The Yakima Police Department is housed in the Law and Justice Center, which it shares with the City Jail, City Legal Dept, 911 communications and the Yakima Municipal Court.
This center opened in 1996. YPD also maintains a West Precinct at the Yakima Airport which opened in 2004.

YPD responds to approximately 60,000 calls for service each year, generating 25,000 criminal cases. In 2009 they made nearly 5,000 criminal arrests for non-traffic related crimes. That same year they issued 17,559 traffic tickets. Yakima Police Department operations include the Gang Unit, a K-9 Patrol unit, Drug sniffing dogs, a SWAT team and a motorcycle patrol unit.

In addition to regular patrol duties, the Yakima Police Department maintains a number of community programs aimed at preventing crime before it starts. Programs like Yakima Police Athletic League, GREAT (Gang Resistance Education and Training) and School Resource Officers keep the police in touch with the youth of the community.

Block Watch, National Night Out Against Crime and other community outreach activities encourage citizen involvement in crime prevention.

When Chief Sam Granato assumed command in 2003, he worked to increase the level of criminal technology expertise in the department. New personnel, equipment and skills have put YPD on the cutting edge of this modern field.

Crime reporting and statistical analysis put state of the art tools in the hands of officers and keeps the public informed of conditions in the area.

The Yakima Police Department has been protecting and serving the city of Yakima since the late 1800s. Starting with just three officers, the department has grown to a current force of over 140 officers and a support staff of approximately 20 civilian employees.

EARLY POLICE FORCE - Three man team made up the entire Yakima police force in 1900. The department began to grow during the next few years and by 1909 had 11 regular officers.

Identified old-timer officers are as followed: "Bert Kayaw" at the left, and "Jack Bagsby" at the right and "Big Ben" in the middle.