Division Commander - Captain Vince Romero

Captain Vince Romero was raised in the City of San Francisco. He attended Raoul Wallenberg High School, graduating class of 1998. He continued his pursue of higher education at College of Contra Costa, earning his associate’s degree, followed by a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from California Coast University in Administration of Justice. He is also a graduate of the San Mateo County Public Sector Leadership Academy, and the prestigious Sherman Block P.O.S.T. Supervisory Leadership Institute. 

Vince joined the Pacifica Police Department in 2001 as an officer trainee and completed his academy training at the San Rosa Public Safety Training Center. Throughout his early career, he served in numerous critical roles within the department, including Police Corporal, Field Training Officer, Gang Task Force Officer, Range Master and Detective.

In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Police Sergeant where he was responsible for overseeing several supervisory units including the Patrol Division, Investigations Division, Force Options Team, Military Equipment Coordinator, Unmanned Aerial systems (UAS) Unit, Training Manager, and Professional Standards Unit.

In December 2024, following 23 years of dedicated service, Vince was promoted to the rank of Police Captain and appointed Field Operations Division Commander. He remains deeply committed to supporting the dedicated professionals of the Pacifica Police Department, who uphold the highest standards of ethics and professionalism in service to our community.

Field Operations Division

Patrol Services, also known as the Field Operations Division, contains the bulk of the department’s personnel. Both patrol and traffic services fall within the Field Operations Division and are staffed with uniformed officers.

Patrol and traffic officers are the primary points of contact for community members and visitors. Patrol services contain several units and programs on an as-needed basis to accomplish a specific mission. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Police Reserve Unit, traffic unit, community service officers and the canine unit.

Canine units are trained in tracking and may be used to locate subjects in both criminal and non-criminal circumstances. Canine units may also be used to assist officers in the apprehension of violent or armed criminal suspects when appropriate. Canine teams are available and may be requested for demonstrations for community groups. In addition to these programs, patrol officers participate in the Northern San Mateo County Gang Task Force and the San Mateo County Saturation Enforcement Program (S.T.E.P.).

Many officers within the organization hold other collateral assignments. Within patrol services, a number of officers are trained as hostage negotiators to deal with situations involving barricaded subjects or other critical incidents that may arise. In addition to handling routine calls for service, patrol and traffic services are responsible for security at special events, such as the Fog Fest, Fourth of July, dances, football games, and carnivals.