The Police Department is the part of the city government that is responsible for the protection of life and property within the boundaries of the Town, including twenty-six miles of paved roadways that are patrolled by police officers year round. The Police Department and Communications Center is located on the west side of Town Hall. The Police Department and Communications Center are operated 24 hours per day, seven days per week. The Communications Center is equipped with state of the art technology; including enhanced 911, text to 911, National Crime Information Databases, Florida Crime Information Databases, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle Databases, License Plate Recognition Systems and the newest technology in Alarm Monitoring.

When a call for service is made to the Communications Center or an alarm activation is received, the average response time that it takes for an officer to arrive on the scene after dispatch is less than 3 minutes.

The Police Department provides many custom services that residents of Ocean Ridge have come to enjoy. Some of these services are: home security checks, alarm monitoring, crime prevention services, resident vehicle decals and pet registrations. The Police Department also issues Open Burn Permits as permitted by Town Code and State Law.  The Open Burn Permit and Hold Harmless Agreement are required for open burns. In addition, Open Burn Permits are only authorized for property owners and must take place on privately owned land.

The Police Department is a full service agency that conducts all traffic and criminal investigations within the boundaries of the Town;  including all misdemeanors and felonies through the employment of highly trained and experienced law enforcement officers who have specialized training in Traffic Homicide Investigations, Homicide Investigations, Death Investigations, Hostage Negotiations, Crime Scene Processing, Evidence Handling and many other specialized areas of training.

The Police Department also has various agreements with surrounding agencies that provide the agency with additional resources and support on an as needed basis. These agreements provide the Police Department with immediate access to K9’s, Special Response Teams, Helicopters, Drones, Marine Services, Laboratory Services and many other services on an as needed basis.  

The Town, with its limited entry and exit points,  including two bridges and one main highway (A1A) enjoys very low incidents of criminal activity; however, our citizens are reminded to secure their car doors, residential doors and are encouraged to use their alarm systems. As a result of the enhanced level of law enforcement services provided to the residents, a feeling of comfort and safety is enjoyed by those who chose to visit or reside in Ocean Ridge.

The Police Department has one Police Chief, an Administrative Lieutenant, a Road Patrol Lieutenant, Criminal Investigator, four Road Patrol Sergeants, ten full time police officers and five reserve police officers. The average length of experience in law enforcement is ten years.

The Department enforces Town Ordinances including; parking enforcement, water restriction violations, building, land use and various other ordinances. These cases are prepared by the Police Department and prosecuted by the Town Attorney.  The Town uses an administrative hearing process and hearing officer in an effort to obtain compliance.

Fire and Emergency Medical Service is provided through a contract with the City of Boynton Beach. The Town averages one-hundred and sixty EMS calls per year. Every police officer is certified as a First-Responder and are dispatched to every EMS call for the purpose of providing life-saving services prior to the arrival of EMS. Every police vehicle is equipped with Fire Suppression equipment, AED's, Narcan and many other life saving devices.

The Department in conjunction with Palm Beach County Emergency Management Division conducts evacuation from the Islands in case of a major storm events.