History
The force formed on May 1, 2000, bringing together experienced police officers from the three smaller forces. Today, SARPD has a $9.6 million operating budget, 50 full-time officers and serves a total population of 34,620 in one of the fastest growing areas of the Commonwealth. With its 49 police officers, Stroud Area Regional Police Department (SARPD) is the largest regional department
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Their coverage area comprises the 39 square mile area including the boroughs of Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg and the Township of Stroud. Within that region, SARPD’s service area includes county and federal offices, schools, an ever-expanding hospital, East Stroudsburg University with students living off-campus, easy access to the area from busy Interstate 80, and more. As the regional department formed, administration and patrol services worked in Stroud Township, while the detective division worked in East Stroudsburg. In December of 2003, divisions came together with the opening of the new SARPD headquarters at 100 Day Street in East Stroudsburg, now home to the entire operation. This regional department also provides services such as public speaking, criminal activity surveys, missing person searches, foot patrols, senior citizen assistance, speed enforcement, and courtroom security and prisoner transports—to name a few. Philosophy of Community Policing
Community Policing is based on the concept that the police need to establish a partnership with the community they serve and work closely with citizens on crime and disorder problems that impact the quality-of-life in the community. Since it's inception. the Stroud Area Regional Police Department has made a commitment to the philosophy of community policing and has made significant strides in implementing this philosophy throughout the organization. Police departments that implement the philosophy of community policing with the strategy of problem-solving are more prepared to address the full range of social disorder, and/or crime problems, that may exist with the goal of enhancing the quality-of-life in the community. By identifying these conditions in advance, the department can prepare strategies and responses that are more likely to solve the problem. The problem-solving process S.A.R.A. (scanning, analyzing, response, and assessment) is made more effective through the relationship between citizens and officers.
