The Patrol Division maintains four shifts or watches under the direction of a Watch Commander (Lieutenant). The Day Watch begins at 7:00 AM and ends at 3:30 PM. The Night Watch is from 3:00 PM to 11:30 PM. The "Lobster" Shift is from 6:00 PM to 2:30 AM.  The Morning Watch begins at 11:00 PM and concludes at 7:30 AM. Work shifts are assigned on a permanent basis, with work shift selection occurring by seniority.

Once assigned, Patrol Officers are responsible for the general policing of their beat, including the enforcement of traffic laws, city ordinances, criminal statutes and civil violations. They are also responsible for the investigation of motor vehicle accidents and most crimes committed on their beat. Comprehensive reports on all of their police activities is required.

Patrol Officers may also be required to perform other duties as deemed necessary by their supervisors. These duties might include directing traffic during parades or at the scenes of major traffic accidents, crowd control at fire scenes, securing crime scenes, etc.

Patrol Officers are required to submit quarterly work plans outlining their goals and objectives to their immediate supervisors. They frequently meet with their supervisors to discuss progress made meeting their goals and objectives. During these counseling sessions, areas of deficiency are pointed out and strategies are developed to assist the officers to more effectively carry out their duties. A formal evaluation is conducted on an annual basis. Police work is a continuous learning process and these performance evaluations have proven very helpful in terms of career development.