By Amelia Anderson The Santa Ana Police Department, commonly known as SAPD, is the municipal law-enforcement agency responsible for public safety within the City of Santa Ana, California. Its responsibilities include emergency response, patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, emergency communications, forensic services and operation of the Santa Ana Jail.
Call 911 when a crime is happening, someone is in immediate danger, a weapon is involved or urgent police, fire or medical assistance is required. For a police matter that is not an emergency, call 714-245-8665. This number can be used for delayed crimes, suspicious activity without an immediate danger and other situations requiring non-emergency police assistance.
Santa Ana Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | Santa Ana Police Department |
| Common abbreviation | SAPD |
| Headquarters address | 60 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 |
| Emergency number | 911 |
| Non-emergency police number | 714-245-8665 |
| Police Records Section | 714-245-8600 |
| Internal Affairs Division | 714-245-8011 |
| Traffic Division | 714-245-8200 |
| Santa Ana Jail | 714-245-8100 |
| Jail address | 62 Civic Center Plaza, Santa Ana, CA 92701 |
| Main organizational bureaus | Administration, Field Operations, Investigations and Jail |
| County | Orange County |
| Area served | Locations within Santa Ana city limits |
| Orange County inmate information | 714-647-4666 |
| Orange County Intake and Release Center | 550 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703 |
| Online reporting | Available for selected non-emergency incidents |
The Police Department and its central Records Section operate from the Civic Center complex. City employment and police-record materials continue to identify 60 Civic Center Plaza as the department’s main address and 714-245-8600 as a principal Records contact.
Santa Ana Police Department Address
The main Police Department facility is located at:
- Santa Ana Police Department
- 60 Civic Center Plaza
- Santa Ana, California 92701
The department is located within the Santa Ana Civic Center, close to City Hall, the Central Justice Center and Orange County jail facilities.
The station contains police administration, emergency communications, Records, investigative offices and other operational services. The Santa Ana Jail is located next to the Police Department at 62 Civic Center Plaza.
Residents should not travel to the police station instead of calling for urgent assistance. Dial 911 when someone is in danger, a serious crime is happening or an immediate officer response is required.
Call 714-245-8665 for matters such as:
- A theft discovered after the offender has left
- Property damage without an immediate threat
- Suspicious activity that is no longer occurring
- A delayed burglary report
- Noise or disturbance complaints
- A stolen vehicle discovered after the theft
- A request to speak with an officer
- An incident that cannot be reported online
Calls are prioritized according to the seriousness of the incident, injuries, the presence of a weapon and whether the suspect remains nearby.
Santa Ana Police Department Divisions
The current department structure is organized into four principal bureaus:
- Administration Bureau
- Field Operations Bureau
- Investigations Bureau
- Jail Bureau
Three bureaus are supervised by deputy chiefs, while the Jail Bureau operates under its own jail command structure.
Administration Bureau
The Administration Bureau provides the personnel, records, communications, training and technical services needed to support police operations.
Its responsibilities include:
- Police Records
- Emergency Communications Center
- Information technology
- Employee training
- Recruitment and human resources
- Budget administration
- Department equipment and facilities
- Public information and administrative support
The Communications Center is often the public’s first point of contact with SAPD. Dispatchers answer emergency and non-emergency calls, gather information and send the appropriate police resources.
Callers should answer the dispatcher’s questions even when the questions appear repetitive. Officers may already be travelling to the location while the dispatcher continues collecting information.
1. Field Operations Bureau
The Field Operations Bureau is the department’s largest and most publicly visible operational section. It includes Patrol, Traffic, the Community Engagement Team and other specialized field units.
Patrol officers normally provide the first response to police calls. Their duties may include:
- Protecting victims and injured people
- Securing crime scenes
- Searching for suspects
- Interviewing witnesses
- Collecting preliminary evidence
- Preparing the initial police report
- Enforcing criminal and traffic laws
- Conducting neighbourhood patrols
- Responding to recurring community concerns
SAPD’s current public information focuses on the main Civic Center police facility rather than advertising separate public precinct counters. Patrol deployment is handled internally through geographic assignments and operating districts. Residents do not need to identify a patrol district before calling; the complete incident address allows dispatchers to assign the correct officers.
The Traffic Division handles traffic enforcement, serious collisions, hit-and-run investigations, impaired-driving enforcement and pedestrian or cyclist safety. It can be contacted at 714-245-8200 for appropriate traffic-related enquiries.
2. Investigations Bureau
The Investigations Bureau handles cases requiring further work after the initial patrol response. It includes detectives, civilian investigators and forensic personnel.
Investigative assignments include:
- Homicide
- Robbery
- Serious assault
- Sexual assault
- Child abuse
- Domestic violence
- Gang-related crime
- Burglary and other property crime
- Fraud and financial crime
- Missing-person cases
- Digital and forensic evidence
A police report is not automatically assigned to a detective. Assignment may depend on the seriousness of the crime, available physical or digital evidence, identifiable suspects and useful investigative leads.
Victims should keep their police case number. It may be required when contacting investigators, submitting additional evidence, requesting a report or filing an insurance claim.
3. Jail Bureau
The Jail Bureau manages the Santa Ana Jail. It consists of Jail Administration and Support Services and Jail Operations.
