The Johnson City Police Department has an authorized strength of 38 sworn police officers. Of those officers, 29 are assigned to the Patrol Division in the various ranks of Lieutenant, Sergeant, and Patrolman. 

A Captain supervises the Patrol and Detective Division.  The patrol division accounts for the largest percentage of manpower within the department and is the major crime prevention and enforcement branch of the department. It performs the basic function of safeguarding the citizens of the community as well as the additional thousands who enter or pass through the community on a daily basis. The Patrol Division is the first to respond to the citizen's call for assistance and the first to arrive at the scene of an occurrence necessitating police action. This division responds to more than 16,000 calls per year regarding service and assistance. 

The Patrol Division is comprised of three shifts, the 7 AM - 3 PM Shift, the 3 PM - 11 PM Shift, and the 11 PM - 7 AM Shift. The shifts don't begin and end exactly on the hour, assuring that patrol cars are always on the road if needed. Each shift is supervised by at least one Sergeant, sometimes two Sergeants, or a Sergeant and a Lieutenant.

Most of the department's overall arrests and the greatest number of personal contacts with the public are made by the uniform patrol officers as they patrol, control traffic, and enforce the vehicle and traffic and penal laws. The presence of a uniformed patrol officer usually nullifies any criminal activity in the area due to the high profile of their uniform and the high visibility of the marked patrol car.