The Mount Vernon Police Department currently provides Law Enforcement services with three shifts of Officers, seven days per week, twenty-four hours per day. The department has a "foot" patrol, primarily in the downtown business district, and these Officers check the security of businesses several times each night.

The department utilizes a "speed" trailer, placed on various streets, to show drivers the speed that they are driving. The goal is to make drivers aware of the speed limit and to encourage compliance with speed regulations.

The City of Mount Vernon is a relatively safe community, however, like most cities there is some criminal activity and the department has two Detectives that investigate a wide variety of criminal offenses. Violent crime is minimal. Detectives fingerprint, and photograph, individuals for employment and other reasons. A third detective will be added in the near future.

The department provides many offense and crash reports, upon request, through the "records" division. Bicycles may be "registered" at the Police Department.

The department conducts residential "security" checks, at least once per shift, for residents that are away from their home.

Currently, the Mount Vernon Police Department is a 911 answering point. There are 13 "communications" employees, that not only answer "911" calls and other non-emergency calls, but, dispatch Police, Fire and EMS units and maintain a computerized database of all activity. These 13 employees are part of the E911 Board ( a Knox County Agency). Emergency Medical Dispatch was added on November 17, 2003.

The department is also responsible for "parking" enforcement through two civilian employees and a clerk that maintains a computerized record of all parking violations that are issued.

Two Secretaries currently manage all of the department's payroll, equipment, training, and other financial and scheduling issues.