The Scottsdale Police Department participates in numerous department wide programs to foster public accountability and provide transparency. This includes:

• Uniformed Crime Reporting
• International Accreditation
• Data Analytics
• Policy Management
• Scottsdale Police Department Strategic Plan

The Scottsdale Police Department has maintained status as an internationally accredited law enforcement agency through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement (CALEA), achieving reaccreditation eight times since accreditation was initially awarded in 1994. In 2022, the Police Department achieved accreditation with the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police Arizona Law Enforcement Accreditation Program (ALEAP), the first Municipal Police Department to be dually accredited by both CALEA and ALEAP.

Every year, the Scottsdale Police Department voluntarily submits to a rigorous review of departmental policies and procedures that address compliance with over 460 standards. A department-wide assessment, including interviews with City Leadership and the community, is completed every four years by external assessment teams.

The accreditation process ensures accountability within the department in meeting or exceeding the gold standard expectations of policing.

Data Services:

View reports and presentations:

The Scottsdale Police Department has an overarching list of the General and Field Orders for the police department. These policies are the current policies of the department and are continuously reviewed and updated through an extensive policy review process.

While most policies are published here, not every policy is available through the website to preserve tactical, officer safety, and other security concerns. Under the Arizona Public Records laws, such release or withholding must be evaluated pursuant to the Carlson balancing test.

If you would like a policy listed in the Table of Contents that is not available on the website, please make a public records request to see if a redacted version can be released.

The Scottsdale Police Department has an extensive use of force review process, including documentation of all interactions that exceed typical handcuffing. Reported incidents are reviewed by a supervisor, sent to Internal Affairs, and may also be reviewed by the Use of Force Review Board or the Major Incident Review Board. In addition, the department completes an annual analysis on a department-wide level, looking for any trends or patterns in use of force that might require a review of policy, training, or equipment. Incidents are reviewed multiple times to ensure compliance with department policy and procedure.

The Use of Force policies are included in Field Order Chapter 1200, which provide an overview of department expectations regarding use of force and the process in which incidents are documented. In addition, an external use of force review concerning practices and procedures occurs annually as part of the CALEA re-accreditation process to ensure the department is complying with national best practices regarding use.