Police Procedures
Officer Response and Investigating "Making the Report"

Upon arriving, an officer may do the following:

  • Make sure the scene is safe.
  • Request an ambulance if medical attention is necessary.
  • Obtain a brief synopsis of the incident and a description of suspect(s) and vehicle(s).
  • Relay information to dispatch to notify other police units.
  • Take a detailed report from the victim.
  • Question witnesses.
  • Collect physical evidence.
  • Give the victim a report number for the incident.
  • Attempt to conclude the investigation with action most applicable to the situation. Note: Not all police responses result in a report being written. Clarify with the responding officer if a report is being written and obtain the report number for later reference

Conducting the follow-up investigation:

  • After the responding officer completes a preliminary investigation and submits the report, a supervisor will review the case to determine if it will be assigned for follow up investigation.
  • If there are leads, an attempt may be made to contact the victim to make sure nothing has been overlooked.
  • If there are no suspects, leads, or additional information the case will be closed. Not all cases are assigned for follow up information. A case may be reopened later if new information is obtained
Citizen's Arrest

A police officer may not arrest or cite a person for a MISDEMEANOR crime NOT committed in their presence (with very few exceptions).

A citizen, who saw the crime occur may make an arrest for a crime not witnessed by an officer. This is a citizen's arrest.

There are over 50,000 citizens living in the City of Santa Cruz. There are less than 100 police officers. Without the active participation of the citizens who act as the eyes and ears of the Police Department to report unlawful activity, the quality of life in our community would certainly decline.

People are often hesitant to get involved because they believe it is too complicated or someone else will report the unlawful activity. It is up to each and everyone of us to be involved. We set the community standard by our actions or inaction.

Citizen Arrest Procedure:

  • Notify the police upon observing a crime; dial 911.
  • Tell the dispatcher quickly and precisely why you called. Answer the police dispatcher's questions (Yes, even if you think it is silly.)
  • Provide the dispatcher with information which identifies the violator, i.e., age, race, height, weight, description of clothing, car - color, make, model, license, etc., and exactly the activity you called about.
  • Tell the police dispatcher you want to sign a citizen's arrest and you want to speak to the responding officer.
  • If necessary, appear in court to tell your story, if requested by the District Attorney's office. (Most cases are concluded without the necessity of a court appearance.)

Commonly Asked Questions About Citizen's Arrest

  • In most cases, you do have to be in visual contact with the suspect to positively identify the law violator. This may be accomplished in a number of ways; face to face, talking to one officer who relays the information to another officer via radio or phone.
  • Yes, in order for the officer to make an arrest for a crime the officer did not observe, the officer must contact the arresting party. In some cases, this contact may be by the officer via a cellular telephone, but not all officers have this capability. Person to officer is by far the best way.
  • Over 90% of the cases are resolved without the necessity of a court appearance.
  • What if I am not sure if I want the person arrested? You, as the person who observed the law violation, are the only person who can make the arrest. If you were concerned enough to call and expect the illegal activity to cease, you must get involved.
  • A citation, or ticket, has the same legal implication as an actual physical arrest. The arrested or cited party must stop their unlawful activity and appear in court for the criminal violation.
  • If you do not feel the incident was handled properly, or if you simply have a question, you may ask to speak with the officer's supervisor.
  • I would encourage you to still call the police and ask them to respond, but if there is no one there who actually witnessed the unlawful activity, in most cases, an arrest cannot be made.
  • How long it takes the officer to respond is directly dependent on the number of officers available and the severity of the incident(s) being reported at the same time. All calls are prioritized by severity and not by the order or time received. Emergency or high priority calls must be answered first. Ask the dispatcher, prior to hanging up, approximately how long will it be before an officer arrives. They can usually give you a rough estimate.
Traffic Accident Reporting

California State Vehicle Code requires that any person involved in a vehicle accident on a public street must:

  • Ascertain if there are any injuries.
  • Exchange/leave name, address, telephone number, driver's license number, vehicle license number, and insurance information.
    Failure to comply could result in the criminal charge of leaving the scene of an accident.

A traffic accident report must be made if:

  • One of the parties dies as a result of the accident.
  • Or is likely to die.
    If these criteria do not apply, then citizens may exchange required information without notifying law enforcement.

A State of California SR-1 form will have to be submitted to the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days. It is the driver's responsibility to submit the SR-1 form, not the police. SR-1 forms are available from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the police department lobby, or from your insurance carrier.

If there is:

  • Any injury to any party;
  • Property damage to either vehicle amounting to more than $500.
    While waiting for an officer, parties involved can assist by exchanging information, and gathering witness information (names, addresses, telephone numbers). Remember: Noninjury traffic collisions do not require a police report.

