Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Executive Branch: Handles all functions of critical importance to the department, or which have high community concern
- Administrative Services: interacts with the Town of Atoka to coordinate hiring, benefits, capital projects and purchases; Court
- Patrol Operations: The uniformed, most visible division of the department. Plans and manages Atoka's emergency procedures.
- Investigative Services: responsible for investigating all felony crimes; drug liaison units.
- Training: Trains, reviews complaints, policies, and trains new hires.
- State law requires drivers of vehicles involved in traffic crashes resulting in death, injury, or property damage of $50 or more to immediately notify the nearest law enforcement agency.
If you or any involved party are injured in a crash, call 9-1-1 and an officer will respond.
Atoka Police Department officers will always respond to crashes that:
- Result in injury or death, or with a trapped or incapacitated individual
- Involve a suspected intoxicated or impaired driver (alcohol, drugs or medical condition)
- Involve an uninsured or unlicensed driver
- Result in a disabled vehicle in or on the roadway
- Involve a disorderly or uncooperative party, or a general disturbance
- Involve a Hazmat situation
(MINOR, NON-INJURY CRASHES)
Drivers involved in a minor, non-injury crash should still call 9-1-1 or the non-emergency number at 901-475-4300. However, effective February 2022, call takers might not dispatch an officer if it does not require police response based on the circumstances.
It is preferred that drivers involved in minor, non-injury crashes move their vehicles out of the roadway to a safe location and do the following:
• Politely exchange information with the other involved party or parties
• Take detailed cell phone photos of damage
• Share the applicable information with respective insurance companies
• File the required documents with the state
(PRIVATE PROPERTY CRASHES)
YOU MUST REPORT YOUR CRASH TO THE TENESSEEE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY
Per T.C.A 55-10-107, Tennessee law requires that you must file, or have filed in your behalf, a personal accident report with the Department of Safety if you were involved in a crash as an owner or driver involving death or injury, or in which damage to property was in excess of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1500) to any person involved or damage to state or local government was in excess of four hundred dollars ($400). This report is required regardless of who was at fault and in addition to any report filed by an investigating officer.
Failure to file a personal accident report with the Department of Safety shall result in the suspension of driver license and registrations or nonresident operating privileges of any person involved in an accident.
Your report must be submitted to the Department of Safety within twenty (20) days from the crash in order to avoid the proposed suspension of your driving and registration privileges.
You can satisfy this requirement by downloading, printing and completing the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Owner / Driver Report form, which can be found below.
Click here for Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Owner / Driver Report form
Microsoft Word - SF-0395 DEC 18 (tn.gov)
The completed form should be sent to:
TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY
P.O. BOX 945
NASHVILLE, TN 37202
- To obtain a copy of a Traffic Collision report, you must be listed as the driver, passenger, or an authorized representative of one of the people listed in the report or someone filing a claim. Traffic Collisions are available 48 hours after the incident at the Atoka Police Department Headquarters. There is a minor fee for this service.
- To obtain a copy of a Crime report, you must provide a case number or other uniquely related information to assist in identifying the incident. The report may be released if it is not still under investigation, restricted, or contains Juvenile or otherwise Confidential information.
- If you are an Arrested party on a police report and charges are filed by the 25th Judicial District Attorney’s Office in Tipton County, the District Attorney’s Office will provide a copy of the police report to your attorney at the arraignment hearing. If you are not represented by an attorney, the District Attorney’s Office will provide a copy of the report to you at the arraignment hearing.
- Do not go to the District Attorney’s Office to request a copy of the police report.
- If a juvenile is listed on the police report as a suspect, is arrested, or the activity may result in dependency procedures, you can only obtain a copy after a juvenile case is adjudicated or the case is closed. The report is obtained through the Atoka Police Department and due to confidentiality laws, the report will be redacted since it deals with a juvenile.
You will need current/valid identification to receive a report.
You will need to complete a request form, which states your interest in the police report. Please include the case number or detailed information to assist us in determining the correct case number.
If applicable: Make your certified check or money order payable to the Town of Atoka. We also accept most major credit cards when you come in person. NO PERSONAL CHECKS ACCEPTED.
You will need current/valid identification to receive a report.
- Impounded vehicles are NO LONGER recovered at the Police Department. You will need to respond to the actual Tow Yard to pay the fees and recover the vehicle. To recover the vehicle, note the following:
- The vehicle must be currently registered.
- The vehicle will only be released to the licensed registered or legal owner. (Title or some other proof of legal ownership will be required)
- If the registered owner does not have a valid driver’s license, he or she, will need a State of Tennessee identification card, or another acceptable form of identification, and accompanied by a valid, licensed driver.
- With the registered owner’s consent, a vehicle release can be issued to another licensed driver.
- There are, however, occasions that your vehicle may be impounded or seized by the Atoka Police Department. You must call the Atoka Police Department to pay the assessed fines and storage fees associated with your arrest. The same proof of ownership and driver's license will be required as above.
- If your Vehicle was:
- TOWED ONLY: NO APD FEE – No vehicle release is necessary, go directly to the tow company to get your vehicle.
- IMPOUNDED: (TOW FEE) plus any additional fees as specified by Atoka Police Department.
- Additional Fees:
- If specialty equipment was used by wrecker service, those costs will be forwarded to owner.
You will be given the tow company’s name and phone number to call for the tow company’s payment policy on scene.
- The vehicle will be impounded.
- The owner of the vehicle is responsible for storage fees.
- The vehicle must be currently registered.
- The vehicle will only be released to the licensed registered or legal owner. (Title or some other proof of legal ownership will be required)
- If the registered owner does not have a valid driver’s license, he or she, will need a State of Tennessee identification card, or another acceptable form of identification, and accompanied by a valid, licensed driver.
