Joplin Police Department


The Joplin Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for serving the city of Joplin in the U.S. state of Missouri.The Joplin Police Department currently employs 112 Police Officers. The department maintains a fleet of Ford Police Interceptors and Ford Explorers. The Joplin Police Department is the largest law enforcement agency in Jasper County, Missouri.

Department structure and history

The Joplin Police Department was created in 1873, and is responsible for providing law enforcement services to a major population center in Southwest Missouri encompassing approximately 50,000 city residents and 200,000 daily visitors through its patrol, investigations, administration, special enforcement, and support services bureaus which report to the Chief of Police, and previously the Police Marshal. According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, 19 officers have been killed in the line of duty in the department's history.
Officers are issued Glock pistols for the primary sidearm.

Marshals and chiefs

Individuals who have served as marshal or chief of the Joplin Police Department since its creation in 1873 have included the following