TheMissionof the Rochester Police Department is:To Reduce Crime, to Protect and Serve the Citizens of Rochester, to Uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of New York.
About the Rochester Police Department (RPD)
The RPD is recognized in NYS as a leading law enforcement agency. Our diverse and exceptional staff is comprised of 850 sworn and non-sworn civilian employees whoproudlyservethe greater of 210,500 City of Rochester residents and thousands of others who work and attend special events in ourrejuvenated Center City. Rochester's professional police officers patrol a total geographical area of 37.1 square miles located within the County of Monroe, bordering Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes Region of Western New York State.*The RPD has aproudHistoryand was officially founded on December 28, 1819. The RPDproudlymarked its 200th Anniversary in 2019 with the generous support of theRochester Police Foundation.During the year-long Bicentennial celebration, many officers wore commemorative uniform badges minted from an original badge worn byChief Joseph Clearyin1866.
Serving with PRIDE:
The RPD is committed to serving the community with P.R.I.D.E.
- Professionalism - RPD Employees will perform their duties with the highest levels ofProfessionalism.
- Respect - RPD employees will treat one another with the highest levels ofRespect, to include those that we are sworn to protect and serve.
- Integrity - RPD employees will serve with the highest level ofIntegrity.
- Dedication - RPD employees will fulfill their duties with the distinction ofDedication.
- Excellence - RPD employees will commit to a standard ofExcellencein all that we do.
Chief David Smith
The Rochester Police Department (RPD) is commanded byChief of Police David M. Smith. Chief Smith was appointed Chief on July 7, 2022. Chief Smith has served within the ranks of the Rochester Police Department since 1992, where he started as a patrol officer on midnights in the Genesee Section. He worked as an Officer in the Genesee Section for his first ten years, and during that time he was assigned as a Field Training Officer, and a Recruit Class Counselor at the Public Safety Training Center.
The Chief is a strong advocate of building relationships in the community through foot and bicycle patrol, as well as encouraging officers to participate in voluntary community programs in their area of assignment.
The Chief has been active in the community throughout his entire career, working with Internship programs, scouting organizations, and running blood drives during the past 15 years for the American Red Cross which has collected thousands of pints of blood. As a result, The American Red Cross has selected Chief Smith to receive the “Hometown Heroes Award” for his work with their organization. He also has worked with the Open Door Mission, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and local food banks.
Chief Smith has held the ranks of Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Commander, Deputy Chief, and now, Chief. Chief Smith was one of the original bicycle patrol officers, and developed the training program which is still in use today.
As he moved up through the ranks, Chief Smith maintained his interest in bicycle patrol, and eventually headed the program. The Chief has his police bicycle to this day.
Bureaus and Functions
The RPD is organized into three bureaus: Operations, Special Operations, and Administration (see organizational chart below).
The Operations Bureau consists of the Staff Duty Office, Specialized Teams, the Special Events Unit, and the Patrol Division, which is divided into four geographical patrol sections.
- Lake
- Genesee
- Goodman
- Clinton
View the interactive Patrol Division beat map>>
The Special Operations Bureau consists of the Investigations Division, Community Affairs Division, and the Tactical Unit.
The Administration Bureau consists of the PAB Liaison, Personnel Office, Budget Office, Research and Evaluation Section, and the Administrative Services Division.
Accreditation
The RPD has beenAccreditedwith New York State since 1990, and was proudly re-accredited by theNew York State Law EnforcementAccreditation Program (NYSLEAP) in January 2020 in accordance with133 stringent NYSLEAP Standards in accordance with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in Albany, NY.
Recruitment
The RPD takes great pride instaffing a professionalorganizationthat reflects the moral values and cultural backgrounds of the residents of our diverse andvibrantcommunity.You can learn more about Becoming a Rochester Police OfficerandAPPLY ONLINE.View the Equal Employment Opportunity Plan for RPD Compliance.
There are many Ways You Can be Involvedand help the RPD makeRochester a better City and community for everyone. You can make a difference!
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