Bolivar Police Department

When officers in Bolivar, Tennessee respond to an emergency, two voluntary registries can tell them what to expect before they arrive. The SAFE program, short for Special Assistance for Emergencies, flags homes where responders may meet a person with autism or another communication barrier, and the Dementia and Alzheimer Safety Registration Form gives first responders key details about a resident living with memory loss. The department's Trunk Treasures initiative, begun in 2019, puts a surprise toy in the hands of children who are in the car during a traffic stop and hands out treats at random on patrol, so a child's encounter with police is less frightening. That same year Bolivar launched its first Citizens Police Academy, with classes on basic law enforcement, traffic law and 911 communications plus demonstrations and hands-on exercises. Day to day, officers handle traffic administration and control, street safety, narcotics detection and investigations, run public safety education for children, youth and adults, and report crime data through the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's incident-based reporting system. Residents can pass along concerns confidentially through the department's email and telephone tip lines.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Bolivar city, TN has an estimated population of 5,171.