About the Police Department
The EBRPD Police Department serves and patrols EBRPD's 73 Regional Parks in Alameda and Contra Costa counties which host 30 million visits a year. Through policing contracts, we also provide law enforcement services in the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) watershed and recreation facilities. By special agreement we, additionally, provide police service in the East Bay lands of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's watershed, and for several state-owned parklands located in the East Bay.
The Public Safety Division's annual budget is $41.2 million. At peak summer season, the Division is staffed by around 450 personnel, which includes:
- 158 full-time equivalent employees (77 of whom are sworn police officers who derive their authority under CA Penal code section 830.1)
- 151 members of our Volunteer Trail Safety Patrols
- 150 seasonal lifeguards
- 24 on-call firefighters
We are a full-service POST (Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training) recognized law enforcement agency. On July 31, 2010, we received national accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). We have since received CALEA re-accreditation in 2013, 2016, and 2020.
With headquarters located at Lake Chabot in Castro Valley, we also have deployment points at the EBMUD San Pablo Reservoir in Orinda and Contra Loma Regional Park in Antioch, and at our Air Support Unit at the Hayward Municipal Airport. By land, by sea, and by air we provide around-the-clock services through a variety of specialized assignments. Our department includes the Air Support Unit, Marine Patrol, Mounted Patrols, Special Enforcement Unit, Investigations Unit, and a 24-hour per day 9-1-1 Communications Center in our effort to provide the highest level of visitor safety.
We are very proud of our commitment to the community and the partnerships we have formed along the way, realizing that safety and quality of life are both personal and shared responsibilities. We strive to make the Regional Parks one of the nation's safest open space and recreation areas. We make every effort to provide an excellent park experience for our frequent and occasional visitors alike.
