"Since law enforcement agencies began partnering with citizens through community policing, we've seen significant drops in crime rates."
- John Ashcroft

Lieutenant James Steffens
Patrol District Commander
Clearwater Police Department

Lieutenant Steffens joined the Clearwater Police Department in 1988.  He specialized as a Community Policing officer, a Burglary/Grand Theft Detective and a Robbery/Homicide Detective before being promoted to Sergeant in 1997.  He then supervised various personnel in the patrol division while serving as the supervisor of the North Greenwood Neighborhood Community Policing Patrol Team. In 2000 he was selected to become the Personnel & Training Unit Supervisor chiefly responsible for police recruitment/hiring and all sworn departmental training. 

Promoted to Lieutenant in 2001, Lieutenant Steffens took command of the Special Operations Section responsible for many high liability units including but not limited to The Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT); The Emergency Response Team (ERT) and The Canine Team (K-9).  He served as an operational member of SWAT from 1991-2006. His SWAT tenure took the path of Perimeter Operator, Entry Operator, Assistant Team Leader, Team Leader, Assistant Commander and then Team Commander (4 ½ years).  His command assignment changed in 2006 to Patrol District Commander of the District II/West Side of the city.  There he helped spearhead a City Patrol Watch Commander pilot program to help promote permanent evening shift commanders.  His command consists of sixty-four (64) patrol officers supervised by eleven (11) sergeants.

In 1999 he became an adjunct instructor for The St. Petersburg College in conjunction with The Florida Regional Community Policing Institute (RCPI).  His two main disciplines are Community Policing based Problem Solving and Introduction to Community Policing.   He previously instructed for the Pinellas County SWAT for approximately nine years. 

He holds numerous training certifications, citations/commendations and is a three-time recipient of the Supervisor of the Year Award (FOP Lodge #10).  He is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Pinellas. 

Rev. 11/10/07