Gaston County Police Department

Jurisdiction and responsibilities

The county police department provides general police service in unincorporated Gaston County and in towns identified by county and town sources, including High Shoals, Spencer Mountain and McAdenville. It is a separate employer and agency from the Gaston County Sheriff's Office and Gastonia Police.

How the agency is organized

The published structure includes Community Policing, Investigations and Support Services, Communications, and Animal Care and Enforcement. Patrol squads are supported by canine, marine, reserve and specialized-response functions. Investigative and support work includes criminal and special investigations, crime-scene processing, employee development, recruiting, professional standards, records, property and evidence, and victim assistance. Countywide communications and animal services have responsibilities beyond the routine patrol territory.

Agency history and local context

The department was created by legislative act on July 1, 1957. Its official history records initial operations with a chief, secretary and 23 sworn officers and CALEA accreditation in 1991. Historical opening staffing is not a current personnel count.

Official records and officer resources

The agency site links its organization chart, policy manual, records requests, recruitment, employee-interest form and community programs. An officer inquiry should identify County Police as the employer instead of substituting the sheriff.

FBI data · 2025

The following figures are from the FBI’s 2025 published agency tables. They describe a reporting period, not current staffing or an assessment of agency performance.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer downloads, table 10; published agency label: Gaston County Police Department. CIUS_Table_10_Offenses_Known_to_Law_Enforcement_by_State_by_Metropolitan_and_Nonmetropolitan_Counties_2025.xlsx

This is a county-level agency row, not the total for every police department or every offense in the county.

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer downloads, table 80; published agency label: Gaston County Police Department. Table_80_Full_time_Law_Enforcement_Employees_by_State_by_Metropolitan_and_Nonmetropolitan_Counties_2025.xlsx

Blank or unavailable values remain “Not published.” Participating agencies and reporting scope vary. Campus figures concern the reporting institution; a city name does not expand them to all local residents. Read the data definitions and limitations.

NC SBI data · 2024

The NC SBI record is published under Gaston County Police. Its 2024 reporting-status table lists: Reporting. These earlier figures are presented separately from the FBI’s 2025 tables.

Published Index-crime total: 854.

Sources: SBI agency reporting status · SBI law-enforcement personnel · SBI Index offenses by agency in county.

Personnel are a dated full-time payroll snapshot. Civilian classifications can include jail employees without outside police powers. These are not authorized-position or vacancy counts. Index-crime totals cover selected categories and are not totals of all crime.

Sources and review date

Official agency, government and institutional sources are linked below. Contact details and organizational information were reviewed September 24, 2026. Published statistical years are identified separately.

• Official agency information
• Official agency information
• Official agency information
• SBI published 2026 agency roster; historical inventory, not current reporting obligation