RPD was established in 1903 to serve the growing community of Reno, which at that time consisted of a couple of square miles and had a population of around 1000.
As of 2013, RPD provided law enforcement services to an area of 105.9 square miles (274 km2) and a population of approximately 233,294 citizens.
The Department is led by a chief of police, who reports to the city manager.
Three main divisions exist: Administration, Support, and operations.
[2] Administration includes command staff, grant and records departments.