Captain Keith Touchberry

Chief

Keith M. Touchberry
Captain, Support Services Bureau Commander – Vero Beach Police Department

Captain Touchberry began his law enforcement career in 1989 after serving 18 months in the US Army Reserve and six years of active duty in the US Marine Corps Infantry.  During his career, he served as a uniform patrol officer, police dog handler and trainer, swat team member, uniform corporal, uniform and detective sergeant, and uniform and support lieutenant.  In September 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned to command the Operations Bureau.  In November 2009, he was transferred to his current assignment as the Support Services Bureau Commander. 

Captain Touchberry has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Organizational Management from Warner Southern College in Lake Wales Florida, and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Central Florida.  He is also a graduate of the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officers Course in Louisville, Kentucky and the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute’s Future Police Chief’s Seminar. 

Captain Touchberry is a member of the Florida Police Chiefs Association, Treasure Coast Chief’s and Sheriff’s Association, Indian River State College Criminal Justice Advisory Committee, University of Central Florida Alumni Association, and the Southern Police Institute Alumni Association.  He is also an adjunct instructor at the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne Florida teaching undergraduate level courses in criminal justice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Support Services Bureau

The Support Services Bureau keeps the police department connected to the community. Support Services encompasses emergency and non-emegency communictions between patrol and the citizens. It provides community outreach programs and supports patrol with intelligence and evidence gathering from many areas.

Crime Scene
The Crime Scene Unit is a group of highly trained technicians, all of whom are expertly proficient in the use of specialized equipment and procedures associated with forensic identification based techniques. The CSU was created to address concerns that have become more prevalent in today’s society.


Property and Evidence
The Property and Evidence technician is responsible for maintaining and ensuring the integrity in the chain of possession. This information is maintained in a computer data system, that includes cases that range from simple vandalism to homicide.


Communications
The communication Division is known as the heartbeat of the police department. This division is comprised of 10 full-time communications officers. These officers are responsible for answering citizen calls through the 911 and non-emergency phone systems. These calls for service are then dispatched to road patrol officers, or transferred to detectives, the administrative staff, and civilian staff as needed. 


Record Management
The Records Management section consists of two records clerks who annually process thousands of documents that pertain to many facets of police operations. These reports are correlated and disseminated to various agencies and divisions throughout the department, county, state, and nation. The ability to retrieve information on past crimes is vital to police officers. Traffic citations, crime reports, and crash investigations are among the numerous items archived by the Records Management personnel.


Information Systems
The Information Systems section is responsible for maintaining all department electronic hardware and software systems, and also handles the training of all department personnel involved with the usage of the Records Management System, the CAD Dispatch System, the Booking and Mug-shot Identification System, the Property and Evidence System, the Parking Ticket System, the Case Management System, the False Alarm Billing System, the Sexual Predator Tracking and Notification System, and the Internet Access System.


Community Services Division
The Community Services Division is responsible for crime prevention seminars and organizing neighborhood crime watch services. Community Services also hosts several community events each year, which promote safety tips and crime prevention tactics.


Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
D.A.R.E. teaches kids how to recognize and resist the direct and subtle pressures that influence them to experiment with alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs. And since between 70% and 90% of all crime is drug related, it is absolutely vital that we reach the children of America before it is too late. The Vero Beach Police Department teaches the D.A.R.E. program to 5 area schools. Throughout the years students have learned the value of remaining drug, alcohol, tobacco and violence free. The D.A.R.E. program is a ten-week course where students learn how to avoid risky situations and different ways to say “No” to drugs, alcohol, tobacco and violence. Each ten-week course culminates with each student writing an essay where they express what they have learned from D.A.R.E. and why they will remain drug, alcohol, tobacco, and violence free. Each class then participates in a graduation ceremony where friends and family celebrate each student’s decision to live a healthy lifestyle. To all the previous graduates of the Vero Beach D.A.R.E. program congratulations to all that you have accomplished. For all future students of Vero Beach be prepared to learn an important lesson that will help you succeed in life.