The Police Department is organized into two divisions:
Field Services Support Services
The Field Services Division includes:
Patrol TrafficCommunity Outreach Traffic ControlBeach Patrol Jail Facility
The Field Services Division consists largely of uniformed field personnel responsible for enforcement of municipal, state and federal laws. The Patrol Section with its field officers is the main response team for calls for service. Officers are responsible for a specific area and respond to calls, patrol trouble spots and document incidents in that area. The Traffic Unit's motorcycle officers support the patrol officers' duties. They investigate complex traffic collisions, enforce traffic violations, and are used as normal beat officers when deployment demands increase. Reserve officers and police explorers perform many duties which would otherwise be assigned to full time employees. In addition, six sergeants are assigned to Field Services as watch commanders and as the traffic unit supervisor.
Three Animal Services Officers work in Field Services under the auspices of Special Services, enforcing animal regulations in Laguna Woods as well as Laguna Beach. They also oversee the City's dog park, affectionately known as "Bark Park", and assist with the rehabilitation of injured wild animals and birds. The Laguna Beach Animal Shelter is part of Animal Services. One part-time and three full-time Animal Shelter employees, plus approximately 25 volunteers, care for over 600 impounded animals at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter each year. The staff also licenses more than 2,500 animals in Laguna Woods and Laguna Beach. Also under Special Services are the Department's Parking Enforcement Officers and trained volunteers known as Citizens on Patrol.
The Support Services Division includes:
Investigations CommunicationsRecords Vehicle FleetI.T. Digital EvidencePersonnelBudget
This division provides support functions for the department as a whole including management of records, facility maintenance, purchasing, computer systems, planning and research, public safety communications, vehicle maintenance, trusty program, crime analysis and statistical services. The division also handles fleet maintenance for 38 vehicles, processes the department's payroll and co-manages the parking enforcement program. Public Safety Communications is a very critical section of the Support Services Division. It is where Laguna Beach Police, Fire, and Paramedics "911" calls are received 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The section is staffed by seven dispatchers who process emergency and non-emergency calls, totaling more than 44,000 calls for Police services annually. The Records Section is staffed by five employees and two volunteers who assist the public at the business counter, seven days a week. They also process reports, compile historical information and help to prepare documentation for arrests, criminal cases, and court citations.
In addition, Investigations is responsible for investigation of crimes, internal affairs, property/evidence, background investigations on new employees, forensic services, court liaison and processing/monitoring of special permits (e.g., taxi and tow yard, etc.). Staffing consists of eight sworn and four non-sworn personnel, all of whom are involved in criminal investigations. The division also handles several administrative assignments. The Neighborhood Watch Program develops preventative measures to reduce crime in the community. The D.A.R.E. program works closely with youth in the classroom to instill resistance to addictive behavior. The CSP Youth Diversion Program provides a diversion alternative to the juvenile justice system by allowing minor juvenile indiscretions to be handled at a more informal level. Division personnel also supplant field operations as increased demands dictate.
