Thousands of residents around the San Mateo are working every day to make our neighborhoods cleaner and safer for our families, children and senior citizens. Each does their part in ways that work for them. Here are some of the ways that you and your neighbors can get involved in making your neighborhood safer.

Community Police Academy

The San Mateo Police Department believes in a collaborative approach to policing. Our community policing model is equal parts community and law enforcement, which is what keeps San Mateo safe, vibrant, and healthy. The San Mateo Community Police Academy offers a transparent lens into the internal workings of your police department and how they relate to servicing our community as a whole. Join us for a memorable and rewarding experience to see behind the scenes of the police department, learn about the roles and responsibilities of our staff, and gain skills you can take back to your daily life.

Join Our Team

Be the difference you want to see! Join the San Mateo Police Department team for a career that offers excitement, growth opportunities, work-life balance, and the chance to make a positive impact in your community. Fairness, equality, justice and honor are our guiding principles in executing our duties and obligations, while ensuring the continuation of a legacy of excellence. 

Subscribe to Police Alerts

Our number one goal at the San Mateo Police Department is to keep our community informed during an emergency, while managing the need for public safety. Social media and the use of emergency alert platforms have put communication at our fingertips. By utilizing social media channels like Facebook, X.com (formally Twitter), and Instagram, we can broadcast emergencies, such as hazardous situations, police activity, events, enforcement operations, and crime alerts. Similarly, platforms like Nixle and Nextdoor allow us to also share our press releases with you, in addition to the aforementioned. 

Participate in Neighborhood Watch

In order to stay informed about emerging crime issues, you should try to get involved with your neighborhood watch and attend meetings on a regular basis. Neighborhood watch meetings are held by block captains and should be on a regular basis. At the meeting, residents and the area police lieutenant discuss priority crime issues, as well as develop strategies to address those issues. Attending your neighborhood watch meeting will give you the opportunity to get to know the officers that work in your area, provide information about your concerns to police, meet other residents on your block who may be working on similar issues, and bring back the latest information from police to your neighbors. And by using the a problem solving model, each neighborhood watch meeting should be the beginning of developing successful law enforcement, City service, and community-based strategies to attack crime in your neighborhood.

Join us for a Ride-Along

The ride-along program allows members of the public to accompany officers during part of their shift in a police vehicle. The best way to understand the "why" in law enforcement is to sit beside us during part of a shift. Even if you aren't interested in becoming a police officer, ride-alongs are an eye-opening experience for members of the community. This public education program gives residents a better understanding of police operations. The ride-along program serves as a mechanism for community members to personally observe patrol operations and enhance transparency between police and members of the community. If you are interested in a ride-along, please submit an application today.

Become a City Volunteer

The City of San Mateo’s Volunteer Source makes it easy to connect volunteers with opportunities in the area. Volunteers provide the City with a broad source of expertise, talent, and people power for San Mateo services and programs.Volunteering means meeting new people, learning new skills, gaining service credits, securing employment references, learning more about city government, and finding personal satisfaction - all while making a difference in the community.