The Men and Women of the Atherton Police Department
Police Chief Steven D. McCulley and the men and women of the Atherton Police Department
"To Serve With Honor, Integrity, and Professionalism"
The Atherton Police Department is committed to providing exceptional public safety services and believes in taking a leadership role in fostering community partnerships. By cooperating to identify and solve issues we can make this great town even greater. This unit includes the Chief of Police, Police Commander and the Assistant to the Chief/Training Manager.
The Police Communication Center is located at the front of the Police Department and operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Citizens who call the Police Department talk to a dispatcher who immediately radios the reported information to Officers in the field, thus enabling a very fast response time. The Communications Center is a modern facility utilizing the latest technology to efficiently and effectively handle complaints and concerns. Residents with alarm systems connected to the Police Department have their alarms monitored in the Communications Center.
The Investigation Division is responsible for investigating cases reported through the Patrol Division. Some of the crimes investigated include thefts, home and auto burglaries, identity theft, crimes against children, and sexual assaults. The goal is to arrest the person(s) responsible for the alleged crime. In addition, the Investigations Division works closely with the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office to assist in the prosecution of the investigated cases.
The Investigations Division is also responsible for keeping updated on legal issues and disseminating that information to the Patrol Division. The Detectives also work closely with the community to make sure they are informed of current crime trends.
The Atherton Police Department Canine Unit was created to help the department with its primary function, the preservation of life and property. The Canine Unit assists in achieving this goal by promoting an atmosphere of service and safety in the community, utilizing canines in general and specialized patrol to enhance crime prevention, crime suppression, criminal investigation, and Police Officer/Citizen protection.
The backbone of a police organization, patrol officers and supervisors handle day-to-day calls on the radio, attend public meetings, perform inspections of citizen’s homes for crime prevention preparedness, handle traffic collision investigations, write citations for moving violations and vehicle equipment violations, and conduct highly visible patrols throughout the Town. Patrol Officers are always uniformed and work 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. This is designed to deter criminal opportunity and leave our residents with the sense of security they have come to know and expect in Atherton.
Atherton Police Officers, citizens and the Atherton Police Property section collect and recover many items of property each week. Once items are submitted as evidence or booked into the Property Room, only the property officer can handle or release items. All property releases are done by appointment only.
The Atherton Traffic Safety Program was established in 1995, and was formed in response to the ever-increasing flow of traffic within the Town. The main goal of the program is to reduce fatal and injury collisions through both enforcement and education, with a high concentration in school zones.
The Town of Atherton has 50 miles of paved roadway within its jurisdiction. 45.25 miles of which are small two-lane roadways not designed to carry a high volume of traffic or large, over sized vehicles. These officers also spend a great deal of time addressing areas where complaints have been received, as well as reducing the amount of commercial vehicles over 3 tons that use our roadways. Traffic Officers also change to work nighttime hours during the holiday season when they join in the countywide "Avoid the 23" DUI enforcement campaign.