What is the average Police salary for Santa Cruz, CA?
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As of January 01, 2026, the average Police salary in Santa Cruz, CA is $119,262. The chart below represents localized salaries for some of our most popular Police job titles in Santa Cruz, CA. Salaries can vary greatly depending on numerous factors, including position, location, years of experience, and level of education. Salary.com’s team of Certified Compensation Professionals analyzed survey data collected from thousands of HR departments at companies of all sizes and industries to compile a range of salaries for various Police job titles in Santa Cruz, CA. Apply your personal criteria to one of the job titles below to get your personalized salary estimate.
Police Salaries in Santa Cruz, CA
| Job Title | Salary | Hourly Rate | Location | Date Updated |
| Police Lieutenant | $110,891 | $53.31 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Police Sergeant | $87,512 | $42.07 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Police Records Clerk | $47,875 | $23.02 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Police Patrol Officer | $74,448 | $35.79 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Sheriff/Police Chief | $168,364 | $80.94 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Campus Police Officer | $62,753 | $30.17 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Campus Police Supervisor | $76,688 | $36.87 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Emergency Dispatcher | $53,467 | $25.71 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Property and Evidence Clerk | $57,569 | $27.68 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
| Retail Loss Prevention Manager | $119,875 | $57.63 | Santa Cruz, CA | January 01, 2026 |
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Supervises a team of police sergeants and other law enforcement support staff. Responsible for officer assignments, patrol operations, and investigations. Prepares and reviews reports. Ensures all policies and procedures are followed. Coordinates in-service training, staff performance evaluation and development. Requires a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or closely related field. Typically reports to a chief of police or police captain. Typically manages through subordinate managers and professionals in larger groups of moderate complexity. Provides input to strategic decisions that affect the functional area of responsibility. May give input into developing the budget. Typically requires 3+ years of managerial experience. Capable of resolving escalated issues arising from operations and requiring coordination with other departments. Police Lieutenant Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Police Team Manager, Police Lieutenant
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Responsible for supervising patrol officers and agents as assigned and maintaining the chain of command within the operations of the department. Responsible for developing training programs for department personnel, directing special units, preparing special reports or projects as assigned, receiving and reviewing reports from officers, and assigning personnel in accordance to specific needs. Requires a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and/or additional certifications and at least 5-7 years of law enforcement experience. Typically reports to a chief of police, captain, or lieutenant. Manages subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs. True first level manager. Ensures that project/department milestones/goals are met and adhering to approved budgets. Has full authority for personnel actions. Typically requires 5 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. 1 - 3 years supervisory experience may be required. Extensive knowledge of the function and department processes. Police Sergeant Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Police or Sheriff's Patrol Sergeant, Police Sergeant
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Maintains the records filing system and/or database used to manage, access, and preserve electronic and paper records of criminal justice activities. Assists in providing accurate and clear information to public and other departments. May perform other clerical duties including taking photographs, fingerprints, and answering telephone inquiries. Typically requires a high school diploma or its equivalent. Typically reports to police sergeant or police lieutenant. Possesses a moderate understanding of general aspects of the job. Works under the close direction of senior personnel in the functional area. May require 0-1 year of general work experience. Police Records Clerk Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Criminal Justice Records Clerk, Police Records Clerk
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Responsible for patrolling an assigned area to prevent and discover crime and to enforce regulations. Responsible for responding to calls, taking necessary action at the scene of crime or disturbance, conducting investigations, making arrests, testifying in court, and completing reports/forms and routine paperwork. Requires an associate degree in criminal justice and/or additional certifications and at least 12 to 18 months of law enforcement experience. Requires Firearms Certification. Typically reports to a police sergeant. Works under moderate supervision. Gaining or has attained full proficiency in a specific area of discipline. Typically requires 1-3 years of related experience. Police Patrol Officer Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Police Officer, Police or Sheriff's Patrol Officer, Policeman, Police Patrol Officer
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Enforces the law on a town, city, or county level. Responsibilities include police service planning, organizational development, personnel management, community policing, and community relations. May also be involved in administrative, financial/budgetary, and operations/labor relations tasks. Requires a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Typically reports to an elected official. Manages a departmental sub-function within a broader departmental function. Creates functional strategies and specific objectives for the sub-function and develops budgets/policies/procedures to support the functional infrastructure. Deep knowledge of the managed sub-function and solid knowledge of the overall departmental function. Typically requires at least 10 years of law enforcement experience. Sheriff/Police Chief Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Chief of Police, Deputy Sheriff, Sheriff/Police Chief
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Conduct patrols on campus to ensure security of buildings, students and staff. Responds to requests for assistance and emergencies. Enforces vehicle and traffic regulations. Investigates crimes. May conduct educational activities related to safety and crime prevention. Typically require associate degree in criminal justice. May require POST(Peace Office Standards and Training) certification. Typically reports to Police Supervisor. Occasionally directed in several aspects of the work. Gains exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. Typically requires 2 -4 years of related experience. Campus Police Officer Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Campus Public Safety and Security Officer, School Police Officer, Campus Police Officer
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Leads the investigation and apprehension of campus criminals. Protects life and property safety on campus. Ensures compliance with state laws, city ordinances, and university regulations. May require a bachelor's degree. Requires P.O.S.T. certification. Typically reports to a head of a unit/department. Manages subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs. True first level manager. Ensures that project/department milestones/goals are met and adhering to approved budgets. Has full authority for personnel actions. Typically requires 5 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. 1 - 3 years supervisory experience may be required. Extensive knowledge of the function and department processes. Campus Police Supervisor Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Campus Public Safety and Security Supervisor, Campus Police Supervisor
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Responsible for responding to calls for emergency and non-emergency assistance and dispatching law enforcement, fire fighting, or rescue units. Transmits and receives coded and conventional messages. Differentiates between routine, priority, and emergency messages, and initiates or follows through on responses as required. Communicates details of situation and location. Enters unit response details into a database. Requires a high school diploma. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works independently within established procedures associated with the specific job function. Has gained proficiency in multiple competencies relevant to the job. Typically requires 3-5 years of related experience. Emergency Dispatcher Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:911 Dispatcher, Emergency Dispatch Operator, Police, Fire, or Ambulance Dispatcher, Emergency Dispatcher
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Receives, records, stores, and safeguards evidence collected from crime investigations. Prepares records of articles according to chain of custody procedures and maintains evidence database. Releases property or evidence being retained to designated party for court presentation or other disposition. Maintains storage facility and coordinates proper disposal of sensitive materials including narcotics, bio-hazardous materials, firearms, and explosives. Typically requires a high school diploma. Typically reports to a supervisor. Works under moderate supervision. Gaining or has attained full proficiency in a specific area of discipline. Typically requires 1-3 years of related experience. Property and Evidence Clerk Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Law Enforcement Property and Evidence Clerk, Police Property Specialist, Property/Evidence Technician, Property and Evidence Clerk
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Manages a team of loss prevention staff that monitors premises to reduce losses due to theft and fraud. Responsible for safeguarding company assets in a defined geographic region. Uses employee training and audits to prevent merchandise loss; investigates known losses and coordinates with police on theft prosecution. May require a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a director. Manages subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs. True first level manager. Ensures that project/department milestones/goals are met and adhering to approved budgets. Has full authority for personnel actions. Typically requires 5 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. 1 - 3 years supervisory experience may be required. Extensive knowledge of the function and department processes. Retail Loss Prevention Manager Salaries in Santa Cruz, CAAlternate Job Titles:Manager of Loss Prevention Programs and Operations, Retail Loss Control Manager, Retail Loss Prevention and Investigations Manager, Retail Loss Prevention Manager