By Los Angeles County Politics (LACP)
The City of Santa Fe Springs has formally notified the City of Whittier that it will terminate a decades-old law enforcement services agreement, setting the stage for the smaller of the two Gateway cities to establish its own police department by February 2028.
Santa Fe Springs City Manager René Bobadilla notified Whittier on April 22 that Santa Fe Springs was ending the agreement — originally signed May 10, 2011 and amended July 1, 2014 — under a without-cause termination provision.
The 22-month notice period means the Whittier Police Department will cease providing patrol, investigations, 911 dispatch, records management, and jail services to Santa Fe Springs on February 29, 2028, bringing to a close more than three decades of contracted law enforcement.
“We take pride in the strong relationship we have built with Santa Fe Springs and the high-quality service our officers and professional staff have consistently provided to the community,” Whittier Mayor James Becerra said in a release announcing the breakup. “We congratulate our neighboring city on this significant milestone and wish them great success as they establish their own full-service police department — just as Whittier did nearly 110 years ago.”
The two cities are adjacent, with Santa Fe Springs bordered by Whittier to the northeast. Whittier has approximately 87,000 residents; Santa Fe Springs has roughly 18,400. Their economic profiles are nearly identical — both cities carry poverty rates of approximately 13%, a socioeconomic baseline that shapes the public safety challenge any new department will face.
According to the most recent full-year data available — the Whittier Police Department’s 2024 annual crime report — Santa Fe Springs recorded 1,433 serious crimes in 2024, up 8% from 1,326 in 2023. The numbers include a striking 89% spike in robberies, from 36 to 68, and a 20% increase in commercial burglaries to 263. That translates to a crime rate of approximately 78 serious offenses per 1,000 residents — a substantial public safety burden for a department that will need to be built from the ground up.
By comparison, Whittier recorded 2,262 serious crimes in 2024 — up 2% from the prior year — across its larger population base. The Whittier Police Department currently fields 128 sworn officers and 54 civilian staff serving both cities combined.
Whittier City Manager Conal McNamara’s formal acknowledgment letter to Bobadilla contained two pointed legal markers. First, the agreement does not authorize Santa Fe Springs to rescind its termination notice. Second, Santa Fe Springs will be required to comply with “Termination Buy-Out” provisions under Section 6(B) of the agreement — the cost of which has not yet been determined.
“Whittier will communicate these costs once they have been determined and will continue to work collaboratively with Santa Fe Springs to achieve a smooth transition over the coming months,” McNamara wrote.
The Whittier City Council, for its part, views the departure as an opportunity. The city said it will focus on future policing strategies, invest in local priorities, and enhance community safety programs for Whittier residents and businesses once the agreement concludes.
