Support Services Division

The Support Services division provides services necessary to sustain the Field Operations division. The division is commanded by one of the department's two captains.  The division is comprised of sworn and non-sworn personnel and performs duties including the investigation of criminal acts, providing police communications, maintaining records, providing specialized investigations in the area of narcotics and gang violence, as well as, the delivery of clerical support for the department.  The Support Services Division consists of the Investigations Section, Property and Evidence, Communications Section, Records Section, Southern Alameda County Narcotics Enforcement Team (SACNET), Southern Alameda County Gang Violence Suppression Task Force (SACGVS), Personnel and Training Section, Internal Services Section, Chaplaincy Program, and Internal Affairs.

Investigations Section

The Investigations section is supervised by a sergeant who oversees the day-to-day operations of the section, supervises five detectives, assigns cases for follow-up, and coordinates investigations involving outside jurisdictions.

Each member of the section has an assigned investigative specialty. The Persons Crimes detective investigates homicides, robbery, aggravated assault, battery, and suspicious deaths. Two detectives are assigned to Property Crimes and investigate auto, residential, and commercial burglaries, vehicle and other thefts, credit card and check fraud, embezzlements, and computer-related crimes. The Major Crimes detective investigates robberies, crimes having gang involvement, and crimes committed by repeat offenders. The Juvenile/Sexual Assault detective investigates crimes committed against juveniles, child abuse, rape and sexual assault against adults, and coordinates missing person’s reports.

Property and Evidence

The Property and Evidence section falls under the direct supervision of the Investigations’ Supervisor. The unit is staffed by a full-time Property Clerk and two part-time property cadet. The unit is responsible for the processing, inventory and proper disposition of all evidence and property collected by members of the department.

Communications Section

Communications personnel receive and process all emergency and non-emergency telephone calls for service. Communications personnel dispatch officers to calls for service and track the progress of the call using the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Communications personnel constantly update the status of officers in the field and update information in statewide and nationwide computer systems regarding the status of warrants, stolen vehicles, stolen property, and missing persons as the status of the incident changes. The Communications section has an authorized staff of seventeen dispatchers.

Communications personnel initiate the response of a fire company and an ambulance for fire and medical aid calls when the call is first received by the police department. Communications personnel handle requests from police patrol units and specialized units. Communications personnel also coordinate emergency and non-emergency information with other law enforcement agencies.
Communications personnel are cross-trained in police dispatch, non-emergency telephone operations, 911 telephone operations, and records processing.

Records

Personnel in the Records section perform a wide variety of duties including, receiving and processing all police reports, citations, restraining orders and other related documents. Report processing includes storing data from the reports in the department's Records Management System (RMS). Records personnel, as well as Communications personnel, enter any property listed in a report that is identifiable by serial number into the state wide automated systems. The Records section is staffed by one police office assistant and two part-time cadets.

Records personnel handle warrant information and other teletype information sent to the Union City Police Department by other agencies. Records personnel process police reports and create court packets for those cases that need to be sent to the District Attorney's office for a court case.

Records personnel maintain the case files that contain the reports generated by the department. The statistics later used for the FBI's Uniform Crime Report are obtained through the information stored in the RMS by the Records personnel. The Records section generates statistical reports on criminal activity each month and sends the reports to the State. The release of police reports is handled by Records personnel. Records personnel provide information and assistance to citizens who come into the police department.

Southern Alameda County Narcotics Enforcement Team (SACNET)

In 1978, the Southern Alameda County Narcotics Enforcement Team (SACNET) was formed as a cooperative effort by the Union City, Newark, and Fremont Police Departments. The objective of SACNET was to suppress drug trafficking in the Tri-City areas. The unit was supervised by a sergeant from one of the participating agencies.

On February 1, 1991, the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement (BNE) entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Tri-Cities, which brought SACNET into the state task force system as the twenty-fifth BNE Task Force.

A governing board, consisting of the Chiefs of Police of Union City, Newark, and Fremont Police Departments, and the Senior Agent-in-Charge of the San Jose regional office of B.N.E., was formed to set policy and monitor SACNET's progress. SACNET is under the direct field supervision of a BNE Special Agent Supervisor/Task Force Commander. Each of the three participating police departments contributes personnel to SACNET. Union City Police Department contributes one detective to the task force.

SACNET conducts investigations ranging from street level drug dealers to sophisticated drug trafficking conspiracies. The unit has formed working relationships with other federal, state and local narcotics units, which allows SACNET access to other crime fighting resources.

Southern Alameda County Gang Violence Suppression Task Force (SACGVS)

In 1997, the cities of Union City, Fremont, and Hayward collaborated on the formation of a specialized unit within the law enforcement community that focused specifically on the investigation of violent gang crimes.

The cities had already entered into an agreement concerning comprehensive anti-gang strategies in the areas of prevention and intervention, through the Community Counseling and Education Center's Gang Violence Reduction Project. Although prevention and intervention were recognized as being effective in reducing gang related activity, it was also recognized that law enforcement suppression of gang activity was a necessary element in the battle against gang activity.

On October 1, 1997, the Southern Alameda County Gang Violence Suppression Task Force (SACGVSTF) was formed. The task force commander was, and still is, a Special Agent Supervisor from the State of California's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement Division. Union City currently assigns one detective to the task force.

