The City of Irvine was incorporated on December 28, 1971. During the first year, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department provided police services in Irvine. In September 1972, Irvine contracted with the City of Costa Mesa to provide policing services. This arrangement lasted until July 1, 1975, when the Irvine Police Department was formed. Leo E. Peart, the Irvine Police Department’s first Chief of Police, commanded a Department of 36 sworn police officers and 10 non-sworn employees. He instilled within the Department a philosophy of community service based on a "spirit of the law" concept.

The new Department responded to 64,019 calls for service in its first year while serving the 39,651 residents of Irvine. The Department was housed in a portable trailer on Verano Place adjacent to what is now Campus Plaza. The 24 vehicles of the Irvine Police Department were distinguished by their distinctive green and blue stripes over the top of the white cars, meant to provide easy visibility to the public.

In December of 1976 the growing Irvine Police Department moved into a larger facility at the corner of Jamboree Road and McGaw Avenue in the Irvine Business Complex (IBC). The Department also began to civilianize many of its functions by replacing police officers with non-sworn personnel. The 57 sworn members of the Irvine Police Department were now complemented by 21 non-sworn employees, including civilian Public Safety Assistants who assisted with report writing. Calls for service in 1977 jumped to 93,848.

In 1981 the Irvine Police Department expanded its policing capabilities by adding canine officers to the patrol force and motorcycle enforcement to the traffic bureau. These additions were necessary to keep up with the rapidly expanding residential and industrial areas of the City.

In 1982, the Irvine Police Department organized the Irvine Disaster Emergency Communications commonly referred to as IDEC. Today, IDEC is an organized team of over 50 experienced, trained and dedicated amateur radio operators(Hams). Members routinely volunteer their time and extensive radio communication skills and talents to perfect an auxiliary radio communications network designed to augment (or replace) normal methods of communications used by the citizens of the City of Irvine in times of emergencies or major disasters. As a subset of the Irvine Police Department, IDEC is a valuable component of the City’s Emergency Preparedness Plan. Operating state-of-the-art radio equipment, IDEC is able to immediately establish a lifeline communications network between the Irvine Police Department, city wide evacuation centers, school sites, public buildings, medical facilities, local parks, and any other location where normal means of communication has failed.

In 1984, the Olympic Games came to Irvine, as the swimming portion of the pentathlon was held at the Heritage Park Aquatics Center. Hosting the Olympics necessitated the addition of a new emergency command post vehicle to the Police Department fleet to allow for mobile communications at major law enforcement scenes.

The eighties were a period of rapid growth for the City and the Irvine Police Department. In 1989, the Irvine Police Department moved into a new and permanent facility at the new City Hall Civic Center located at the corner of Alton Parkway and Harvard Avenue. This facility brought badly needed space to the Department, including a new state-of-the-art dispatch center, a custody holding facility, and facilities for investigations, briefing, and employee lockers.

In July 1998, the Irvine Spectrum Center (ISC) Substation opened and was staffed by two full-time police officers. The Substation was a 500 square foot office located adjacent to the Edward’s Theater. Its opening coincided with the launch of the second phase of the Irvine Spectrum Center. Because of the increased activity a third full-time police officer and a sergeant were assigned to the ISC in February 1999. In November 1999, The Irvine Company made available an upgrade to the police facility as a new 3,000 square foot Substation was developed. In addition to being the home base for ISC police officers, the Substation serves as a location for non-ISC assigned patrol officers to write reports, conduct investigations, and interview suspects/witnesses.

In 1991, Chief Peart retired and Charles S. Brobeck was sworn in as Irvine’s second Chief of Police. During Chief Brobeck’s term the Irvine Police Department continued to expand its public service and criminal enforcement roles in the community. Programs such as DARE were implemented and investigative specialties such as narcotics enforcement, vehicle theft, and economic crimes grew to keep pace with, and prevent, crime in the City. Irvine Police Department personnel also began to participate in activities such as the annual Baker to Las Vegas 120 mile relay race. Each year the Irvine Police Association sponsors a team of officers and support personnel to participate in the race, which brings teams of law enforcement officers worldwide to Nevada to take part in the event.

Irvine continued its rapid growth through the 1990s and the Irvine Police Department remained dedicated to making Irvine the safest city possible. In 1991, the Department installed modern computer terminals (Mobile Data Computers) in the patrol vehicles and updated its vehicle locators allowing dispatchers to know the location of units in the field, and a modern computer aided dispatch. During this period, the Irvine Police Department also equipped its offices with .45 caliber handguns

After ten years at the helm, Chief Charles Brobeck retired in 2001. By the time of his retirement, the Police Department had grown to 161 sworn officers serving a growing population of over 149,000 residents in a 49 square mile area. Chief Michael Berkow became Irvine’s third Chief of Police and instituted a comprehensive reorganization of the Department based on the concept of "geographic based policing." The goal was to bring officers into closer contact with the residents and businesses in the areas they patrol to facilitate better communication and partnerships that could lead to improving the quality of life and community safety.

The efforts of the dedicated men and women of the Department were rewarded in 1993 when Irvine was named the "safest city in America." Since then Irvine has remained in the top ten safest cities in the United States, a testament to the dedication, hard work, and quality service that the Irvine Police Department and its officers provide to the City and its residents.

Before the transition to geographic policing could be fully implemented Chief Berkow departed the Irvine Police Department to accept a command position with Chief William Bratton at the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). With his departure, Deputy Chief David L. Maggard, Jr. was promoted to Chief of Police. Chief Maggard continued Chief Berkow’s vision and implemented geographic policing. Currently, the City is divided into three distinct geographic areas: University, Crossroads, and Portola. Each area is commanded by a Police Commander whose staff of sergeants, officers, and civilians commits themselves to working a full year in their patrol area.

