Our patrol unit is the public face of our department, performing a variety of functions, all of which serve to protect the lives and property of our citizens. The unit, comprised of a lieutenant, 4 sergeants, and 8 officers, not only responds to calls involving criminal activity, but handles a variety of emergency and non-emergency calls, traffic enforcement, and requests for assistance from other agencies within the county.

During a typical shift, an officer might handle calls ranging from a fight in progress, domestic violence incidents, or a vehicle accident, to non-emergency calls such as found property, a barking dog, or a traffic citation correction. We also respond to residential and business alarms, reports of missing persons, mentally ill and suicidal subjects, and hazardous situations, such as downed trees or wires resulting from a storm.

While a majority of all calls involving criminal activity are handled and resolved completely by our patrol officers, our Investigations Unit provides follow-up when further action is required.

Our traffic enforcement unit is a function of patrol, as is our training division. Our patrol officers also serve to educate the public through scheduled events, such as lectures to high school and middle school classes about drug abuse. Patrol also takes the approach that each and every contact with a citizen is an educational opportunity, such as answering a question about the vehicle code, or providing suggestions on personal safety and protection of property.

“Community Policing” is a philosophy of partnership between a law enforcement agency and the citizens it serves. Though larger agencies aspire to this ideal, the Scotts Valley Police Department actually achieves it due to a proactive approach to the job, combined with our city’s compact size and involved residents.

It’s no mystery why this small department achieves success in maintaining a consistently safe community, year after year. Successful Community Policing can not be achieved without enthusiastic public participation. We count on Scotts Valley residents to provide us with information about situations that may compromise the safety of our community. This continued partnership will ensure that we provide the highest level of service possible to our citizens.