The officer will require from each driver:

  • A valid driver's license.
  • A vehicle registration card.
  • Proof of insurance.
    Completed accident investigation reports will be available in the SCPD Records Unit after fourteen days
Citations (Tickets)

Police officers are charged with the responsibility of enforcing state and local laws. This responsibility may result in citizens being detained and issued citations for failure to comply with a state or local law. The citation issued will contain, at a minimum, the following information:

  • Day, date, and time.
  • Personal information.
  • Law violated.
  • Location, jurisdiction.
  • Officer's signature.
  • Cited citizen's signature.
  • Appearance date and time.
    Information on the bottom of the citation describes how the person cited is to answer to the charge. Ninety percent simply state that the court must be contacted within 30 days (the Traffic Violation window in the basement of the County Courthouse, 701 Ocean Street). Information on the back of the ticket lists the options available.

A courtesy notice may or may not be mailed by the court to provide further information. If a courtesy note is not received, the person who was cited is still required to appear/contact the court as promised when the original citation was signed.

Failure to appear as promised is a separate violation for which a person may be arrested and punished by six months in jail and/or a $1,000 fine, regardless of the disposition of the original charge. In addition, the Department of Motor Vehicles is required to withhold the issuance or renewal of a driver's license and may suspend or revoke driving privileges if the violator does not appear as promised on the citation.

You must either pay the traffic fine or declare that you are not guilty and have a court date set. Your case will then be heard by a judge/commissioner who will listen to testimony and determine the final outcome. Judges do not like to postpone or continue set court dates without very good reasons. If you are unable to appear in court on the scheduled date, go to the Traffic Window in person, ten days prior to the scheduled court date, and ask for a new court date. Failure to appear will result in a finding of "Guilty" and an arrest warrant may be issued.

If you receive a citation for a vehicle code violation due to faulty equipment, this is considered a "fix-it" ticket. This may be dismissed by the court if you show the court proof the violation has been corrected. Once the fault is repaired, a police officer must view the equipment and verify the equipment is functional by signing off on the ticket. The ticket must then be brought/mailed to the court of issuance. Most courts and police agencies charge an administrative fee for this service.

Parking Citations
The registered owner, driver, or lessee of the cited vehicle shall, within 21 days of the date printed on the front of the citation, either:

  • Pay the parking penalty in full.
  • Submit a written explanation by mail or in person and request an administrative review by the processing agency.
    If penalty or request for administrative review is not received within 21 days, additional penalties will be assessed and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) notified for a hold on your vehicle registration.

IF A REVIEW IS NOT REQUESTED WITHIN THE SPECIFIED TIME LIMITS, THERE IS NO FURTHER RIGHT OF REVIEW.

Most parking citations are issued by the traffic/parking enforcement section of the Public Works Department. Please check your citation to see who issued it.

The parking citation office is located on the first floor of the city parking garage at Locust and Cedar Street. 420-6100.
Santa Cruz County Judicial System

Citizens request law enforcement assistance for a variety of reasons, but principally because some criminal activity has occurred. An officer will respond to each citizen complaint, prioritized by the hazard level of the reported incident.

Upon arrival, the officer will secure the area to ensure citizen safety, then make a determination whether a crime has or has not been committed. The officer will make as complete an investigation as possible at that time - obtaining statements, collecting evidence, and making an arrest when appropriate. The officer may write a report, outlining the crime and the results of the investigation, to be forwarded in the judicial system.

If no suspect has been arrested, the case will be referred to the police Investigation Section. They will review the case and conduct as much follow-up investigation as possible to identify the suspect. If a suspect is identified with enough proof to be charged with a crime, the case will be forwarded to the District Attorney. The District Attorney will review the case and decide if there is a prosecutable crime.

If an arrest is made by the field police officer, arrangements will be made for a court date. If the crime is a misdemeanor or infraction, generally an arrest citation will be written and a court date assigned. For a felony or special circumstances the arrested person will be booked into the county jail. The suspect will then either go before a judge within 48 hours or will be released on bail with a court date set.

The first court appearance is called an arraignment. The District Attorney will present a formal reading of criminal charges and the suspect will enter a plea. If a plea of guilty is entered, the case may be adjudicated at that time with the judge conducting sentencing. If a plea of not guilty is entered, a future court date is set for a preliminary hearing and/or trial.

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY JAIL
259 Water Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone (831) 454-2444

Arrested suspects are taken to the Santa Cruz County Jail. Upon entry, they are placed in holding rooms until the intake process is completed and it is decided whether they will be released on bail or not. This process normally takes two to five hours.

Persons not released are housed in the jail. Inmates have access to telephones (outgoing collect calls only), mail (sent through the U.S Postal Service Only), and visitation (Saturday, Sunday only).

Any person entering a jail facility is subject to being searched. Any illegal items found may be seized and may lead to criminal prosecution. The Santa Cruz Police Department does not maintain a jail. All prisoners are taken to the county jail.

Juvenile Detention Facility
3650 Graham Hill Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(Juvenile Hall) Phone (831) 454-3800

Juveniles are incarcerated only when charged with serious criminal violations and/or their parents cannot be located. All criminal charges against juveniles are adjudicated through a separate juvenile judicial system which is not open to the public. The Juvenile Hall is operated by the Santa Cruz County Probation Department, located at 3650 Graham Hill Road.
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