The Downey Police Department is a full service, professional, law enforcement agency located in Los Angeles County. The Department is comprised of more than 160 employees, both sworn and civilian staff; and serves a diverse community of over 112,000 residents within 12.4 square miles. The department is made up of three divisions: Administration, Field Operations, and the Detective Bureau.
The Administrative Division consists of the Records Bureau, Professional Standards, Special Enforcement Team (SET), Departmental Training, Systems Management (IT) and Neighborhood Watch. Field Operations consists of Uniformed Patrol, Traffic, Communications (Dispatch), Police Assistants and Police Aides. The Detective Bureau is divided into three sections: General Investigations, Special Investigations and the Forensics Unit. General Investigations evaluates all reported crimes and conducts any required follow-up investigations. Special Investigations includes Vice, Narcotics Unit and Gang Detail. The Forensics Unit consists of Forensic Specialists, whose primary responsibilities include the collection, preservation, interpretation, and eventual court testimony regarding physical evidence.
Situated 12 miles southeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center, Downey is only 5 miles from Orange County, and 10 miles from the Pacific Coastline.
