Operations Division

Traffic

The goals and objectives of the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department Motorcycle Unit are to reduce the number and severity of traffic collisions in the City. This is achieved through education, accident investigation, enforcement, and by working with the City's residents to address ongoing concerns.

Traffic safety and flow are significant concerns within the City of Palos Verdes Estates. Residents of Palos Verdes Estates report that some of their greatest concerns are traffic-related, such as congestion on major thoroughfares and problems with speeding vehicles within their neighborhoods. Traffic is further increased due to the high influx of daily and weekend visitors into the City.

In addition to traffic enforcement and education duties, the Palos Verdes Estates Police Department Motorcycle Unit acts as a liaison to the community to address traffic concerns. Members of the unit investigate all traffic complaints referred by community members or council member's offices. Typical complaints include speeding on certain roadways or drivers not stopping for stop signs. Another function of the Motorcycle Unit is to act as a liaison to all the schools within the city of Palos Verdes Estates. Officers from the Motorcycle Unit meet with the school principals and staff to assist them with traffic problems that occur around the schools, usually at the beginning and end of school days.

The primary purpose of traffic-violation laws and regulations is to deter unsafe driving and to educate and reform drivers. In 2009, 44% of traffic collisions that occurred in the City were directly related to unsafe speed violations. With the assistance of the Motorcycle Unit, we will decrease the amount of traffic collisions and keep our streets safe.

Special Entry Team

The Special Entry Team (SET Team) is comprised of Officers from the Department who undergo extended training in weapons and tactics. The SET Team responds to locations where high-risk entries are required. This includes serving felony arrest warrants and search warrants where the probability for dangerous confrontation or resistance is great. 

Reserve Corp

The reserve police officer is a sworn, part-time volunteer police officer who devotes time and talents to the City of Palos Verdes Estates, and who performs a civic function assisting the full-time (regular) officers in their assigned duties. The reserve officer serves the community and fills the void when additional officers are needed. The primary utilization of reserve police officers is to supplement the regular patrol force.

Reserve officers undergo rigorous training and firearms qualification. Complete and thorough background investigations (which include polygraph, psychological and medical examinations) are conducted on every reserve officer applicant prior to being accepted into the Police Department. The reserve officer satisfies biennial POST training requirements and maintains proficiency in weapons, arrest and defensive tactics and emergency vehicle operations. The reserve officers donate their service to the City of Palos Verdes Estates by performing the aforementioned activities on their own time and many times with their own resources. In 2009, the reserve police corps provided over 3,450 hours to the City in activities that included patrol, investigations, and training.

Patrol

The Patrol Detail consists of the Officers in the field handling calls for service. These functions consist of receiving calls for service from our dispatch center as well as proactively patrolling the community to suppress crime. Patrol Officers are the first responders to any emergency within the community.

The Patrol Detail also participates in several grant-funded operations that focus on traffic safety and DUI enforcement. The PVEPD is a participant of the South Bay Regional DUI Task Force, which assembles on a monthly basis and during various holiday seasons to target DUI drivers.

Police Officer job details are as follows:

Definition:

The Police Officer, working under the direction of the Chief of Police and/or a Police Sergeant or Commander; enforces laws and ordinances to prevent crime, protect life and property, and maintain peace and order.

Duties:

The Police Officer enforces City, County, State, and Federal laws-, patrols the City area in a patrol car and on foot; answers calls for the protection of life and property; conducts preliminary follow-up investigations of crimes and crime scenes, accidents, and deaths; gathers, preserves, and analyzes facts and evidence; directs traffic; enforces the laws through use of verbal warnings, the issuance of citations, and arrest; interviews witnesses, victims, and suspects; testifies in court; serves warrants and subpoenas; prepares reports; investigates suspicious persons and circumstances- gives information and direction to the public; responds to police and fire scenes or other emergencies to assist in the protection of life and property; handles radio, dispatch, and other similar duties; performs some animal control duties; may undertake such special duties such as K-9 Officer; trains newly hired officers; does related work as needed.

Experience and Education:

Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent; two years of college course work preferable. Must have a valid California Class "C" driver's license.

Abilities:

Must have basic knowledge of computer keyboard and possess good verbal and written English skills; understand and interpret laws, rules and other written materials; judge situations and people accurately; think and act quickly in emergencies; operate standard radio system; employ principles and practices of law enforcement work, including patrol, investigations, custody, and identification; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

Physical Requirements:

Moderate to arduous - may be required to perform skills which demand strength and control. Must be able to pass physical agility testing without any accommodation.

