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Community Services Unit

The Santa Clara Police Department plays an active role in keeping our schools safe. The Community Services Unit provides an educational role to the community, and to public and private schools within the City of Santa Clara. The programs offer support and guidance to teachers and parents. The Community Services Unit is also responsible for Community Engagement Meetings, the B.R.A.V.E. Program, the Adult Crossing Guard program, and the School Safety Patrol program.

B.R.A.V.E

B.R.A.V.E.

The B.R.A.V.E. Program stands for “Building Respect, Awareness, and Values through Education.” It was created as a collaborative effort between the Santa Clara Police Department and the Santa Clara Unified School District. The goal was to maintain a positive relationship with the schools, actively engaging with the youth, and serving as positive role models.

The B.R.A.V.E. Program is a 7-week program for 4^th graders. The lessons are taught by uniformed officers and focus mainly on Responsibility, Communication, Peer Pressure, Bullying, Cyberbullying & Cyber Safety, and Substance Awareness. Also incorporated into the lessons are the same core values the Santa Clara Police Department expects from our officers: Fairness, Accountability, Respect, Trust, Loyalty, Integrity, Consistency, and Honesty. At the end of the program students receive certificates at their Graduation Ceremony.

The B.R.A.V.E. Program also features our mascot, K-9 Walsh. He was named after Sean Walsh, who was an SCPD Explorer killed in the line of duty while serving in Afghanistan. Sean always wanted to become an officer with the Santa Clara Police Department, and his dream was to become a K-9 Officer.

Meet our B.R.A.V.E. Officer!

Officer Steven Cheney started his career with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office in 2005. At the Sheriff’s Office, Officer Cheney was assigned to several different divisions, such as patrol, courts, parks, civil/warrants, and was lastly assigned as a detective in the Special Operations Division.

In 2022, Officer Cheney lateraled to the Santa Clara Police Department. Since August 2024, Officer Cheney has been assigned to the Community Services Division and teaches the new B.R.A.V.E. program to 4^th grade students in the City of Santa Clara.

In his free time, he likes to spend time hiking, woodworking, and spending time with family.

Crossing Guard

Adult Crossing Guard Program

The Adult Crossing Guard program has been a vital part of the Santa Clara Police Department since 1979. Approximately thirty-two corners are staffed with an Adult Crossing Guard serving 14 Santa Clara Unified School District elementary schools and 1 Cupertino Union School District elementary school.

Applications are available online, at City Hall (1500 Warburton Avenue) or at the Police Department (601 El Camino Real). Competitive wages are paid and hours and locations vary. For more information contact the Adult Crossing Guard Coordinator Community Services Officer Taylor Carpenter 408-615-4875 or by email at tcarpenter@santaclaraca.gov.

Safety Patrol

School Safety Patrol Program

Stop Sign on School Bus The School Safety Patrol program was started in 1920 by the California State Automobile Association to ensure the safe crossing of children to and from school. The program started in Santa Clara in the 1940’s. Through the efforts of the Santa Clara Police Department, the California State Automobile Association, and 21 Santa Clara public and private schools, the program has grown to over 700 fifth grade students.

The safety patrol program continues to be a vital part of promoting traffic safety around schools. The students in this program are actively involved in the control of the student body and traffic situations.

Teacher & Parent Support

Teacher and Parent Support

The Police Department provides “Run, Hide, Fight” presentations for all schools in the City of Santa Clara. This program provides administrators, teachers, staff, and students the skills and knowledge on how to respond to high anxiety situations, including active shooter scenarios.

Through partnering with the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children, we offer the Vigilant Parent Initiative. This presentation provides information and new skills to parents raising children who are communicating and socially interacting online.

The Santa Clara Police Department has a dedicated full-time Santa Clara County Juvenile Probation Officer who works with police detectives to handle all criminal cases involving juvenile suspects, including crimes that occurred on school campuses. They are also part of the Prevention and Early Intervention Unit. Their mission is to reduce the number of court system involved youth in Santa Clara County by redirecting first time and lower-level youthful offenders towards positive, lasting change.

Last Updated:

07-22-2025