Along with the transition to geo-policing the Department has updated and modernized its patrol force and policing capabilities. The Irvine Police Department continued its progressive approach to law enforcement by equipping its officers with patrol rifles and less-lethal alternatives such as Oleoresin Capsicum (“OC”) Spray, Tasers and the 40 mm "Def-Tec” exact impact projectile weapon.

The Irvine Police Department also installed video cameras in all patrol vehicles. The digital recording devices activate whenever officers drive with lights and siren or when involved in contacts with citizens. Video and audio is then wirelessly transferred to storage servers and routinely used for court purposes. In-car camera systems provide many benefits to officers such as increased officer safety and training opportunities. This accountability tool represents an investment in best practices in law enforcement and serves as an important benefit to the community.

In 2004, the City of Irvine assumed full-time law enforcement duties at the Orange County Great Park. Today, a team of Public Safety Assistants are assigned to the Orange County Great Park/Great Park Neighborhoods and provide security services for the property on a continual basis. The Public Safety Assistants staff a guard shack and operate a roving patrol. The Guard Shack is staffed 18 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week while the Roving Patrol is a 24 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week operation. Public Safety Assistants patrol both the interior and exterior perimeter of the property looking for breaks in the perimeter fencing, unauthorized persons on the property and any unusual condition or safety hazard.

In 2006, the Irvine Police Department proved again to be at the forefront of crime prevention as it developed an ordinance addressing construction site and vacant property security. In part, the ordinance requires operators of construction sites and owners of vacant properties (more than 20 acres) to take certain security measures to reduce property theft such as minimizing access points, installing fences, use of metal storage containers, motion detector lighting, illumination of temporary building trailers and posting 24-hour emergency contact information. Further, the ordinance requires the submittal of a “Construction Site Security Plan” for any residential construction of 25 or more dwelling units or a non-residential site of 50,000 square feet or more of building area.

In 2007, the Irvine Police Department established a “Youth Liaison Officer” position responsible for assisting the Special Investigations Unit identify and work with at-risk teens in the community. The Youth Liaison Officer works in partnership with School Resource Officers, schools, homeowner associations, apartment managers, property managers and other members of the community to enhance public safety as it relates to Irvine’s at-risk youth.

The Irvine Police Department also formed the Area Traffic Officers program to address neighborhood traffic complaints, utilizing creative, proactive approaches within each of the Department’s three geographic areas. The program provides a single point person within each patrol area whom residents and businesses can consistently contact regarding traffic-related issues and concerns. Most importantly, residents are able to develop relationships with officers and be assured that an officer is addressing their safety concerns. The City of Irvine realized a 6% reduction in total traffic collisions in 2007. This is a remarkable achievement considering the addition of new residential areas and a number of new roadways within the City of Irvine.

In April 2007, the Irvine Police Department initiated a “Clergy Police Academy” based on the Department’s successful Community Police Academy, which to date has graduated 400 participants. The newly established Clergy Academy has been tailored toward the City’s faith-based leaders. Faith plays an integral role in day-to-day life and for victims of crime or other trauma, faith often assists in the coping and healing process. Program participants hear from officers and department personnel who work major crime scenes to develop a greater understanding of the department and how they may best serve the community.

In 2008, the Irvine Police Department completed work on a state-of-the-art “Mobile Comm Vehicle.” The 45-foot Mobile Comm allows Irvine Police personnel to coordinate resources from the field during an emergency. It integrates voice, data and video communications from six internal workstations, an outside workstation and a conference room. The vehicle also includes two police dispatch consoles – a first for the county. It was chosen as the “Best in the West” Specialty Vehicle by the California Peace Officers’ Association in September 2008. The Mobile Comm vehicle was chosen ahead of 17 other entries from nine western states.

Also launched in 2008, was the Irvine Police Department’s “Return Home Registry” which is an innovative program designed to assist police officers in locating lost or wandering persons missing from their home or caregivers. This voluntary program is offered at no-cost to participants. Caregivers can voluntarily register persons who may suffer from illnesses such as Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome or debilitating illnesses, and children with special needs. If an officer or other police personnel observe an individual who appears to be lost or confused, they now have the tools on hand to quickly identify the individual and return them home safely.

The Irvine Police Department recently established an Arson Investigator position which is a hybrid of detective and school resource officer. The Arson Investigator works closely with the Orange County Fire Authority and focuses on prevention and intervention strategies. Recognizing that nearly 80% of arson fires in the City of Irvine are started by juveniles, emphasis is placed on identify “at-risk” youth and supporting them by connecting with appropriate resources.

As the Department moves forward in the twenty-first century, the City continues to expand. The annexation of the former El Toro Marine Base, as well as land in the "Northern Sphere" has created a city of almost 79 square miles, the largest land mass city in Orange County and third most populated city behind Santa Ana and Anaheim. As the City continues to grow, the outstanding men and women of the Irvine Police Department are prepared to grow and adapt with it. As the short history of the Department shows, the Irvine Police Department is constantly adapting to meet the challenges of policing a growing, progressive population.

In 2008, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released Part I crime data for cities with populations over 100,000 for January through December 2007. For the fourth year in a row, Irvine had less violent crime per capita than any other American city with more than 100,000 residents.  In June 2009, this achievement was repeated for the fifth consecutive year as the Federal Bureau of Investigation named the City of Irvine the safest large city in the nation when considering violent crime. 

Adapted: Irvine Police Association