Division Overview

Field Operations personnel (Patrol) are what most people think of as "the police." They are the men and women who patrol the City in marked cars, motorcycles, and sometimes bicycles or on foot. These Officers come from diverse backgrounds and speak several different languages including Spanish, Cantonese and Tagalog. Patrol is the backbone of the Police Department's Community Oriented Policing effort.

The mission of the Field Operations Division is to create a partnership between the patrol officer and community through personal contacts; to enhance community safety by providing directed police patrols on a 24-hour basis and responding to calls for service in a timely fashion; and to provide a safer environment for citizens and their property by investigating serious crimes and subsequently arresting and prosecuting offenders.

Bicycle Patrol Program

Learn more about the El Cerrito Police Department Bicycle Patrol Program

Lieutenant Steve Bonini
10900 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Telephone: (510) 215-4400
Fax: (510) 235-6618
E-mail: sbonini@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us

Services provided by this Division include:

1. Providing initial and timely response to all citizen requests for assistance

2. Auditing community needs through inspection and dialogue, and addressing expressed or identified concerns

3. Providing traffic and pedestrian safety through traffic enforcement and education

4. Performing the initial investigation of felonies and misdemeanors, as necessary, for the purpose of apprehending and assisting in the prosecution of criminal suspects

5. Recovering and returning stolen property to its owners

6. Investigating the incidence of child abuse, child neglect or abandonment, as well as crimes committed by juveniles

7. Investigating the incidence of domestic violence and hate crimes

8. Assisting and supporting other city departments, community organizations, local businesses, and other law enforcement agencies

9. Providing a presence through patrol to deter crime and ensure the safety of our citizens

The Field Operations Division supports the City Council's goal of continued community safety by:

1. Creating an atmosphere of dialogue and exchange, which fosters shared problem solving between residents, businesses, schools and visitors

2. Being responsive to specific and unique neighborhood problems through neighborhood meetings and community gatherings

3. Establishing a positive relationship between patrol officers and children

4. Reducing traffic collision rate through enforcement of violations contributing to collision causation

5. Being directly involved in our schools through the School Resource Officer (SRO) program and providing proactive safety measures in our schools