Rochester Police Department


RPD badge and PatchThe 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. 

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 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 FoundationDuring the year-long Bicentennial celebration, many officers wore commemorative uniform badges minted from an original badge worn by Chief Joseph Cleary in 1866.

 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 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.

Chief David Smith

Chief David SmithThe Rochester Police Department (RPD) is commanded by Chief 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.

23 RPD Reorg Org Map

23 RPD Reorg Beat Map_1

Accreditation

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.

Recruitment  

The RPD takes great pride in staffing a professional organization that reflects the moral values and cultural backgrounds of the residents of our diverse and vibrant community. You can learn more about Becoming a Rochester Police Officer and APPLY ONLINEView the Equal Employment Opportunity Plan for RPD Compliance

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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