Support Division

Detectives

• Crimes Against Persons
• Property Crimes
• Economic Crimes
• Sex Crimes
• Domestic Violence
• Juvenile Crimes
• High Tech/Computer Crimes

Proactive crime prevention is accomplished by keeping current and active in the following areas:

• Vice/Narcotics
• Criminal Intelligence
• Advanced Training 

In addition to the above, it is the responsibility of the detectives to coordinate and file cases with the District Attorney.

Firearms

The Firearms Unit Consists of two rangemasters and one armorer. Each of the range staff is POST certified in firearms instruction. It is the duty of the range staff to ensure Police Officers receive firearm training and remain proficient in their use. In addition, the range staff maintains all weapon systems used by the Department

The PVEPD houses a 3 lane, 25 yard firing range utilizing a computer controlled targeting system.

Police Service Aides

The Police Service Aides, working under the Support Captain, provides assistant for various department personnel. Police Service Aides are non sworn personnel assigned to the police department. Their duties can vary greatly but can include: filing parking and warning citations, assisting officers with their reports (if needed), tending to stray animals that are brought into the department, and taking the black and white units to the car wash. Police Service Aides may also be assigned to aid school crossing and assist in answering non emergency phone calls in dispatch if needed.

A Police Service Aide's position is a great introduction into Police work. You get to work for and see how different sections of the station such as the Detective Bureau, Dispatch, Patrol and the Jail operate. While working at the station you will learn variety of codes, laws, and procedures that will be a necessity in a law enforcement career. The station offers many positions that an Police Service Aide can advance to such as Parking Enforcement, Services Officer, and Police Officer. You will get firsthand experience of what the various personnel in the department do and what is required of them.

Parking Enforcement

The duties of the Police Service Aides for the City of Palos Verdes Estates include enforcing the City’s parking areas where there is proper no parking or no stopping signs and managing timed parking in both Malaga Cove and Lunada Bay Plazas. Active enforcement in the timed areas increases the availability and helps maximize the use of the spaces that local workers or visitors use.

Police Service Aides also provide crossing guard duty as needed and may assist Police Officers with traffic control or vehicle impounds. The Police Service Aide is a non-sworn, part-time position.

Personnel and Training Division

Personnel and Training is responsible for the recruitment and hiring of new officers, reserve officers, dispatchers, civilian support staff, and police cadets. The Training Sergeant plans the testing dates, oral board examinations and physical agility tests and conducts background investigations on all applicants. The Department makes every effort to hire the most qualified employees for all available positions to ensure the best service is provided to our community.

Communications/Jail

The Communication Division is one of the most invaluable support services within the police department. This division is accountable for sustaining the critical link between public officers in the field. Dispatchers handle several types of calls and situations daily, ranging from routine to emergency, critical incidents. Dispatchers provide a necessary and indispensable function to the public and to the officers in the field. Dispatchers work 12 hour shifts, and there are 2 dispatchers at any given time on duty. All dispatchers are part of the non-sworn workforce that provides vital support to the department and community it serves.

The Jail is a Type I facility suitable for processing and housing inmates.

The Communication Division and Jail Operations are operated by Service Officers. Service Officer responsibilities and requirements are as follows:

Definition:

The Services Officer, under general supervision, provides for the processing, security, health, safety, and feeding of prisoners and receiving, storing and releasing of property. The Services Officer maintains records; takes reports and answers inquiries; dispatches police units via voice radio; performs clerical tasks including computer data entry; answers 911 emergency phone calls and does related work as required or assigned.

Duties:

Services Officers are non-sworn personnel assigned to the police department. Duties which may be either permanently or sporadically assigned include: Booking, fingerprinting, searching and care for prisoners confined in City jail facilities; supervising trusty prisoners on work assignments; receive and dispose of incoming telephone and voice radio calls, dispatch police units, secure and record information as to emergency calls, patrol assigned areas for the purpose of enforcing laws and ordinances related to all types of parking violations, write and issue citations for violations. Services Officers may be assigned to traffic control during peak traffic hours or maybe assigned as court liaison for filing misdemeanor complaints with the District Attorney's office. The Services Officers shall accept property and evidence and issue receipts for same; they will tag property for identification and maintain records for all property in custody; they will release and/or dispose of such property in accordance with State and local laws and department regulations. Services Officers maybe assigned to Municipal Code Enforcement, compiling data, preparing reports, typing and filing details. Testimony in court may be required on occasion. Shift work, weekends and holidays will be required. The normal schedule is the 3/12 plan. They may be required to be on call when not actually working and perform other related duties as required.

Experience and Education:

Graduation from high school or G.E.D. certificate; posses a valid California Class "C" driver's license. Be of high moral character, with a clean criminal history (no felony convictions). Ability to type at least 30 words per minute and performs other clerical duties. Ability to effectively supervise the activities of prisoners, and establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, visitors, and the public.

Physical Requirement:

Moderate to arduous. Must be able to handle prisoners in a safe manner.