The force formed on May 1, 2000, bringing together experienced police officers from the three smaller forces. Today, SARPD has a $6.2 million operating budget, 56 full-time officers and serves a total population of 30,000 in one of the fastest growing areas of the Commonwealth.

With its 56 police officers, Stroud Area Regional Police Department (SARPD) is the largest regional department in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Their coverage area comprises the 39 square mile area including the boroughs of Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg and the Township of Stroud.

Within that region, SARPD’s service area includes county and federal offices, schools, an ever-expanding hospital, East Stroudsburg University with students living off-campus, easy access to the area from busy Interstate 80, and more. 

As the regional department formed, administration and patrol services worked in Stroud Township, while the detective division worked in East Stroudsburg. In December of 2003, divisions came together with the opening of the new SARPD headquarters at 100 Day Street in East Stroudsburg, now home to the entire operation. 

 
Specializing in various areas of law enforcement not only increases efficiency and professionalism within SARPD, it creates greater morale.  “The officers enjoy getting involved with areas of the job that truly interest them,” SARPD Chief John Baujan says.

Although SARPD officers still work closely with other agencies, “we can handle any situation that’s thrown our way because of our ability to train officers in specialties,” Chief Baujan says. “This level of law enforcement could not have happened without regionalization.”

This regional department also provides services such as public speaking, criminal activity surveys, missing person searches, foot patrols, senior citizen assistance, speed enforcement, and courtroom security and prisoner transports – to name a few.