Patrol
The purpose of the Cal Poly Police Department is to provide a safe and orderly environment for students, student-residents, staff, faculty, administrators, and visitors to the campus. Patrol officers provides primary and traditional law enforcement services to the Cal Poly campus and nearby communities. Using a combination of mobile (car, bicycles, and specialized vehicles) and foot patrol, the Bureau serves an estimated population of 25,000 people, including over 8,000 residents in campus residential facilities.
The Patrol division dispatches, via our on-campus 9-1-1 communications center, uniformed Police Officers twenty-four hours per day, everyday of the year, who are empowered by the State of California to enforce federal, state, and local law as well as university regulations. We utilize police vehicles, bicycles and foot patrol.
All Cal Poly Police Department Police Officers have completed California P.O.S.T. (Peace Officers Standards and Training) requirements and an additional four months of field training supervised by an experienced and certified police officer. Cal Poly Police Officers respond to calls for service including but not limited to:
- Crimes in progress
- Complaints of crime occurrence
- Suspicious circumstances or people
- Fire incidents
- Injuries, illness and other medical aid incidents
- Traffic collision investigations and traffic offenses
- Hazardous materials incidents
- Fire, security, burglary, and life safety alarm activations
- Loud party and noise complaints
- Disorderly conduct
In addition to patrol duties, Patrol personnel actively serve the Department in other areas. They provide certified instruction for in-service training and to outside agencies in a variety of programs including: firearms training, weaponless defense, impact weapons, first aid, crowd control and community policing. Bureau personnel also serve on SWAT, and the Critical Response Unit, which includes Dignitary Protection and a specialized Arrest Team.
The California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, campus is under the primary jurisdiction of the Cal Poly Police Department and is responsible for responding to and handling all calls for service, as well as processing, investigation and prosecuting all crimes committed on state University property and grounds owned, operated and controlled or administered by the California State University.
Cal Poly Police work closely with San Luis Obispo Police in and around the campus neighborhoods and Cal Poly Police Officers may respond to citizen calls for service within the jurisdictional responsibility of San Luis Obispo Police Department. Cal Poly Police also partners with San Luis Obispo Police in enforcement efforts for major events and at the beginning of the academic school year.
Cal Poly Police Department has Memorandum of Understandings with both the San Luis Obispo Police and Sheriff Departments.
Our patrol officers work with numerous allied agencies such as San Luis Obispo Police Department, San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department, The California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control, Parole, the Narcotics and Gang Task Forces to solve crimes and provide agency assistance known as mutual aid.
The Bureau is responsible for the coordination of mutual aid requests made by other University campuses, local police agencies, and requests made under the California Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Plan.