- With the registered owner’s consent, a vehicle release can be issued to another licensed driver.
- Do not drive if you have a suspended driver’s license, unless your type of suspension states you can drive under certain circumstances. Please observe those restrictions.
- Keep your vehicle registration up-to-date. If your vehicle is not up to date with its registration, do not park it on a public street.
- Do not loan your vehicle to an unlicensed driver or a person with a suspended driver’s license. You will be financially responsible.
- Do not operate the vehicle if you are not appropriately licensed. Certain vehicles require special driver’s licenses, such as motorcycles.
- Do not park your unattended vehicle on a public street for more than 10 days. After 10 days, any vehicle, if it is not moved, can be impounded as an abandoned vehicle.
Better yet, to make it easy, go to our Municipal Court tab on the left of this screen. There will be links to assist you in fulfilling your obligation.
If you think you or someone you know has a Shelby County Warrant, look at the following link to determine if there is an active warrant:
SCSO Warrant Search
In the event you know of someone who is a fugitive of justice, please call 901-475-4300 to report and our officers will help them back on the path of getting this matter cleared up.
You will need to contact another local law enforcement agency or a private company that provide such services.
Any property turned in gets inventoried into our property and evidence room. You can call 901-837-5302 to see if we have your property. Confiscated property is also located in our property/evidence room. To retrieve your property, you must make an appointment with an investigator before coming to the police department.
The Atoka Police Department auctions surplus, found, stolen, abandoned/unclaimed and seized items through an online auction company called GovDeals. GovDeals holds auctions on an ongoing basis and potential buyers can access the site 24 hours a day, seven day a week. Auction items may include vehicles, bicycles, electronics, jewelry, sporting or musical equipment, clothing, tools, and collector items. To view items currently at auction from the Atoka Police Department, please look to the GovDeals website. The Town of Atoka makes no guarantee or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the condition of the items offered.
For liability reasons, the Atoka Police Department does not offer this service. We suggest you call a locksmith to assist you. We will respond to vehicle lock-outs ONLY if it is an emergency (if a child or animal is locked in the vehicle).
Under 16 years of age:
Monday - Thursday: 10 p.m. – 6am.
Friday - Sunday: 11 p.m. – 6am.
Between 17 and 18 years of age:
Monday - Thursday: 11 p.m. – 6 a.m.
Friday - Sunday: 12 a.m. – 6 a.m.
Second, report the theft of your checks and credit cards to your bank or other financial institution. Also, notify the check-processing companies listed above regarding stolen checks or check fraud.
Third, if your stolen checks are being used, complete an Affidavit of Forgery at your bank, and advise the business that the transactions involved were fraudulent and encourage the business to file an incident report with the police. It is not necessary for you to file a second incident report.
Fourth, if your stolen credit card is used to make a purchase, then the business accepting the credit card is responsible for filing an incident report with the police. It is not necessary for you to file a second incident report.
Fifth. Your identity has been compromised when your social security number has been used to establish credit. You are now an Identity Theft victim and should file an Identity Theft incident report, and follow the instructions outlined above.
The State Mental Health law has defined and established the right of law enforcement officers to take alleged mentally ill people into custody for evaluation.
The only time a mentally ill person can be taken into custody solely for being mentally ill is in an "Emergency Commitment" situation. (With one exception: Non-Emergency Civil Commitment through Probate Court TCA 33-6-504).
Atoka Police can and should take a person into custody who appears to be mentally ill AND poses an immediate substantial likelihood of serious harm because of the mental illness. A "substantial likelihood of serious harm" is defined as:
IF AND ONLY IF:
A person has threatened or attempted suicide or to inflict serious bodily harm on himself, OR
The person has threatened or attempted homicide or other violent behavior, OR
The person has placed others in reasonable fear of violent behavior and serious physical harm to them, OR
The person is unable to avoid severe impairment or injury from specific risks, AND
There is a substantial likelihood that such harm will occur unless the person is placed under involuntary treatment.
Authorization to take a person into TCA 33-6-401 custody may be given by: a licensed physician/ health care psychologist or mobile crisis team social worker.
It is important to note that the emergency commitment law is intended to allow a police officer to act in order to prevent a person from harming himself/herself or others. The person does not have to be violent at the time the officer arrives on the scene. The person may be taken into custody when the officer arrives, and there is sufficient information available to lead the officer to a reasonable belief that the person is dangerous. This belief can be based on statement of the person, witnesses, family members, and on the physical scene itself (broken dishes, windows, furniture, torn clothing, weapons, etc.)
This determination is basically the same as any other probable cause determination. It can consist of minor facts or consist entirely of one fact (ex: the person is wandering around in traffic talking to himself/herself).
Additionally, A petition may be filed by a family member in Probate Court seeking to have the individual examined by doctors. This procedure, under T.C.A 33-6-504, allows treatment to be ordered for persons who are suspected to be mentally ill, but does not fit the guidelines for a TCA 33-6-401 emergency commitment. Most times, this is accomplished by the family and the family’s physician.
Noise complaints are low priority, and, in many instances, officers may not get there until the offense is over. Also, calling the police to file an official report against neighbors is something they're likely to remember. It may result in a breakdown of any civil relationship you might have had, plus a great deal of awkwardness.
Yield to traffic already in the roundabout. As you approach the roundabout, look to your left. Traffic already in the roundabout has the right-of-way.
Enter the roundabout when there is a gap. When you see an appropriate gap in traffic, enter the roundabout. You do not need to come to a full stop if you can safely enter the roundabout without stopping. Once you have entered the roundabout, do not stop until after you have exited.
Use your turn signal when exiting. Alerting other drivers that you will be exiting the roundabout helps keep traffic flowing through the intersection.