About Ventura Police Department

The city of Ventura lies in the Ventura County, California. It is located between the cities of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, on the California coast. Discovery of oil fields in the nearby areas fueled the real estate boom, resulting in development of many landmarks and buildings. In 2019, U.S census estimated the city’s population at approximately 109,000, making it the 4th most populous city in the Ventura County. Ventura, officially named as the City of San Buenaventura, was incorporated as a city on 2nd April 1866 and was named after Saint Bonaventura. Its early culture is demonstrated by prehistory of indigenous people, Spanish people, and Mexican people. It is a popular tourist destination for the people of Southern California and its major economic mainstay is on tourism and manufacturing activities.

Established on April 2, 1866, now Ventura police department is employed by a total of 192 full-time employees, including 143 of which are sworn officers and 49 are full-time professional staff. It is presided over by the chief of Police, Darin Schindler. The department handles over 90,000 calls for service in a year. Sergeant Darlon “Dee” Dowell became the first and last Ventura Police Officer killed in the line of duty on Monday, August 7, 1978. Its headquarters located at:

1425 Dowell Dr
Ventura
CA 93003

To pass the Ventura police department test, candidates must take a three-part examination. The police written test examines the candidate’s knowledge of math, memory, grammar/spelling, incident report writing, and reading comprehension. The physical abilities test examines a candidate’s performance at endurance, upper body strength, and mobility. Finally, candidates must take the interview exam and may be required to undertake a polygraph assessment too. Only the highest-scoring applicants on the Ventura police test will make it through to the academy.