The Sacramento Police Department Collection contains a wide range of material dating from 1860 to 1993. The majority of the collection is made up of mug books that date from 1860 to 1949 and jail registers that date from 1867 to 1973. The rest of the collection consists of other logbooks, various administrative records, and photographs. More than half of the photographs are portraits or group shots of the police force that date from the first half of the 20th century.

The Sacramento Police Department began in 1849 with the appointment of Marshall N. C. Cunningham and two deputies to patrol the city grid. It has since grown to include a police chief, more than 1,000 officers and other personnel, and six jurisdictions.

412 Linear Feet (130 boxes of various sizes, 220 unboxed volumes, oversized items)

The collection is open for research, except for one book of insane commitments that is restricted from access.