Police: Frequently Asked Questions

To report park rule violations such as reckless bike, skate or scooter riding, failure to properly leash or control pets, and improper trail usage such as mountain biking on restricted trails, please call Dispatch at  (510) 881-1121, 24 hours a day. For non-emergencies you may Submit a Park Watch Incident Report  by mail or by fax using the Park Watch Report brochure, available in many District brochure boxes.

The Investigations Unit of the Police Department maintains a tip line that citizens can call to provide information confidentially about crimes that fall within the jurisdiction of the District Police. The tip line telephone number is (510) 690-6521

Call 911 or (510) 881-1121 from a cell phone, 24 hours a day.

Anyone involved in a dog bite or any incident resulting in injury in the East Bay Regional Park District is required to exchange information with other involved parties and report the incident to District Police and Fire Dispatch at (510) 881-1121.

To report non-emergency safety hazards, or damaged trails and facilities, contact a park ranger or call Park Operations at 1-888-EBPARKS (1-888-327-2757). Be sure to mention the nature and exact location of the problem including trail or area name.

Vehicles towed or impounded by East Bay Regional Park District Police under the authority of California Vehicle Code are subject to an $125.00 administrative fee, which is paid to the District. The fee will be collected when the owner comes to the police station to get the Written Authorization to Release form. The signed form is required by the towing company prior to release. The fee may be paid by VISA, MasterCard, cash, money order or cashier's check payable to "East Bay Regional Park District".

To obtain a vehicle release, the registered owner of the vehicle must make an appointment Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm by calling (510) 690-6508 or (510) 881-1833. "Drop-ins" cannot be guaranteed a review process and release. 

Recovered and Stolen Property is considered to be evidence related to the respective crime. Evidence can be released only upon adjudication of the criminal case (with permission from the Investigation’s Unit) or the owner of the stolen property may obtain a court order for release of the items in question. All property and evidence is released by appointment only.

Please contact the Property and Evidence Specialist at (510) 690-6565 or evidence@ebparks.org to set up an appointment.

Police reports of crimes or accidents are released in compliance with the Public Records Act, California Government Code Section 6254, et seq., and other applicable state and local laws. These statutes embody a policy of releasing information unless release would endanger citizens, law enforcement personnel, or a law enforcement investigation; or would constitute an unnecessary invasion of privacy.

The general public may request in writing the release of a District Police report, in person at Police Department Headquarters, during normal business hours, 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, holidays excluded, or through postal mail. All applicable copy fees will apply. The Records Unit can be reached at (510) 690-6508.

To send your request by mail, write to: 
East Bay Regional Park District Police
Attn: Records
17930 Lake Chabot Road
Castro Valley, CA 94546-1950

You can obtain an application and more information by phoning the Records Unit at (510) 690-6508.

Or you can request an application by writing to:

East Bay Regional Park District Police Department
Attn: Records
17930 Lake Chabot Road
Castro Valley, 94546-1950

Or you can obtain one in person at the Police Department.
See also the dog permit program

Sections 40200.7 and 40215 of the California Vehicle Code require that a person request an initial review of a disputed parking citation within 21 days of receiving the citation or within 10 days of the mailing date of a notice of delinquent parking violation. If the request for an initial review is not made within these time limits, the person has lost the statutorily-prescribed ability to contest the citation.

To request a "level one" (initial) review of a citation issued by East Bay Regional Park District Police,call Citation Processing Center at 1-800-989-2058 or visit www.citationprocessingcenter.com.

There are many volunteer opportunities available under the aegis of the East Bay Regional Park District Police. For information, visit the Police Department's Employment and Volunteer Opportunities page.

The Police Department is always looking for industrious and innovative officers to enforce a myriad of laws not commonly enforced by officers in other agencies. For a complete description of open positions and application information, please visit the Employment page.