Watsonville Police Department to host AB 481 community meeting

The Watsonville Police Department will be holding a community meeting to discuss Assembly Bill 481 and its requirements. 

AB 481 took effect on January 1, 2022, and requires each law enforcement agency's governing body to adopt a written ...

Phone scammers target Watsonville residents

Dozens of calls have been coming in from Watsonville residents expressing their concerns over a phone call that claims they must make a payment to avoid having their water services shut off. 

This is a scam. Please do not make any payments over th...

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

During May’s Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, the Watsonville Police Department reminds drivers to always look twice for motorcycles.

“Motorcycles may be difficult to spot, so being extra careful before changing lanes is always a good practice,...

May is Bicycle Safety Month

May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and our officers would like to remind drivers to follow the speed limit and look out for people on bike rides.

“The days are longer, and the weather is pleasant, making for ideal conditions to go on a bike ri...

Now Accepting Applications for Cadet Program

After a two-year break, the Watsonville Police Cadet Program is officially making a comeback!

We are now accepting applications from students between the ages of 14 and 20 years old. 

This program gives teens an opportunity to explore the law enfor...

Special Traffic Enforcement Operation in Watsonville

Motor units from across Santa Cruz County were in Watsonville for a special traffic enforcement operation known as BADGES (Before Aggressive Drivers Get Everyone Stopped). The program aims to improve safety on our county roadways.

Officers from CHP, Scotts...

Grant funding helping Watsonville Police keep alcohol out of the hands of minors

Watsonville police officers have been working tirelessly to keep alcohol out of minors' hands. 

We’ve held numerous enforcement and compliance operations since receiving more than $73,000 in grant funding from the California Alcoholic Beverage Con...

Watsonville Police releases 2021 Annual Report

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2021 was quite a year.  A virus that was only supposed to last a couple of weeks has now lasted almost two years. But the adversity that this pandemic has brought h...

Jorge Zamora sworn-in as Chief of Police of Watsonville

Longtime Watsonville police veteran Jorge Zamora was sworn in as Chief of Police on January 10, 2022.  

Zamora officially became the 16th police chief for the City of Watsonville and the first, first-generation Mexican-American to hold this role.

C...

Watsonville Police Officers recover teen’s stolen bike

Fourteen-year-old Mateo is all smiles after Watsonville police officers recovered his stolen bike! 

The teen had taken all the necessary steps to safeguard his bike while at the Overlook Shopping Center on Main Street. Unfortunately, a thief still...

Acting Assistant Chief of Police Jorge Zamora selected to serve as Watsonville’s new Police Chief

Longtime Watsonville officer and Acting Assistant Chief of Police Jorge Zamora has been selected to serve as Watsonville’s new Chief of Police. 

The confirmation of Zamora comes after an extensive and highly visible recruitment process, ...

2021 Pink Patch Project campaign raises more than $21,000 for families affected by breast cancer

The Watsonville Police Department’s 2021 Pink Patch Project campaign has come to an end with more than $21,000 raised for the Katz Cancer Resource Center!

This is the most the department has raised since starting the project in 2017. 

The November ...