Claudia Encinas

Tucson Police Department

The Tucson Police Department was founded on April 22, 1871. The city was one square mile in size and had a population of 3,200 people. By 1921 the department grew from a single marshal to 33 commissioned officers. During this time officers worked 12-hour shifts with an annual salary of $1,800. They were also required to provide their own uniform, badge, gun, ammunition, and they had to be married. Today, the Tucson Police Department has a chief of police and a four-bureau system. The department has over 830 sworn officers and more than 290 non-sworn employees. We serve a community of over 520,000 citizens and cover more than 200 square miles. The mission of the Tucson Police Department is to serve the public in partnership with our community, to protect life and property, prevent crime, and resolve problems. At the heart of all we do are our Seven Core Values: Excellence • Fairness • Integrity • Leadership • Personal Responsibility • Service Orientation • Teamwork In addition to the four patrol divisions the department is comprised of the Administrative Services (Training Section, Human Resources), Central Investigations (Violent Crimes, Special Victims and Special Investigations Section), and Patrol Services (Patrol, Specialized Response and Air Support).