Politics & Government
Santa Cruz Police Ride-Along Program Puts You in the Middle of the Action
You can join Santa Cruz police in their squad cars as they patrol the streets of Santa Cruz.
Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of those police calls and arrests you read about on Patch? The Santa Cruz Police Department gives you the opportunity to find out.
If you’re 14 years of age or older, you’re qualified to participate in the Santa Cruz Police Department’s Ride-Along Program.
The police department developed the program so citizens could see how officers deal with the situations they must confront and handle each day. By riding in an officer’s vehicle, you’ll hear the communications coming in from the dispatcher and be in the middle of the action as the officer responds.
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Each ride-along typically lasts about two hours. There are three shifts available seven days per week for riding along with the police: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; 4:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.; and 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
For the third shift, you must be at least 18 years old. Each participant is allowed one ride-along per year.
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Of course, the police are obligated to keep you out of harm’s way, and if a call is potentially dangerous, you’ll be dropped off at a safe location and picked up later to complete your ride-along once the officers have dealt with the situation.
However, as a participant in the ride-along, you might become a witness to a possible crime and be asked to write a statement or testify in court at some later date.
Unless you have an officer’s permission, you must not touch or operate any of the police equipment, stray from the immediate vicinity of the police car, or use audio or video recording equipment or take pictures.
For a ride-along, the police require that you dress conservatively. Men should wear sport shirts and slacks or corduroy pants—no jeans. Women should wear a dress, skirt or pants—also no jeans.
The Santa Cruz Police Department also uses the ride-along program to open communication between citizens and the police, and to evaluate the quality of the police force. After all, if you’re paying taxes, you’re paying their salary!
Find out more about the Ride-Along Program by visiting the city of Santa Cruz website.
