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By Brian Hews
Publisher | Follow X
May 1, 2026
Santa Fe Springs police department plans are now official as the city moves to end its long-standing contract with the Whittier Police Department.
SANTA FE SPRINGS — The City of Santa Fe Springs will establish its own municipal police department, with full operations set to begin March 1, 2028, ending more than three decades of contracted law enforcement services in a move driven in part by rising costs, according to city officials and sources familiar with the discussions.
For more than 30 years, the city has contracted with the Whittier Police Department for policing services, following an earlier arrangement with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The current contract is valued at about $18 million annually.
Sources told Los Cerritos Community News that the contract was set to increase by 9 percent this year, followed by 8 percent increases in each of the next two years, pushing annual costs toward roughly $23 million within three years if the city remained under the agreement.
City officials said those escalating costs, combined with a desire for greater local control, factored heavily into the decision.
“This was not a decision made lightly,” Mayor Joe Angel Zamora told Los Cerritos Community News. “After extensive review and discussion, the Council believes that establishing a Santa Fe Springs Police Department is the best long-term fiscally responsible approach to ensure exceptional, responsive, and community-focused public safety services.”
The transition to an in-house department will take approximately 22 months and will include hiring and training personnel, acquiring equipment, developing policies, and establishing facilities needed for full-service operations. The department is expected to include patrol, investigations, traffic enforcement, and community engagement functions, along with coordination with existing public safety and code compliance teams.
Officials emphasized that maintaining uninterrupted service during the transition will remain a top priority. The city also expressed appreciation to Whittier for its decades-long partnership and said it will work collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition through the end of the agreement in early 2028.
In response, Whittier officials confirmed the contract’s conclusion and said the city will coordinate closely with Santa Fe Springs during the transition period. Whittier Mayor James Becerra said the city is proud of the service its police department has provided and views the change as an opportunity to refocus resources on its own public safety priorities.
Santa Fe Springs officials also pointed to operational flexibility as a benefit of bringing policing in-house, including the ability to tailor services, expand community policing efforts, and incorporate technology-driven strategies.
The move places Santa Fe Springs among smaller Southern California cities that operate their own police departments, including La Palma, reinforcing that the shift is less about city size and more about long-term cost control and governance.
With a population of about 19,000 residents but a daytime workforce nearing 95,000 due to its industrial and commercial base, the city faces unique public safety demands that officials say will shape the new department.
City leaders said they will continue to engage residents, businesses, and stakeholders throughout the transition, with additional updates and opportunities for public input expected as the process moves forward.
The creation of a Santa Fe Springs police department will also require significant startup investment, including facilities, fleet vehicles, and technology systems. Officials have not yet released a full cost breakdown but indicated more details will be presented during upcoming public meetings.
City Manager Rene Bobadilla told Los Cerritos Community News the transition will be carefully managed to ensure stability and long-term success. “This is a complex, multi-year process that requires thoughtful planning and coordination,” Bobadilla said. “Our priority is to maintain high-quality service throughout the transition while building a department that reflects the needs and expectations of the Santa Fe Springs community.”
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