Currently, the SACGVSTF includes agents from Union City Police Department, Fremont Police Department, Newark Police Department, Alameda County Office of Probation, and part-time agents from the Homeland Security Agency as well as from the Department of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.

Personnel and Training Section

The Personnel and Training section is staffed by a sergeant and one police office assistant. The section is responsible for the ongoing recruitment, application, and testing process for potential new employees. Additionally, the section is responsible for the coordination of all training of department personnel in compliance with mandates set forth by the California Peace Officer’s Standards and Training Commission (POST).

Internal Services Section

The Internal Services Section is comprised of one office coordinator, one police office assistant and one office assistant. The section is supervised by the Personnel and Training sergeant.

The police office assistant is responsible for the purchasing of supplies and services, and accounts receivable. The office coordinator also provides support in the budget process and interfaces with the cities finance department.

The police office assistant is responsible for the processing the police department's payroll, assisting employees with human relations issues, tracking time usage, ensuring compliance with Union City's alarm ordinance, and clerical assistance.

The office assistant is responsible for answering and routing all incoming business calls to the City. The office assistant is also responsible for data entry for the Police Department and maintaining the department's officer subpoena log.

Chaplaincy Program

The City of Union City Police Department Chaplain provides spiritual and practical support to all personnel of the police department. 

The chaplain’s first priority is to serve the spiritual and practical needs of the personnel of the Union City Police Department following any significant incident of crisis or trauma.  Recognizing that those who serve as law   enforcement professionals face unique and often times stressful situations, the chaplain provides an opportunity for debrief and counsel with absolute confidentiality.

The chaplain also provides spiritual counsel in personal matters, including relationship, marriage, home life, career, etc.  In times of personal tragedy or loss, such as the illness or death of a loved one, the chaplain is available to provide visitation, counsel and officiation of memorial or funeral services.

The chaplain, who is an experienced licensed and ordained minister, also provide pre-marital counsel and, when requested, is able to officiate over marriage ceremonies.

The chaplain regularly rides with UCPD patrol officers, adding a unique level of support as he interacts within the community. He is often called upon to respond to incidents within the community to provide the same level of support to our residents, and has access to numerous referral resources outside of the department.

Reverend Albert Valencia has served as the appointed chaplain to the Union City Police Department since 2004.  He is the Executive Director of Chaplain Support Ministries, Inc. All services provided to the police department are without cost to the taxpayers of the city, as his ministry is solely supported through private contributions.  Additionally, Rev. Valencia serves the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and provides support as requested to other law enforcement agencies.  He is also the Spiritual Care Coordinator for Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley, CA.  Rev. Valencia is certified and credentialed as a law enforcement chaplain through the International Conference of Police Chaplains.

The police chaplain can be reached through the department dispatcher.

Internal Affairs

Although the Union City Police Department does not have a unit specifically designated to investigate complaints against police officers, all complaints made against department personnel are investigated by a command level officer, generally a lieutenant assigned to the Field Operation’s division.

Our sworn officers have in excess of 100,000 citizen contacts per year. On average, the police department receives fifteen to twenty complaints against our employees; a relatively low number given the nature of the profession which we believe is evidence of the professionalism of our officers.

Though we pride ourselves in the conduct of our employees, we also realize there are occasions when misconduct may arise. If any person feels that he or she has a legitimate complaint about the conduct of any employee of the Union City Police Department, they are encouraged to contact the department. Contact can be made via telephone, fax, in person, or by completing and mailing a complaint form. Complaint forms are available in all fire stations, the police station, city community centers, and city hall. They can be mailed out upon request.

All complaints are thoroughly investigated, and the Chief of Police personally reviews each complaint investigation. The Union City Police Department is committed to maintaining the highest level of conduct from its employees, and will not accept less

To request a complaint form you can call (510) 471-1365.

Crime Reporting

Law Enforcement agencies are required to report all criminal offenses occurring in their jurisdictions on a monthly basis to the California Department of Justice.  Criminal offenses are categorized into two separate categories, Part I, which include the more serious property crimes of violence; and Part II, which include other non-violent, non-property crimes.

Part I offenses include aggravated assault, forcible and attempted rape, murder, and robbery which are classified as violent crimes, while arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes.

Part II offenses include simple assault, curfew offenses and loitering, embezzlement, forgery and counterfeiting, disorderly conduct, driving under the influence, drug offenses, fraud, gambling, liquor offenses, offenses against the family, prostitution, public drunkenness, runaways, sex offenses, stolen property, vandalism, vagrancy, and weapons offenses.

Part I crimes are collectively known as Index crimes.  This name is used by the Department of Justice because the crimes are considered quite serious, tend to be reported more reliably than others, and are reported directly to the police and not to a separate agency, for example, a forgery being reported to the Internal Revenue Service, who does not contribute to the Uniformed Crime Report (UCR).

Click here for a five year comparison for PART I crimes from 2004 to 2008.

The demands on our law enforcement personnel over the next year are going to be greater than ever before.   We want to expand the Community Policing philosophy in the delivery of services, identify emerging issues for the community and develop strategies to address them, and develop a succession plan so that future generations of Police Department personnel and supervisors are prepared to meet the challenges and demands of a growing and diverse community with a population of 73,402.

Staffing

The below listed table compares the staffing levels for police departments within Alameda County. Sworn Personnel refer to sworn law enforcement officers while the Non-Sworn classification includes dispatchers, records personnel, and other clerical and support staff.

Alameda County Staffing Comparison