Jail Operations manages people taken into SAPD custody and is responsible for their processing, housing, release or transfer to an Orange County jail. Jail administrative personnel oversee contracts, facility requirements, records and compliance with detention standards.
What County Is the Santa Ana Police Department In?
The Santa Ana Police Department is located in Orange County, California.
SAPD and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are separate agencies. Santa Ana police officers provide municipal police services within Santa Ana city limits. The Sheriff’s Department operates Orange County jail facilities, provides courthouse security and performs law-enforcement duties in unincorporated areas and contract cities.
Nearby cities such as Tustin, Orange, Garden Grove, Costa Mesa and Fountain Valley operate separate police departments. An incident occurring in one of those cities should normally be reported to that city’s police agency.
Some addresses may use Santa Ana as their postal city while being outside Santa Ana’s municipal boundaries. The exact location where the incident occurred determines which agency should take the report.
Filing a Santa Ana Police Report
A police report may be initiated by:
- Calling 911 during an emergency
- Calling 714-245-8665 for a non-emergency
- Visiting SAPD headquarters
- Using the department’s available online reporting process
Online reporting is intended for selected incidents that are no longer in progress and do not require immediate evidence collection.
Do not rely on online reporting when:
- Someone is injured or in danger
- A suspect remains at the scene
- A firearm or another weapon is involved
- Domestic violence occurred
- A serious sexual offence occurred
- An entire vehicle was stolen
- Important physical evidence must be collected
- The crime occurred outside Santa Ana
When photographs, security-camera footage or licence-plate information may identify a suspect, call the non-emergency number. An officer or investigator can explain how the evidence should be preserved and submitted.
Obtaining a Police Report
The Police Records Section can be contacted at:
- Santa Ana Police Department Records Section
- 60 Civic Center Plaza
- Santa Ana, CA 92701
- Telephone: 714-245-8600
A requester should provide:
- Police case number
- Incident date and approximate time
- Exact location
- Names of involved people
- Type of incident
- Government-issued identification
- Proof of involvement or authorization
Police records are not automatically available to everyone. California law may restrict access to active investigations, juvenile records, witness information, medical details and protected victim information.
Body-camera footage, dispatch recordings, photographs and large investigative files may require a formal California Public Records Act request and additional review.
Traffic collision reports may also be requested through Records. The officer must complete and submit the report before a copy becomes available. Serious-injury, fatal and criminal collision investigations may take longer.
Property, Evidence and Towed Vehicles
SAPD stores crime-scene evidence, found property, recovered stolen items, seized property and items held for safekeeping.
Evidence cannot normally be released until the assigned investigator, prosecutor or court removes the hold. A person requesting property should have identification, proof of ownership and the police case number.
For a police-towed vehicle, the registered owner may need:
- Valid photo identification
- Proof of ownership
- Current registration
- A valid driver’s licence
- A police vehicle release
- Payment of towing and storage charges
A vehicle held as criminal evidence cannot be released until the investigative hold is removed.
Complaints About Santa Ana Police Conduct
Complaints involving a Santa Ana police officer or employee are handled by the Internal Affairs Division.
Internal Affairs telephone: 714-245-8011
SAPD policy requires the department to accept and investigate complaints alleging employee misconduct. A complaint may be submitted in person, by telephone or through the department’s complaint form.
Useful complaint information includes:
- Incident date and time
- Exact location
- Officer’s name or badge number
- Police vehicle information
- Police report or citation number
- Witness details
- Photographs, audio or video
- A clear description of what occurred
The officer’s name is helpful but not essential. The department may use shift records, dispatch information, body-camera records and vehicle assignments to identify the employee.
Santa Ana Jail and Orange County Jail
The Santa Ana Police Department operates a municipal jail at:
- Santa Ana Jail
- 62 Civic Center Plaza
- Santa Ana, CA 92701
- Telephone: 714-245-8100
The jail is used for booking, temporary detention and housing approved detainees. A person arrested by SAPD may be released from the city jail, taken to court or transferred into Orange County custody.
The Orange County Central Jail Complex and Intake and Release Center are located at:
- 550 North Flower Street
- Santa Ana, CA 92703
- Inmate information: 714-647-4666
- Intake and Release Center: 714-647-6063
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, not SAPD, operates these county facilities. The county also operates the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange and the James A. Musick Facility in Irvine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Santa Ana Police non-emergency number?
A: Call 714-245-8665 for delayed crimes, suspicious activity without immediate danger and other non-emergency police matters. Call 911 when a crime is happening or someone is in danger.
Q: Can a visitor file a Santa Ana police report?
A: Yes. A person does not need to live in Santa Ana to report a crime that occurred within city limits. Visitors should provide reliable contact information and retain the police case number.
Q: Does Santa Ana Police operate its own jail?
A: Yes. SAPD operates the Santa Ana Jail at 62 Civic Center Plaza. People requiring county custody may later be transferred to an Orange County Sheriff’s Department facility.
Q: Do I need an officer’s name to file a complaint?
A: No. Provide the date, time, location, officer description, vehicle information and any report or citation number. These details can help Internal Affairs identify the employee.