Special Service Unit
The Special Service Unit is a specialized division within the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that functions as its dedicated special mission unit. This unit is composed of highly trained special agents who are strategically assigned to various field offices across the state of California.
Unlike traditional correctional officers or parole agents, the agents of the SSU hold the status of full-time peace officer, defined under California Penal Code Section 830.2. This classification aligns them more closely with state police officers, endowing them with a unique set of responsibilities and authority.
The primary mission of SSU is to investigate serious crimes involving current and former inmates of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, as well as people on state parole. These investigators work closely with other law enforcement agencies to handle complex cases. Their day-to-day work includes surveillance, witnesses interviews, evidence collection, and carrying out search warrants. By focusing on criminal activity tied to prison populations and individuals re-entering the community, SSU agents help protect public safety and support the broader justice system.
Part of their job involves closely monitoring prison gangs, which are often deeply involved in the drug trade. Because of this, SSU agents focus heavily on gathering intelligence and enforcing narcotics laws. They build strong partnerships with various law enforcement entities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, county sheriff’s departments, and local police agencies.
Moreover, SSU agents stand ready to assist prison correctional investigators in challenging cases involving individuals who attempt to smuggle drugs or contraband into prisons.
SSU special agents hold a rank equivalent to that of a CDCR captain and strive to maintain a low profile and minimal visibility while carrying out their missions throughout the state.
History
The Special Service Unit was established in 1964 at the request of California Governor Pat Brown, in response to a harrowing event—the kidnapping of two Los Angeles police officers on March 9, 1963. This incident is chronicled in Joseph Wambaugh’s bestselling book, The Onion Field, and subsequent motion picture of the same name. The abduction and murder of one of the officers were carried out by two active state parolees, Gregory Powell and Jimmy Lee Smith.At the time, LAPD officers Ian Campbell and Karl Hettinger were performing a routine traffic stop at the intersection of Carlos Avenue and Gower Street in Hollywood. Suddenly, the vehicle's occupants, Powell and Smith, pulled out their weapons, overpowered the officers, and forced them into Powell's car. They drove out of the city, ultimately stopping in an onion field near Bakersfield, California. There, Officer Campbell was tragically shot and killed, while Officer Hettinger managed to escape, narrowly avoiding a similar fate.
Following the incident, the investigation revealed significant challenges in obtaining timely and necessary information from the department of corrections, which was hampered by its size and bureaucracy. As a result, detectives needed a more efficient way to access essential records and resources from the CDCR. In late1963, the Governor’s Conference on Violence was convened in Los Angeles, California. A sub-committee was formed consisting of Attorney General Thomas Lynch, Los Angeles Police Chief William Parker, San Francisco Police Chief Thomas Cahill, Oakland Police Chief Edward Toothman, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Folger Emerson, Governor’s Executive Clemency Secretary John McInerney, Marin County District Attorney Roger Garrity, and San Joaquin County Sheriff Mike Canliss. One of the recommendations from the sub-committee was the formation of a unit within the department of corrections aimed at establishing and furthering liaison activities between the CDCR, street law enforcement, district attorneys, and the courts. A decision was made to form a specialized unit within CDCR to liaison between the department and outside agencies.
CDCR Assistant Director Charles Casey was tasked with creating this new unit. Director Casey learned of a New York Department of Corrections team that ostensibly bridged the gap between New York state parole services and local law enforcement. Casey went to New York and met with Russell H. Oswald, the New York State Parole Board chairman and founder of the New York Bureau of Special Services. Based on his study and evaluation of the Bureau of Special Services, Casey returned to California and designed his team. After the state legislature approved its formation, the Law Enforcement Intelligence and Liaison Unit officially went into service in April 1964. The unit initially consisted of six special agents. In 1966, four additional special agents were added to the team. The name was changed to the Special Service Unit. By 1975, there were three regional SSU offices in Sacramento, Corte Madera, and El Monte.
