We are pleased to welcome you to the Irvine Police Department Portola Area web site. The members of the Portola Policing Team hope that the site will serve as a useful resource for the residents, visitors and businesses in the communities of Northwood, North Park, Racquet Club, Oak Creek, Orangetree, West Irvine, East Irvine, Old Towne Irvine, Woodbury, Heritage Fields, Portola Springs, Orchard Hills and the Irvine Spectrum.
On May 24, 2003, two years of study, research, and planning culminated in the implementation of geographic based policing. Now in our fifth year of geo-policing, we have found it to be most successful in providing only the highest level of quality service to the Irvine community.The model promotes ownership and familiarity within our organization from the top down, allowing us to grow in population as a city, yet retaining the “small town” feeling.
In support of geo-policing, the police department is now organized around three service areas: University, Crossroads, and Portola. An area commander has “24/7” responsibility for each of the three service areas. The Portola Area Commander, Mike Hamel, is assisted by a team of police officers and civilian staff members. The Portola Team includes supervisors, patrol officers, traffic officers, detectives, school resource officers, animal services officers, crime prevention officers and public safety assistants. Each of these team members has committed to serving your communities in the Portola Area.It is Commander Hamel’s ultimate goal to personalize service to each and every member in the community who calls upon us for assistance.
The members of the department who volunteered for the Portola Team are truly excited by the challenges within this diverse combination of communities. From the entertainment and retail venues of the Irvine Spectrum to the developing Northern Sphere, and from some of Irvine’s original neighborhoods to the soon-to-be Great Park and Heritage Fields project, our team will have the opportunity to creatively implement our overall department mission: Working in partnership with the community we will preserve the peace, uphold the law with fairness and provide quality service.
