District Police

Authority:  School districts in the State of California have the authority to establish a Police Department, under the direction of a Chief of Police, or a Security Department under the direction of a Director of Security, pursuant to Education Code Sections 38000-38004.  The San Bernardino City Unified School District, has established a Police Department, which has been approved and sanctioned by the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training. (P.O.S.T.)

Jurisdiction:  California Penal Code Section 830.32, states the authority of any such peace officer extends to any place in the State of California as to a public offense committed with respect to persons or property, the protection of which is the immediate duty of such officer.  School police officers are expected to exercise this authority to ensure the safety and security of district, students, staff and property.

The CSO program is unique whereas officers in this classification are highly visible and assist school administrators and law enforcement with various task related to their respective campuses.

The CSO program relies heavily on the continuum of building trust and establishing relationships on their respective campuses, primarily with students and staff.  CSOs and SROs work in tangent to maintain a safe orderly learning environment so that the educational process can take place free of disruption.

Once these candidates have met the hiring standards they participate in a six-week training program on one of our comprehensive high schools.

CSOs are trained and certified in various disciplines:  

• Powers of Arrest
• Handcuffing
• Verbal Judo
• Report Writing
• First Aid / CPR
• ASP Baton
• Customer Service
• Bicycle Patrol

At the completion of the six week training program, the probationary employees must pass an extensive exam to ensure their knowledge for the position.

The San Bernardino City Unified School District Police Department (SBCUSD PD), Honor Guard Unit, is the Department’s largest dedicated ceremonial unit and provides a wide range of ceremonial functions at Department, District, and Civic events and routinely train as a unit.

The purpose of the Honor Guard is to represent the SBCUSD Police Department and serve as an ambassador for the Department and District at all functions where its members are attending or have been requested to attend. 

The San Bernardino City Unified School District Police Department (SBCUSD PD), along with the San Bernardino City Unified School District’s Board of Education (BOE), is committed to fighting Human Trafficking.

At the direction of Chief Joseph Paulino, we have dedicated personnel resources to the San Bernardino County Regional Human Trafficking Task Force with the goal and objective of identifying and rescuing minors as well as anyone that is a victim of Human Trafficking.

We are committed to working with our other law enforcement partners in the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, State, Federal, and local partners within the region and beyond to aggressively rescue victims of human trafficking, share information, and, arrest and prosecute those individuals involved in this unthinkable crime and provide victims with resources and information to assist in there recovery.

It is important to know and understand that each year thousands of men, women, and children are held against their will and physically assaulted, drugged, and emotionally harmed through Human Trafficking for the purpose of sexual gratification and, labor. 

Traffickers target school-aged girls and boys as young as seven to eight-years-old and expose them to a dangerous lifestyle against their will through force, violence, starvation, and coercion.  If you are aware of ANYONE who is the victim of Human Trafficking you can call our police station and provide us with information and you can remain anonymous.

It is unlawful for any minor under the age of eighteen years, who is subject to compulsory education, to be or remain in or upon public streets, highway, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds, or other public grounds, public places, public buildings, places of amusement and eating places, vacant lots or an unsupervised place during the hours for which the minor is normally assigned to his/her school on school day. Truant minors may be returned to the school site, and, if necessary, the minor's parents may be cited under the provisions of current law.

The San Bernardino District Police Department has been offering services to the public school district with the help of the District Attorney's Office, working with schools to get children back in class.

Truancy is often a "gateway" to juvenile delinquency, and a lifetime of crime. The community, too, is negatively impacted by truancy. Truancy is also expensive and taxpayers who are left paying the bill.

The mission of the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) is to provide every student with a quality of education that will equip students for entry into the world of work or for post-secondary education. To accomplish this mission, students must attend school daily and fully participate in the District's educational program. Therefore, the District will support and enforce the following California Education compulsory education laws.

California Education Code 48260 requires that all children between the ages of five and eighteen to attend school. This code also classifies a student as truant if the student is absent from school three full days, or tardy by more than 30 minutes, and is without a valid excuse during the school year.

California Education Code 48260.5 states that once the student meets the truant criteria, the school district must notify the parent, by the first class mail or some other reasonable means of the following:

• That the pupil is truant.
• That the parent or guardian is obligated to compel the attendance of the pupil at school.
• That parents or guardians who fail to meet this obligation may be guilty of an infraction and subject to prosecution.
• That alternative education programs are available in the District.
• That the parent or guardian has the right to meet with appropriate school personnel to discuss solutions to the pupil's truancy.
• That the pupil may be subject to prosecution under Section 48264.
• That the pupil may be subject to suspension, restriction, or delay of pupil's driving privilege pursuant to Section 13202.7 of the Vehicle Code.
• That it is recommended that the parent or guardian accompany the pupil to school and attend classes for one day.

California Education Code 48293(a) states that any parent or guardian having control or charge of any student who fails to comply with compulsory attendance, unless excused or exempted, is guilty of an infraction and shall be punished as follows:

• Upon a first conviction, by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100).
• Upon a second conviction, by a fine of not more than two hundred and fifty dollars ($250).
• Upon a third or subsequent conviction, if the person has willfully refused to comply with the section, by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500).
  
  In lieu of imposing the fines prescribed in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3, the court may order the person to be placed in a parent education and counseling program.
  
  The Truancy School Police Project coordinates with other city and county agencies to address the truancy problem for the San Bernardino City Unified School District. Through these partnerships, the department's program is enhanced and the school district is better served. Because truancy is a problem where everyone loses, it is critical that we all work together to resolve it. Due to the truancy program, the San Bernardino city Unified School District Police Department makes this possible.

The SBCUSD Police Department Explorer Program is a volunteer program sponsored by the Department and governed by the rules of the Learning for Life Organization.  The SBCUSD Police Explorer Program is one of the largest programs servicing the Inland Empire with Police Auxiliary, Jr. Explorers at selected Elementary schools, Explorer Post 304, ages 14-20 years, and Junior Explorers at Rodriguez, King, and Chavez schools during the CAPS program.

This unique challenge provides our youth with a first-hand opportunity to learn about an exciting career in law enforcement.  SBCUSD Police Explorers attend an extensive explorer academy training program held every summer, and gain insight into police work through first-hand experience and assisting police professionals within the department in a variety of departmental and community engagement events.

These enthusiastic young men and women are exposed to several aspects of the law enforcement profession to include, the importance of service to our community.

For more information on SBCUSD Police Youth Programs call (909) 388-6030