The City of Surprise was little more than a gas station and a few small homes in 1937 when founder Homer Ludden named it after his southeast Nebraska hometown.  Today, Surprise is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.  Located twenty-five miles northwest of downtown Phoenix Surprise has increased in size by 1141% since 1990 growing to a population of 60,000. Surprise population is projected to double in size by 2006 and the growth potential in population and land size within the next ten years is off the charts.  Along with residential growth come retail, shopping centers and a multitude of services.  Warm winter weather also brings hordes of snowbirds from northern climates.  Surprise boasts a new City Center anchored by a state of the art spring training facility for the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers soon to be surrounded by hotels, restaurants, retail shops and more.

This magnitude of growth brings with it tremendous challenges to the Surprise Police Department.  In 1997 Surprise City leaders determined that the police force was in need of assistance from community resources and the Surprise Citizens Patrol was formed.  With a group of 8 volunteers in civilian clothes and one vehicle the Surprise Citizens Patrol (SCP) became the “eyes and ears’ of the Surprise Police Department.  Since those early days the SCP has grown into a force of 50+ highly trained personnel with full uniforms and four marked vehicles as well several marked bicycles.

In addition to assisting police officers and patrolling the streets of Surprise 6AM to Midnight and sometimes into the wee hours of the morning the SCP assists with traffic control at accidents, crime scenes and special events. Additional duties include Radar deployment and speed compliance programs, vacation watch, evidence administration, sexual predator notification, issuing parking citations, recruiting and training, fund raising and educating the community regarding Home Security and related subjects.

The SCP is presently going through a re-branding process to align the organization closer to the Police Department.  The primary change is through uniform and vehicle identification.

In late 2003 the Surprise Citizens Patrol won a grant from the United States Justice Department totaling $26,000.  The SCP was one of only nine Citizens volunteer organizations awarded a grant out of two hundred proposals submitted and the only organization of this type awarded a grant in the State of Arizona.  The SCP is presently following the guidelines and objectives of that grant, the major guideline being the recruitment, training and further growth of the SCP.

Mission Statement: 
The Mission of the Surprise Citizens Patrol is to assist the Surprise Police Department and to help ensure a safe environment for people who live and work in the City of Surprise.