Function
The Special Service Unit is the primary investigative body for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation when it comes to cases involving prisoners, parolees, or situations directly linked to CDCR. According to its official description, SSU "conducts major criminal investigations, apprehends prison escapees and parolees wanted for serious and violent felonies, manages the department's gang-related issues, and leads complex investigations into gang activity involving inmates and parolees." In simpler terms, the unit plays a critical, multifaceted role in ensuring public safety by handling a wide range of tasks as needed.Special agents come from a variety of backgrounds. Some have worked their way up through CDCR as correctional officers or parole agents. An internal candidate must hold the equivalent rank of lieutenant or above to apply to SSU. Law enforcement officers from outside agencies can also apply. They come from local police, sheriff's departments, or other state police services. Those individuals ordinarily come with an extensive investigative and tactical background, usually having served in a detective unit and on a special weapons and tactics team. An external candidate must take a written exam and be ranked on a list.
When an opening becomes available in one of the field offices, candidates on the list will be offered an oral interview. If selected, the candidate will have to pass an extensive background check, as well as physical and psychological exams, to be offered a position with the unit.
Current Structure of SSU
The Special Service Unit has maintained its original design—compact and highly mobile. As of 2018, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports fewer than forty SSU agents. These agents are strategically stationed at discreet, off-site locations across California.Equipped with advanced tactical gear, surveillance technology, and unmarked vehicles, these teams are always ready for rapid deployment, responding anywhere in the state at a moment's notice. In 2005, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation consolidated various divisions and units to realign its organizational structure. During this reorganization, the Office of Correctional Safety was established to function as the "Special Operations Division" for the CDCR. Within the OCS are specialized groups such as the Fugitive Apprehension Team, the Emergency Operations Unit, and the Criminal Intelligence Analysis Unit. The Special Services Unit became a branch of the OCS, which enhanced the training standards and tactical capabilities of the unit. The EOU serves as the tactical training cadre for the CDCR, responsible for training all CDCR Crisis Response Teams throughout the state.
With the merger into the OCS, SSU special agents are expected to maintain a higher level of proficiency in tactical firearms and high-risk entry training. Although SSU is not classified as a special weapons and tactics team by California POST standards, many of its agents are former SWAT operators from previous agencies or assignments. By California standards, the SSU is regarded as a "high-risk warrant service team."
As the investigative unit for CDCR, SSU special agents are responsible for staying updated on the latest investigative techniques and legal precedents. These special agents collaborate closely with law enforcement investigators from various government branches. Many SSU agents are assigned to regional task forces across California, while a select few are designated as federal task force officers, partnering with national agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Training
SSU agents maintain a rigorous training regimen. Because they are called upon for different mission sets, the agents must be able to operate in different environments. Agents are expected to be proficient in writing skills for preparing criminal reports, surveillance logs, and crafting search warrants. They must also be good communicators, as they interact with the highest ranks in law enforcement to the most dangerous criminals in the state. Agents also develop and operate confidential informants to further their cases, which is a skill in and of itself. Conducting covert surveillance is a skill and an art that each agent must master.Although SSU is not a traditional SWAT team, its agents are required to operate at a significantly higher level than standard police officers or detectives. They are responsible for serving their own search and arrest warrants and often assist other agencies that lack a dedicated warrant service unit. To maintain operational readiness and firearms proficiency, SSU agents undergo mandatory monthly range training and must meet qualification standards. Each agent is required to pass a demanding firearms qualification course developed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Emergency Operations Unit. They must pass with each weapon system they carry, including the M4 carbine, Remington short-barreled shotgun, 9mm pistol, and any secondary firearm. Agents also participate in various training exercises, such as close-quarters defense training, tactical entry training, live-fire shoot house training, vehicle assaults, and officer rescue training.
Agents have received training from elite police units such as the LAPD SWAT team, the LAPD Special Investigation Section, and the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Special Enforcement Bureau. Agents have also trained with military personnel from units such as the United States Navy SEALs and United States Army Special Forces.