2-03/000.00 - Department Structure



The major structural entity of the Department is the Division.  The Department is divided into the following Divisions:

  • Professional Standards Division
  • Administrative and Training Division
  • Court Services Division
  • Custody Services Division – General Population
  • Custody Services Division – Specialized Programs
  • Detective Division
  • Central Patrol Division
  • East Patrol Division
  • North Patrol Division
  • South Patrol Division
  • Countywide Services Division
  • Transit Policing Division
  • Homeland Security Division
  • Technical Services Division

Within a Division, the varied functions of the Department are assigned to organizational levels which are designed to represent command levels as well as functional levels, as follows:

  • Level 1 - Division Chief/Division Director – A Division Chief/Division Director is in charge of a Division, which is a major functional entity within the Department.  Certain staff functions may be directly under the Chief/Division Director;
  • Level 2 - Area Commander/Assistant Division Director – An Area Commander/Assistant Division Director is second in command of a Division or is in charge of a group of functional entities within a Division.  These functional groups may be comprised of an "area," "operation," "service," etc.; and
  • Level 3 – Captain/Director – A Captain/Director is in charge of a specific functional entity such as a bureau, station, jail, facility or a special operation or service; 
    • These specific functional entities are subdivided into "details," "sections," or other specialized secondary operations;
    • Secondary operations are subdivided into specialized "units."  The term "unit" may also be used informally to designate specific work locations and functions, e.g., unit of assignment, unit commander, unit timekeeper, etc.; and

While the "captain level" is generally under the command of a captain, a few specific functional entities at this level may be under the command of a lower-ranking officer or may be under the direct supervision of a civilian employee.