Operations division
Patrol
The uniformed police officer is the cornerstone of law enforcement operations, and two-thirds of the Covina Police Department sworn officers are assigned to Patrol. The goal of our patrol teams is to reduce crime and to provide excellent service to our community. Officers actively patrol the City of Covina in an effort to prevent crime by their presence, conduct proactive enforcement measures and respond to a wide variety of calls for service. Officers work collaboratively and creatively with our community partners to problem-solve and find solutions.
Uniformed officers operate through a Service Area Policing model. The city is fashioned into three service areas, East, West, and Downtown, which are each led by a police lieutenant. The objectives of this model are to increase accountability, provide more personalized service, improve quality of life, and increase citizen communication with the Covina Police Department.
Community Service Officers (CSO)
Community Service Officer’s play a vital role within the Patrol Division and are made up of professional staff members. Our CSO unit is comprised of highly motivated and talented men and women who serve this community with care. You may have seen our CSO’s in the field driving their white-marked police units, and/or while investigating matters. CSO’s are well trained and handle simple to complex criminal investigations. In addition to investigating criminal matters, CSO’s also investigate traffic collisions, collect evidence from crime scenes, and take enforcement action when necessary. CSO’s investigations routinely lead to the identification of suspects, arrests later made by officers, and the recovery of stolen property. Their hard work also frees up officers to respond to and proactively address criminal activity and quality of life-related issues.
Community Impact Team-Patrol
The Department has an officer assigned to Patrol who focuses on community concerns. This officer contacts People Experiencing Homelessness (PEH) and works to assist public and private organizations.
Service Area Policing
The Covina Police Department divided the City up into three different service areas, each one being overseen by a lieutenant, with the goal of making Covina a better place to live, work, and visit. The citizens of Covina can contact the lieutenant responsible for their specific area of concern for any non-emergency issues.
Increased police accountability to citizens
More personalized service to residents and business owners
Better communication between citizens and the department
Improved neighborhood quality of life
Lieutenant Tony Zavala
East Service Area
Lieutenant Josh Turner
Central Service Area
Lieutenant Ryan Davis
West Service Area
School Resource Officers
The Covina Police Department currently has School Resource Officers assigned to Charter Oak Unified School District and the Covina Valley Unified School District.
During the school year, SRO’s spend their day at campuses, working closely with school officials. They assist in campus safety, enforcement, giving information on the judicial process, and spending their time interacting with the students, parents and staff.
K9 Unit
The Department has two police service dogs which comprise the K-9 unit. Officer Esteban Ortega became K9 Diego’s handler in the Spring of 2023. K9 Diego is a Belgian Malinois.
Officers Gutierrez and Meadows became K9 Paco’s handlers beginning March 2024. K9 Paco is a Belgian Malinous.
These K9 teams participate in weekly group training with other police agencies K9 teams in the San Gabriel Valley. Our K9 teams pride themselves on doing proactive enforcement work, and proactive community relations work in the City of Covina. These teams are graciously supported by the K9 Partners of Covina.
traffic
The Covina Police Traffic Unit is part of the Patrol Unit. Traffic officers are primarily responsible for traffic enforcement, traffic accident investigation, and traffic-related criminal case filing with the District Attorney’s Office. They also train new officers regarding traffic enforcement issues, as well as provide updated training for experienced patrol officers.
The mission of the Covina Police Traffic Unit is to promote traffic safety through education and enforcement. The officers partner with the community, City staff and other governmental agencies to identify traffic-related problems and their potential solutions. Officers may utilize various methods to reduce hazards such as public education, recommending engineering changes, or taking enforcement action.
Traffic officers are trained in the use of specialized equipment used for both enforcement and collision investigations. These officers conduct a large volume of traffic enforcement and handle the vast majority of injury collision accidents, and all fatal accidents that occur in Covina. Traffic officers are also responsible for the review of all violations captured on the red light cameras in operation in the City of Covina.
The Covina Police Department participates in the State of California Office of Traffic Safety Avoid the 100 Anti-DUI program. This multi-jurisdictional enforcement effort uses checkpoints and directed enforcement operations to crack down on the drinking driver and reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by alcohol-related crashes.
