On behalf of the men and women of the Santa Clara Police Department, welcome to our website and thank you for taking the time to learn about our organization. As a longtime police officer and 28-year resident of this fine City, I am honored to have been elected Chief of Police and to have the privilege of serving our community through the balance of this term.

As Chief, I will continue the tradition of ethical policing and am committed to following the principles of our Values Statement. I invite you to browse our website, familiarize yourself with the useful information, consider participating in our programs or services and follow us on social media.

SCPD serves a diverse community of approximately 129,488 residents over 19.3 square miles. We provide law enforcement services with a professional and dedicated staff. Our Fact Sheet summarizes the Department’s authorized strength of sworn personnel and civilian professionals, while our Recruiting page highlights the full-time, part-time and volunteer opportunities available. SCPD is led by a six-member Command Staff with approximately 150+ years in combined law enforcement experience.

The men and women of this police department take tremendous pride in providing you with outstanding police service by means of the “Santa Clara Way.” This philosophy guides our officers to do their best to serve everyone, every time we are called upon. This work ethic and attitude contributes to our low Crime Statistics. Our resident and business partners who have embraced our Community Policing philosophy play a key role in sharing the responsibility of making Santa Clara a great place to live, work and play.

Those seeking a way to learn more about our Department can connect on social media or get involved in SCPD sponsored programs, such as Chat with the Chief, Citizens’ Police Academy, Coffee with a Cop, National Night Out, Community Engagement, Video Surveillance Camera registration or consider becoming a volunteer. 

Finally, if you are considering a career in law enforcement, watch our recruitment video and learn more at www.IamSCPD.org.

Sincerely,

Patrick Nikolai
Chief of Police, Santa Clara Police Department
601 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95050

Police Building:    408-615-4700
Office of the Chief of Police:      408-615-4890
Email:                   police@santaclaraca.gov
Website:               www.scpd.org