Alachua Police Department

As the law enforcement branch of city government in Alachua, Florida, the Alachua Police Department organizes its work into specialized units under the Office of the Chief, which handles community and media relations, personnel complaints, the budget and background investigations. Patrol Services covers crime prevention and suppression, traffic enforcement, crash investigations and both initial and follow-up investigations. A Traffic Unit brings technical expertise in crash investigation, impaired-driving detection and speed enforcement, and the K-9 Unit detects drugs, helps apprehend suspects, searches for missing people and gives public demonstrations. Detectives in the Criminal Investigations Unit rely on interviews, evidence preservation and forensic science, while the Special Investigations Unit works with the 8th Judicial Circuit on organized crime and drug law violations. School resource officers keep campuses secure and organize an Explorers program, after-school activities, backpack giveaways and the annual Shop with a Cop event. Community Services officers lead crime, drug and violence prevention efforts with residents and local organizations, and the Support Staff Services Division runs the Communications Center that receives and dispatches calls, along with records and evidence and property management.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 2023), Alachua city, FL has an estimated population of 10,638.