The City of La Quinta Sheriff Department's Investigations Division is responsible for following-up and investigating reports, arrests, and tips which are most often initiated by uniformed patrol officers. The Investigations Division has been structured to effectively address the common crime trends observed within the City of La Quinta. Based upon previous case volume within the City of La Quinta, investigation cases generally fall into four crime divisions: Property Crimes (Burglary and Theft), Financial Crimes (Check Fraud, Credit Card Fraud, Identity Theft), Crimes Against Persons (Assaults, Robbery, Sexual Assault, Elder Abuse), and Child Abuse Crimes (Sexual Abuse and Physical Abuse).

Investigators assigned to the Investigations Division work a variety of assignments: individual case review and preparation, criminal investigations, and crime scene analysis. Each Investigator is trained and assigned to a specific crime division, however, each Investigator is cross-trained and is available to assist in other areas when needed.

The La Quinta Special Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) was established in the late 1980's. The team's purpose is to serve as a compliment to the Patrol Division with an emphasis on providing enhanced patrol services to the residents of La Quinta. S.E.T. members actively investigate crimes such as burglaries, theft, vandalism, assault, fraud and other localized crimes. In addition to investigations, S.E.T. members utilize community oriented policing concepts in an effort to provide education and problem solving solutions to the citizens and businesspersons of La Quinta. S.E.T. member activity allows uniformed patrol officers to remain in the field and enhances their effectiveness as first responders.

S.E.T. members are committed to crime prevention and are available to homeowner associations, business owners, homeowners, and other community groups. S.E.T. members are trained to provide crime prevention information and suggestions in an effort to reduce unwanted conduct and thus diminish the potential of criminal activity. S.E.T. members are available to receive public input and information regarding issues that concern residents and businesspersons. Officers aggressively act to develop programs to address and hopefully resolve community concerns.

S.E.T. members also conduct issue specific enforcement programs to combat identified problems within the city and are also responsible for specialized enforcement and security for La Quinta civic and community events, such as the annual Career Builder Challenge when held at a local golf course.

As with all community-orientated programs, a good working relationship with those who live and work in the community is essential for success.

The School Resource Officer (SRO) program is a nationally accepted program involving the placement of law enforcement officers within the educational system and reflects the commitment of the La Quinta Sheriff Department to the concept of Community Oriented Policing.

The School Resource Officer serves as a mentor, counselor, role model and advocate for students, parents, teachers and school administrators. The School Resource Officer, while at the school, is involved in a variety of functions and programs aimed at both crime prevention and intervention. In addition, the School Resource Officer conducts all criminal investigations on campus.

Another responsibility for the School Resource Officer is to link other service entities, which provide intervention and counseling services, in an effort to identify solutions to problems affecting school age children. School Resource Officers work closely with the county Probation Department and the Youth Accountability Team (Y.A.T.).

The School Resource Officer's duties extend beyond the school campus and normal school hours. The School Resource Officer may be called upon to participate in extracurricular activities, sporting events or social events. The presence of the officer is a distinct demonstration of the officer's commitment to the students and strengthens the relationships between the officer and students.

La Quinta Sheriff Cadet Academy

The La Quinta Sheriff Cadet Academy is a four-week program for kids in the La Quinta area that are interested in Law Enforcement, Military, and Public Service. This program is not a boot camp for troubled teens and we do not generally accept applicants that have an extensive discipline history as we find it takes away from the overall goals of the academy.

This program is a partnership between the City of La Quinta and the La Quinta Sheriff's Department. There is no cost to the cadets as the entire cost of the academy is covered by the City of La Quinta. The cadets will be provided with daily snacks, drinks, water bottles, uniforms and all necessary equipment to participate in the program.

During the program the cadets will participate in police and service related activities including: Physical training, SWAT demonstration, First Aid, Bomb Squad demonstration, Firearms demonstration, Canine demonstrations, Forensics training, Narcotics training, Alcohol Awareness training, Defensive Tactics and many other topics. The cadets will also be taken on multiple field trips including traveling to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego and the Ben Clark Training Center in Riverside and/or The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.

Cadets are taught the value of integrity, honor, courage, commitment and teamwork. The Academy is taught by current Law Enforcement Officers. Other Academy staff members are comprised of the Sheriff’s Explorer POST 503 from the Thermal Sheriff’s Station.

At the conclusion of the Academy, the cadets will participate in a graduation ceremony. They will be presented with a certificate of completion. Family members of the cadets are encouraged to attend. If you are interested, please contact the Thermal Station at (760) 863-8990.

Children in grades 6^th through 8^th who attend the following schools can participate: Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle; La Quinta Middle, and John Glenn Middle. The students can obtain applications from the front desk of their school site when they are available. We advise the students to turn applications in as soon as possible as the spots fill up quickly.

Working in partnership with the community, the Patrol Division for the La Quinta Sheriff Department covers an area of over 33 square miles and provides service to an estimated population of 38,075 residents.

Uniform Patrol officers are assigned as the first responders for all calls for service within the City of La Quinta.

The La Quinta Sheriff Department supports and promotes the concept of Community Oriented Policing and our Patrol Officers strive to be responsive to the needs of the community. Uniformed Patrol Officers seek to forge partnerships with citizens in order to prevent crime and to apprehend those who commit criminal acts. La Quinta Sheriff Department Patrol Deputies seek to provide service that is fair, unbiased, and respectful of the dignity of all individuals. The Patrol Division recognizes their great responsibility in being the first point of contact with our citizens.

The City of La Quinta has contracted with the Riverside County Sheriff's Office to provide the La Quinta Sheriff Department with five Community Service Officers (C.S.O.).

C.S.O.s, working under general supervision, perform the most responsible law enforcement support duties involving a variety of civil and criminal issues that do not require the authority of a sworn law enforcement officer. However, their duties have a high factor of responsibility, liability, and criticality.

