Santa Clara County Department of Protective Services
The Santa Clara County Department of Protective Services (SCCDPS) is a Public Safety Agency in Santa Clara County with duties to enforce state, federal and local laws and to provide safety and security services to county health facilities operated by the Santa Clara County Health & Hospital System (HHS). Protective Service Officers, or PSOs are also designated as county First Responders. History. Leadership of The Department of Protective Services was transferred to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office on July 1, 2011. The position of department Director is currently held by a Sheriff 's Captain while the position of Deputy Director is held by a Sheriff's Sergeant. About the Officers. Protective Services Officers assigned to Valley Medical Center are not permitted to carry firearms and only carry non lethal defensive weapons, while in most cases Protective Services Officers assigned to the Valley Transit Authority are armed. Ranks. There are four titles (referred to as ranks) in the Santa Clara County Department of Protective Services Power and Authority. Protective Services Officers are distinguished from fully sworn law enforcement personnel. Their duties involve a high degree of public contact as a public safety department  and may require them to interact in difficult, often stressful situations with some exposure to physical injury inherent to public safety work. Protective Services Officers conduct felony arrests and may arrest for misdemeanors committed in their presence. They are required by law to hand over their arrestees to fully sworn law enforcement officers for transportation and booking into county correctional facilities. Protective Services also has a traffic enforcement unit which is designed to alleviate the flow of traffic and mitigate against parking problems. All patrol officers are authorized to issue vehicle citations under the California Vehicle Code and under mandate  issued by the County of Santa Clara to enforce county traffic ordinances. Protective Services Officers may be called to deploy in the event of riots, looting, natural or induced disasters to provide assistance to the County Sheriff's department or other local Law Enforcement agencies with the protection of life and property. Likewise, Protective Services Officers provide mutual aide to local agencies that need assistance on calls for service. Officers are requested to assist via County Communication Center and dispatched accordingly. Training. Protective Service Officers are required to complete an in-house field training program before they are given assignments . Training stems from reserve level Law Enforcement POST training, PC 832, Crisis and Intervention Technician Training, Defensive Driving, Crowd Control and explosives awareness. All incoming PSOs receive at least two weeks of intensive classroom training in the areas of day-to-day operation, post orders, report writing and policies and procedures. After the class room portion of their training and successfully passing several written exams, they will be paired up with Field Training Officers for a period of approximately 12 weeks where they are evaluated on their day to day performance. After passing the FTO phase, officers will be ready  for a solo patrol. Protective Services Officers are trained annually in Use of Force and arrest and control techniques through the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office. They also undergo an EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operation Course). Officers go through an extensive and vigorous training program so that they may be prepared to handle calls for service at any level in the most effective fashion possible. Equipment and Vehicles. Santa Clara County Protective Service Officers are equipped with an expandable baton, OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), handcuffs, flashlight, and a radio that is directly linked to the Central Dispatcher and other  Protective Service Officers. The radios offer county wide coverage and are part of the Silicon Valley Regional Communications System.. The Protective Services Patrol Division currently uses Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors. Most Patrol vehicles have a cage, push bar and full emergency lighting and siren equipment. Bicycle patrol units have fully equipped bicycles with front facing emergency lighting and sirens.