Cathedral City Police Department

If a family member, a loved one or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Cathedral City Police Department, it certainly can cause insomnia and anxiety, mostly just from fear of the unknown of what will happen or can happen. Moreover, one is dependent upon the accuracy, competence and honesty of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you in having the police report properly written.

Facing such a situation, knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release may lower one’s anxiety and help one get some sleep. It is also good to know what evidence is needed to convict one for the crime or crimes that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime or crimes.

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement. It can be helpful to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, a bit of history about the town, city or area, and the most common types of crimes the department investigates to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful. This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.
This article is presented with these goals in mind.

The Cathedral City Police Department is a small-to-medium size station with 52 sworn police officers and 24 civilian support personnel assigned to it.

The Cathedral City Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Cathedral City, which is 22.75 square miles and has a population of 51,943 as of 2020. Cathedral City, who some call “Cat City,” is the tenth largest city in Riverside County.

The city's name is derived from Cathedral Canyon located to the south of the city in the foothills of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument. The canyon is said to have received its name because certain rock formations in the canyon were reminiscent of a cathedral. A flood in August 1946 significantly altered the cathedral-like features of the canyon.

Since incorporating as a city in 1981, Cathedral City has experienced substantial growth. In 2002, a grassroots group suggested that Cathedral City merge with Palm Springs, but the concept did not move forward.

The city launched a downtown revitalization program in the late 1990;s, which was substantially completed by 2005. A new city hall was built, as well as the IMAX / Mary Pickford movie theater complex, along with a total of 130 acres of new or remodeled stores and restaurant space.

In recent years, the city also built an outdoor amphitheater adjacent to the city hall area, and has hosted several annual festivals and events in that space. A new shopping center, Cathedral City Cove, broke ground in 2023.

For arrests along Interstate 10 (I-10) crossing Cathedral City, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Cathedral City Police Department or the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking. The person may also be held at the John J. Benoit Detention Center until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside.

As of 2010, the city’s population was 32.3% non-Hispanic white, 5.0% Asian, 2.6% African American and 58.8% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of the Cathedral City Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Palm Springs Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Riverside Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown Riverside. Cases that may be filed at the Riverside Hall of Justice instead of at the Palm Springs Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has never handled a case arising out the Cathedral City Police Station and brought in the Palm Springs Courthouse. However, we would expect such cases to certainly include DUI, domestic violence, violation of a restraining order, shoplifting and possession and/or possession for sales of a controlled substance.

We find that locals to the Cathedral City area often distrust local criminal defense attorneys as being friends with prosecutors and judges, so they are unwilling to fight too hard. Consequently, we are called instead because we presumably have no such ties or loyalties. However, when we tell them our legal fee will include the expense of driving back and forth to Palm Springs, the caller usually never calls us back.

Below is the Google Map to the Cathedral Police Department.