Welcome to the Davis Police Department’s website!
As your Police Chief, I am pleased to have this platform to connect with you and share the Department’s commitment to making our community a safe and welcoming place for everyone. The Davis Police Department strives to build strong relationships with the community we serve, fostering an environment of trust, respect, and collaboration. We recognize that effective policing requires partnership and open communication, and we are committed to achieving this.
I am extremely proud of the women and men who make up the Davis Police Department. Our members are trained to respond to the diverse needs of our community, and we are constantly seeking innovative ways to improve our services and enhance public safety. We believe in proactive policing and community engagement, focusing not only on law enforcement but also on crime prevention and community education. Our members embrace their role as community partners and focus on providing quality service.
In addition to our law enforcement responsibilities, we are actively involved in various community programs and initiatives that promote safety and well-being. Whether through outreach programs, educational workshops, or community events, we aim to strengthen the bond between our Department and the community we serve.
I invite you to explore our Department’s website, where you can learn more about our services, access important information, and stay updated on our initiatives. Your feedback is crucial to our success, and I encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas with us. You can also follow us on Facebook (City of Davis Police Department) and Instagram (@davispolicedepartment) for frequent Department updates.
Thank you for entrusting us with the responsibility of keeping our community safe. Together, we can create a vibrant and secure environment for all members of the public, the “Davis Way.”
Chief Todd Henry
There are four sections of the operational team: Patrol, Investigations, Special Services, and Professional Standards.
Patrol
The Patrol Division is the largest division in the Police Department. The Division includes 5 patrol teams and the Traffic Unit. The Patrol Division is staffed with 2 Lieutenants, 6 Sergeants, 5 Corporals, and 31 Officers.
Patrol handles thousands of calls for service each year, ranging from very minor non-criminal issues to major crimes in progress. The Division embraces community policing and relies on partnerships in order to be successful in reducing and preventing crime.
Investigations
The Davis Police Department's Investigations Division is a support unit for patrol and assumes responsibility for complex investigations including homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, crimes against children, burglaries, hate crimes, identity thefts and major property crimes.
The Investigations Division is staffed by a lieutenant, a sergeant, 5 detectives, and one Police Services Specialist. Detectives are usually assigned to one of two assignments: crimes against persons or property crimes.
Detectives work Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but are subject to call outs for investigative purposes 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you have any information on a case that the Investigations Division is currently working based on a press release or personal knowledge, please call 530-747-5400.
Special Services
The newly created Special Services Section of the Davis Police Department is led by one Lieutenant and staffed with two Sergeants, two Motors officers, two sworn Community Oriented Policing officers, a Police Services Specialist Supervisor, two Code Enforcement officers, a Community Service Officer and three Police Service Specialists for Parking Enforcement.
The Traffic Unit is staffed with one Sergeant, two Motors officers and a Bike Officer. Their primary mission is to address traffic safety within the city through outreach efforts and enforcement while handling traffic collision responses, investigations of major collisions, DUI operations and bicycle/ e-bike safety.
The Community Oriented Policing Unit is staffed one Sergeant and two sworn officers who collectively work in a highly visible and accessible capacity both within the downtown corridor and throughout the city. Their presence and efforts to address quality of life issues through problem solving and stakeholder input is a mainstay of their function. Additionally, handling special event permitting and community engagement through various informational meeting forums also is a function of this unit.
Code Enforcement and Parking consists of a Police Services Specialist Supervisor, two Code Enforcement Officers, three Parking Enforcement Officers and a Community Service Officer. From quality of life issues related to blight, graffiti abatement, abandoned vehicle abatement and parking violations, this group of personnel are an integral part of the auxiliary function within the police department.
Professional Standards
The Professional Standards Division (PSD) is responsible for maintaining a high level of professional conduct within the police department. The PSD performs a variety of functions, including: investigating citizen complaints, maintaining complaint files and training department personnel. Because this division reports directly to the Chief, it can objectively address complaints against agency personnel.
With respect to training, the PSD ensures that department employees meet California Police Officer Standards and Training (POST) criteria, and receive regular training in additional areas such as: Use of Force, First Aid/CPR, Tactical Communication, Cultural Awareness, Emergency Driving, and Crisis Intervention.
Details regarding the Independent Police Auditor can be found on the Annual Report & Transparency Portal.
Detail about Commending quality performance, submitting a complaint, and the Alternative Conflict Resolution can be found on the Contact Us page.
There are two primary area of support services.
DISPATCH
The Davis Police Dispatch Division is comprised of 12 full-time employees. Dispatchers work 12-hour shifts. The Dispatch Center is open for business 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, with a minimum staffing of 2 on each shift. As the first line for help, Dispatchers are often called "the true first responders"
Public Safety Dispatchers are responsible for answering all 9-1-1 phone calls, and Police and Fire emergency lines, determining the type of assistance needed and sending emergency personnel to police, fire and medical emergencies. Dispatchers also provide Emergency Medical Dispatching (EMD) and telecommunications medical pre-arrival for fire and ambulance units. Dispatchers also answer the police business lines as a backup for the Police Records Division. After regular business hours, Dispatchers answer incoming emergency and non-emergency lines, as well as City of Davis emergency calls for Parks & General Services and Public Works Departments. Dispatch are also responsible for paging out specialty units, Evidence Response Teams, Crisis Negotiations Teams, Major Investigations and Major Crash Investigation, Tactical Response Units and Fire Investigators for special duty when incidents necessitate additional resources.
Dispatchers are responsible for all radio communications for both Police and Fire responding to emergency, non-emergency, and routine radio traffic. They also coordinate communications with allied agencies within Yolo, Solano, and Sacramento agencies when aid is requested.
Davis PD Dispatchers are also expected to complete various kinds of paperwork processing. As Officers take reports of stolen vehicles, property, missing persons, etc., Dispatchers are responsible for entering this data into the Department of Justice and National Crime Information Systems, as well as entering towed/impounded vehicles, private property/repossessed vehicles, warrants and restraining orders issued from the courts into various databases.
RECORDS
The Davis Police Records Division is often seen as the information center for the Department, as Records Specialists provide a wide range of information both to Department employees as well as the public. The Records Division is open Monday through Thursday, and every other Friday from 9:00 am – 5:30 pm. The Records Division is staffed with 1 Records Supervisor, and 3 full time Police Records Specialists. Specialists are responsible for answering non-emergency telephone calls, assisting the public at the front counter of the police department, reviewing and disseminating reports to the public and outside law enforcement agencies and preparing arrest reports for the District Attorney’s Office. Additionally, they are responsible for a majority of data entry accuracy and route all traffic and criminal citations, complete background checks for outside agencies, assisting with parking permits and payments, city permits, and other numerous tasks that keep the department operating smoothly.
