctownpd.com, faxed (812-256-7128), mailed or hand delivered to 703 Main Street, Charlestown, IN 47111.
For additional information, please refer to: http://www.ctownpd.com/release
CHPD Operations Fax (Squad Room): 812-256-7300
CHPD Administration Fax (Admin Nook): 812-256-7128.
The following guidelines should be practiced by all radio users to facilitate Clark County LE Communication efficiency.
1- Please do not use the SERVICE channel for general questions regarding a call you are dispatched on; as the SERVICE channel dispatcher is normally busy triaging NCIC/IDACS activity for all agencies and all other active calls, and most likely will not readily have the information being requested. Such general questions should be requested on the MAIN DISPATCH channel or via CAD Chat.
2- When a call has been assigned to a channel (either via Signal 100 or an assigned Ops channel); ALL radio traffic for that call, INCLUDING NCIC/IDACS radio traffic, should be conducted on that assigned channel INSTEAD OF LEAVING THE ASSIGNED CHANNEL, such as SERVICE to run something or someone. Note that an assigned channel (either Signal 100 or an assigned Ops channel) also assigns a dedicated dispatcher to the entire call; and it is a officer safety issue on such calls to have officers moving channels.
3- While on a call, if ISP is assisting and decides to take an arrest or take the call over, NCIC/IDACS hit confirmations (if relevant) need to be handled between the ISP officer and their dispatch center, and not CC911. If CC911 is performing NCIC/IDACS hit confirmations for other agency actions, it causes NCIC/IDACS security policy and procedure issues; as well as action redundancy and documentation confusion.
4- Use CAD whenever safe and practical…..Dispatchers CAD system seeing what you update in MOBILE. EXAMPLE: Use Self Dispatch in CAD to go Enroute, instead/in addition to the radio whenever safely and tactically possible; Use CAD instead of the radio to go On Scene; When clearing from a call; use CAD instead of the radio; During emergency calls, traditional use of the radio (instead of CAD, as directed above) is acceptable. Tactical and emergency response is more important than CAD protocols when warranted. However, when CAD can be used safely and tactically; especially on Medium and Low Priority calls; we are all more efficient.
5- When using the radio to call in a Traffic Stop; use the following method: PLATE, STATE, & LOCATION (Vehicle Color, Make, and Model are optional) Example: “Radio-D19 Traffic Stop” (wait for response), “WILLIAM-BAKER-DAVID-321 – INDIANA – 900 BLOCK OF MARKET STREET”
6- When giving a DATE OF BIRTH over the radio, provide it in the following order: YEAR-MONTH-DAY Example: “1969-12-18”
An Radio Portable Operational training video is available at http://www.ctownpd.com/refresh.
The City of Charlestown and Charlestown Police Department recognizes the value of the above outlined reasons, and have created a Safe Exchange Zone in the east parking lot of police headquarters, located at 703 Main Street, in Charlestown. Two parking spaces have been marked and posted reserved for the purpose of safe exchange; available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week without reservation. The Charlestown Safe Exchange Zone parking spaces, have good lighting at night, plenty of space, and most importantly, high definition video surveillance; everyday around the clock. These Safe Exchange Zone parking spaces are provided free of charge; on a first-come, first-use basis, and with the ability to request a copy of video footage of any transaction use.
It is important to remember, as posted at these parking spaces, that the Charlestown Police Department Safe Exchange Zone is not manned by department personnel; so, in the event a transaction becomes perilous, a 911 phone call should be made to summons police for assistance. Transaction video footage copies can be requested via email, noting the appropriate date and time of the transaction, to online@ctownpd.com.
Each Department patrol unit should maintain a portable bio-hazard sharps container for safe syringe disposal. Once full, portable sharps containers should be turned into the CHPD Evidence Property Officer for replacement. If locked in the Locker B evidence lockers, please ensure your unit number is marked on the container; or replacement will be delayed.
Evidence Collection: “Syringe” is the proper term to describe a hypodermic needle with a plunger system. The lab will not process items equipped with a needle (including a syringe), collect as evidence (using a sharps evidence tube) only if its contents need to be flushed and submitted to the lab for identification by CHPD CID. Otherwise, simply photograph and dispose of the syringe properly; for a charge such as Possession of a Syringe or Paraphernalia.
Unit # | Assigned | Description | Marked / Unmarked | Unit # | Assigned | Description | Marked / Unmarked | |
4036 | 558 | 2020 Black Ford Responder F150 | Unmarked | 8469 | Line #2 | 2018 Blue Ford Interceptor SUV | Unmarked | |
3375 | 572 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV K9 | Marked | 3959 | 546 | 2018 Black Chevy Silverado Pickup | Unmarked | |
3373 | 564 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 3041 | 560 | 2017 Silver Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | |
3370 | 570 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 4061 | 529 | 2017 Dark Grey Ford Interceptor SUV | Unmarked | |
3376 | 566 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 0241 | Line #1 | 2016 Grey Dodge Charger | Marked | |
3372 | 532 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 2596 | 549 | 2014 Grey Dodge Charger | Marked | |
3371 | 574 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 2597 | 2014 Grey Dodge Charger | Marked | ||
3374 | 576 | 2020 Black Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 7518 | 545 | 2014 Grey Dodge Charger | Marked | |
5499 | 556 | 2019 Dark Gray Chevy Tahoe SUV | Unmarked | 5729 | Line #3 | 2013 Black Dodge Charger | Unmarked | |
2154 | 544 | 2018 Gray Ford Interceptor Sedan | Unmarked | 5728 | Line #4 | 2013 Dk Grey Dodge Charger | Unmarked | |
8466 | 554 | 2018 Silver Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 6060 | 519 | 2013 Dark Grey Chevy Tahoe 4×4 SUV | Unmarked | |
8467 | 552 | 2018 Silver Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | |||||
8468 | 548 | 2018 Silver Ford Interceptor SUV | Marked | 1688 | Line | 2019 Blue Honda Pioneer 700 UTV | Marked |
Powell’s Towing, 304 S. IN 62, New Washington, IN 47126 (812) 293-4224.
Furnish Towing & Recovery, 101 S. Ferguson St., Henryville, IN 47126 (812) 294-1191.