ESU:SCPD SWAT is deployed in situations that are too dangerous for standard patrol units. This includes activities such as hostage rescues involving incidents where civilians are held against their will, armed standoffs involving armed or potentially armed suspects and high-risk warrants involving the execution of search and arrest warrants for dangerous individuals. The SCPD SWAT team trains once a month and exists to protect both the public and law enforcement personnel during high-risk scenarios, applying specialized training, tactics and equipment to safely manage critical incidents.
K9:The SCPD K9 Unit has three officers assigned. Two K9’s are apprehension K9’s and one K9 is a therapy K9. K9 officers assist SCPD in locating and apprehending suspects. SCPD K9 officers enhance police response through a highly trained K9, which improves overall policing effectiveness and safety when encountering high-risk individuals who pose a threat to the public or police. K9 officers receive a 5% pay incentive, preferential shift selection and a take-home car. K9 officers also receive frequent on-going advanced tactical training.
DTU:The SCPD Downtown Unit is comprised of two officers assigned to the Downtown beat of the City of Santa Cruz. The Downtown Unit takes a community-oriented approach toward policing as it is a Unit committed to proactive policing with an emphasis in community collaboration. The officers assigned to the Unit have preferential shift selection and patrol in a foot, bicycle and vehicle capacity.
SRO:There is one officer assigned as a School Resource Officer to designated schools in the City of Santa Cruz. The SRO follows up on all incidents occurring on City School campuses. The SRO works as a liaison between the schools and the police department. The SRO works to improve school safety and a quicker response to emergencies. The SRO works a Tuesday through Friday shift schedule during the school year and assists patrol during the summer months by patrolling city beaches with the SCPD ATV. The SRO serves to provide a positive interaction between students and law enforcement to promote community trust.
Drone: The SCPD Drone Unit provides aerial support to enhance officer safety, improve response times, and offer situational awareness during emergencies and law enforcement operations. The Unit has a total of seven trained officers serving as pilots, which cover all designated patrol teams in Operations. Officer pilots undergo specialized training, including scenario-based exercises for tactical, emergency and law enforcement applications. The Unit promotes effectiveness and safety of officers while providing rapid, real-time intelligence across a wide range of missions.
FTO: Field Training Officers for SCPD are either full-time or part-time FTOs, whose role is important to newly hired officers who have successfully completed a POST Basic Police Academy. FTOs serve as mentors and teachers for new officers to develop and understand the career of law enforcement. FTOs ensure new officers are competent, confident and prepared to perform their roles successfully by providing structured, supervised, hands-on experience coupled with evaluation and mentorship. FTOs receive 5% pay incentive on top of their rate of pay and are eligible to receive advanced leadership and development training.
Traffic: The SCPD Traffic Unit is responsible for providing traffic safety services for our community by means of Education, Engineering and Enforcement. Our goal is to reduce the number of serious injury and fatal traffic collisions and help keep our streets safe for all motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The Traffic Unit is comprised of a unit Commander, a Sergeant, two dayshift motorcycle Officers, two nightshift DUI Officers, one Abandon Vehicle Abatement (AVA) Officer, and eight school crossing guards.
Investigations Bureau:The Investigations Bureau is responsible for thoroughly investigating serious crimes and conducting in-depth follow-up on crimes after an initial patrol response. Detectives gather evidence, interview witnesses, and suspects, prepare cases for prosecution, and work closely with other local agencies. Our goal is to ensure thorough investigations that lead to successful case resolutions and justice for victims while enhancing the community’s overall safety. The division is comprised of a unit Commander, two Sergeants, a team of Detectives, a community service specialist, and a cold case homicide investigator.