Calls for service can come in to the City of Beacon Police Department through our main telephone line, (845) 831-4111, through Dutchess County 911, or in person. Each call we receive that requires a police response is voice recorded and a blotter entry is made in our Department’s electronic record management system. The blotters note the information of the caller (should that be given), the location and type of call for service, the officers assigned and when they were dispatched, arrived and departed, and a brief description of what happened and what the officer(s) did. When a call for service involves a crime, an auto accident or a domestic incident, or is a more serious incident, various standardized New York State reports will be completed.
When a crime is alleged, the Department member responding will conduct a thorough investigation to determine if reasonable cause exists to believe that an offense occurred and if a suspect can be identified. If there is probable cause to believe that the suspect committed the offense and the suspect is still on the scene or can quickly be located, the suspect might be arrested at that time. Should the suspect be gone from the scene and cannot be quickly located, an arrest may later be made based on the complaint or an arrest warrant might be sought. Felony offenses and some misdemeanor offenses, particularly those that require a more prolonged or extensive investigation or crime scene evidence to be collected, are turned over to the Detective Bureau for investigation. If a suspect cannot be identified, the case will remain open and any leads which are discovered will be followed.
If the call is one of the many that we respond to that does not involve a crime, the Officers will do what they can to resolve the situation and assist those involved. This often involves mediating the situation between the parties, taking reports or assisting someone with getting medical or mental health services.