Operations Division

Captain Nguyen - CopyThe Operations Division is led by Captain Nghia Nguyen.  Captain Nguyen started his career as a Police Recruit in February of 1998, and then as a full-time Police Officer in July 1998. Captain Nguyen has worked various assignments over his 25 years of being in law enforcement.  He worked as a Patrol officer, Problem Oriented Policing investigator, and Property Crimes detective.  Captain Nguyen was promoted to sergeant in 2015 and supervised a patrol team.  He later went on to supervise the Traffic Unit.  In 2019 he was promoted to lieutenant where he worked as the Watch Commander.  Additionally, he spent 20 years on the SWAT Team finishing up his tenure as the SWAT Team Commander.  Captain Nguyen was later assigned to the Detective Bureau where he oversaw complex investigations involving murder, rape, robbery and weapons offenses as the Detective Lieutenant. Captain Nguyen graduated from California State University Long Beach with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.  He also has a Master’s Degree in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Leadership from the University of San Diego.

The Operations Division has an authorized strength of 68 full-time and 25 part-time employees. These are the most visible members of our Police Department. They serve the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and are usually what are referred to as the “first responders.” The primary mission of your Operations Division is to reduce criminal activity and increase the quality of life for the Buena Park community we serve. The first responders are the backbone of any police department, and are the most visible. They are the significant point of contact with our community. Whether it is an emergency call for service, a traffic collision or just a member of the public coming into the Police Department for information or assistance, it is someone from the Operations Division that will most likely be the first person our community will encounter.

The Operations Division consists of the Patrol and Traffic Bureaus. Included in these Bureaus are the Problem-Oriented Policing Team, Jail, Canine Unit, Mounted Patrol Unit, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, Reserve Police Officer Unit, School Resource Officer Program, Police Service Officers, Police Service Aide, Chaplain Program and the Bicycle Team. The Reserve Unit has Reserve Police Officers and Chaplains who, combined, volunteered thousands of hours annually.

The Operations Division continues to provide the most highly trained and well-equipped professionals who effectively handle all requests for service to our community. The effectiveness of these first responders and their support staff are greatly enhanced by state-of-the-art equipment that they are provided to assist them in getting the job done. Because of our high-quality personnel, we are able to provide competent, effective and caring service to our community.