Duties of the C.S.O. include tasks such as the following:

1. Investigate and complete criminal reports where there is no known direct suspect information. Crimes such as burglary, vehicle burglary, vehicle theft or recovery, petty theft, grand theft or vandalism would be investigated by a C.S.O. Collecting and processing fingerprints or other physical evidence is a typical C.S.O. responsibility.

2. Investigate and complete a traffic collision report for non-injury collisions.

3. Provide traffic and crowd control at traffic collisions, crime scenes, or major community events.

4. Issue citations for California Vehicle Code and La Quinta Municipal Code violations such as illegal parking, expired registration, and unauthorized handicap parking.

5. Assist deputies by transporting an individual to jail following an arrest by the deputy.

The position and the function of the C.S.O.s provide a very cost effective method that allows the sworn officer to remain available to respond to more serious and urgent calls for service.

Currently, C.S.O.s are assigned to serve as the Crime Prevention Officer, Business District C.S.O. and Uniformed Patrol C.S.O.

Reflecting the La Quinta Sheriff Department's commitment to "Community Oriented Policing," the position of the Crime Prevention Officer was established to serve as a Crime Prevention Officer and the Community Coordinator for the citizens and businesses.

The officer assigned to serve as Crime Prevention Officer has been recognized as having strong skills in interpersonal relationships, planning and organization, research and analysis, writing and composition, as well as being comfortable in public speaking. Based on his or her proven work ethic, the Crime Prevention Officer carries out the duties of the assignment with minimum direct supervision.

Duties of the Crime Prevention Officer include tasks such as:

1. Research and compilation of multiple inter-department monthly reports.

2. Research and compose law enforcement and safety articles for publication and distribution to the community.

3. Research and compile statistical reports related to calls for service within specific neighborhoods, gated communities or businesses in the City of La Quinta.

4. Work cooperatively with concerned citizens to conduct crime prevention programs, community meetings and crime prevention training. Work with concerned neighborhoods to establish Neighborhood Watch programs.

5. Represent the La Quinta Sheriff's Department at community meetings, Homeowners Association meetings, community sponsored safety events and professional organizations.

6. Serve as a Social Media Administrator to manage the Police Department’s website and social media. The Police Department's social media includes Twitter, which provides weekly significant activity, safety tips, and event information.

Crime Prevention Officer Foster is currently assigned to this position. Please feel free to contact her at (760) 863-8990.

Volunteer opportunities exist with the La Quinta Sheriff Department. Office and clerical volunteers staff the Civic Center Policing Office in the City of La Quinta and provide administrative support to the Department. The second volunteer opportunity is the Citizens on Patrol (COP) program where volunteers patrol the city to aid in crime prevention by being the "eyes and ears" for the community.

Office Volunteer

Office volunteers' primary responsibility is to staff the Civic Center Community Policing Office at La Quinta City Hall. They assist citizens with questions in all areas from directions to situations which need the attention of a deputy. They prepare Lost or Found property reports, assist with counter reports, and take requests for extra patrols. Other activities include the bicycle registration program, "Operation Identification," and the "ChildSafe" program. They also perform various clerical functions in support of the volunteer coordinator and program sergeant.

Citizens on Patrol (COP)

COP volunteers are extensively trained citizens that patrol the City of La Quinta in a specially marked vehicle and are a highly visible presence in the community. Their primary role is to be the "eyes and ears" for the community as they assist and support the deputies of the La Quinta Police Department. Their responsibilities include conducting extra patrols, issuance of courtesy warnings, providing crime prevention and safety information, conducting business checks, assisting stranded motorists, traffic control at accidents, maintain crime scene perimeters and other duties as directed by patrol officers. These volunteers must be knowledgeable of the police radio codes and physically capable to be in the outside environment for a moderate period of time.

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Requirements for these Volunteer Opportunities

• Be 21 years of age or older

• Possess a valid California driver's license

• Complete a comprehensive volunteer application

• Pass a background check by the Riverside County Sheriff's Office

• Commit to donate a minimum of 16 hours per month

Applicants

Interested volunteers should contact the Riverside County Sheriff's Department using the following link: www.riversidesheriff.org/261/Volunteer-Forces-Unit. Once on the website, click the large "Volunteer Today!" button near the bottom.

Explorers are a division of Learning for Life which is a youth program that is a subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America. Explorer Post 503 meets on Tuesdays from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Thermal Sheriff Station. Explorers receive law enforcement-related training. This training includes traffic control, building searches, vehicle stops, defensive driving, hostage negotiations, firearm safety, criminal law, narcotics law, domestic violence, defensive tactics, radio communications, first aid, defensive weapons, patrol procedures, crime prevention, criminal investigations, accident investigation, arrest, search and seizure law, and other subjects.

Explorers learn about law enforcement, do physical training, and compete with other Explorers at competitions. They also volunteer their time at various events assisting officers with traffic control. Explorers participate in non-contact law enforcement activities. Explorers also have opportunities to go on ride-alongs with real police officers.

Requirements:

• Be between 14-20 years old

• Maintain at least a "C" grade average

• Be a United States Citizen or possess a valid Green Card

• Have an interest in law enforcement

• Obtain your parents’ permission

• Submit the required application and background paperwork

• Have no major criminal record

• Have good moral character

• Participate in an oral interview as scheduled

• Pass a background investigation

• Have no physical limitations

• Follow instructions and be a team player

• Complete a six-month probation period

• Be committed to attend meetings and volunteer at some special events

Applicants

Interested volunteers should contact the Riverside County Sheriff's Department using the following link: www.riversidesheriff.org/261/Volunteer-Forces-Unit. Once on the website, click the large "Volunteer Today!" button near the bottom.