The Mission of 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. 

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 who proudly serve the greater of 210,500 City of Rochester residents and thousands of others who work and attend special events in our rejuvenated 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 a proud History and was officially founded on December 28, 1819. 

The RPD proudly marked its 200th Anniversary in 2019 with the generous support of the Rochester Police Foundation. During the year-long Bicentennial celebration, many officers wore commemorative uniform badges minted from an original badge worn by Chief Joseph Cleary in 1866.

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 of Professionalism.
• Respect - RPD employees will treat one another with the highest levels of Respect, to include those that we are sworn to protect and serve.
• Integrity - RPD employees will serve with the highest level of Integrity.
• Dedication - RPD employees will fulfill their duties with the distinction of Dedication.
• Excellence - RPD employees will commit to a standard of Excellence in all that we do.

There are many Ways You Can be Involved and help the RPD make Rochester a better City and community for everyone. You can make a difference!

If you know of any students who have acted in an exemplary manner that distinguishes them as role models among their peers, please consider nominating them for the Do the Right Thing Awards Program.

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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

The RPD has been Accredited with New York State since 1990, and was proudly re-accredited by the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (NYSLEAP) in January 2020 in accordance with 133 stringent NYSLEAP Standards in accordance with the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in Albany, NY.