Special Response Team
The Covina Police Department’s Special Response Team (SRT), was formed in 2001 out of the need for a specially trained and dedicated group of officers who, acting as a team, work to bring a safe and successful resolution to the most dangerous law enforcement incidents. Team members receive ongoing training in the deployment of special weapons and advanced police tactics.
Currently, 14 officers are assigned to SRT. They include a Team Commander (lieutenant), Two Team Leaders (sergeants), and eleven operators (officers), who have a number of specialized assignments within the team. SRT members are selected through a competitive interview process. Once chosen, team members must participate and excel in regular ongoing training, maintain a high standard of work performance, pass all weapons qualifications, as well as pass an annual physical agility test. SRT members are subject to call at anytime day or night.
SRT handles incidents including, but not limited to, high-risk warrant service, barricaded suspects, hostage rescue, and chemical agent deployment. The team’s credo is strength and honor. The strength stands for the strength of a team over an individual, and the honor stands for the great esteem we hold for each other as team members.
Foothill Air Support Team
The Foothill Air Support Team (FAST) was developed in 1999 after law enforcement agencies within the San Gabriel Valley expressed an interest in airborne law enforcement. FAST is operated through the Pasadena Police Department’s Air Operations Division. The participating agencies in FAST include, Covina, Glendora, Irwindale, Monrovia, Pasadena, Pomona, San Marino, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena. As part of this partnership, officers from participating agencies have the opportunity to work as tactical flight officers with the Pasadena Police Department’s Air Operations Division. To become a tactical flight officers, candidates have to go through a selection process, and successfully complete a rigorous training program. The Covina Police Department has had six officers successfully work as tactical flight officers, and currently have one officer serving in the position. Our partnership with FAST, has made a significant impact on detouring and solving criminal activities within Covina, and has provided an added layer of protection for the officers on the ground.
Foothill Air Support Team
The Foothill Air Support Team (FAST) was developed in 1999 after law enforcement agencies within the San Gabriel Valley expressed an interest in airborne law enforcement. FAST is operated through the Pasadena Police Department’s Air Operations Division. The participating agencies in FAST include, Covina, Glendora, Irwindale, Monrovia, Pasadena, Pomona, San Marino, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena. As part of this partnership, officers from participating agencies have the opportunity to work as tactical flight officers with the Pasadena Police Department’s Air Operations Division. To become a tactical flight officers, candidates have to go through a selection process, and successfully complete a rigorous training program. The Covina Police Department has had six officers successfully work as tactical flight officers, and currently have one officer serving in the position. Our partnership with FAST, has made a significant impact on detouring and solving criminal activities within Covina, and has provided an added layer of protection for the officers on the ground.
Jail
The Covina Jail is a temporary housing facility, and classified as a Type I detention facility. The jail is operated by Covina Police Jailers who are dedicated to the care and safety of anyone who enters the facility. The jail is supervised and managed by a sergeant and lieutenant. The jail is routinely inspected by the California Board of State and Community Corrections, the Department of Public health, the Civil Grand Jury, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Individuals booked into the Covina Jail, go through medical screening, and their rights are protected under state and federal laws.
Parking Enforcement
The City of Covina contracts with Inter-Con for parking enforcement during the daytime hours and hires part-time parking enforcement officers for overnight enforcement duties. Parking Enforcement Officers are responsible for enforcement of parking regulations throughout city streets and municipal parking lots. Obeying parking regulations by the citizens, merchants, and shoppers helps make Covina a more enjoyable place for residents and visitors to work, shop, eat, and play.
Overnight parking – There is no curb parking overnight between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM throughout the city. Other more restrictive parking restrictions include colored curb parking.
Red curb
Fire lane – no parking
Green curb
Time loading zone – time will be designated by posted signs
Yellow Curb
Passenger loading/unloading zone only
Mental Evaluation Team (MET)
The East San Gabriel Mental Evaluation Team (MET) pairs a police officer with a mental health clinician from the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health. The cities of Azusa, Covina, Glendora, and West Covina have partnered together with LA County Mental Health to provide service 40 hours per week throughout the participating cities. The officer/clinician team can act as either the first or secondary responder to mental health-related calls or contacts that have mental health underpinnings. The purpose of the ESGMET is to provide cooperative, compassionate mental health/law enforcement teams to assist those in need of accessing mental health and social service programs. The goal is to provide better short-term and long-term solutions to the individual, their families, as well as the community.