Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Palm Desert Station

If a family member, a loved one or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Palm Desert Police Department / Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating in Palm Desert, it can cause insomnia, mostly just from not knowing what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the accuracy, honesty and competence of a deputy sheriff, 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 ease one’s anxiety.  It is also prudent 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 wise to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be smart 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 and makes assumptions that may be wrong.

This article is presented with these goals in mind.

The City of Palm Desert contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services for Palm Desert.  In other words, Palm Desert does not have its own police department.  The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department station for Palm Desert Police Department is located at 73-705 Gerald Ford Drive in Palm Desert.

It is a medium-sized station with 80 sworn police officers and an undisclosed number of civilian support personnel assigned to it.  The officers also are responsible for 1000 Palms, Agua Caliente, Andreas Hills, Indian Wells, Joshua Tree Park, North Palm Springs, Painted Hills, Pinyon Pines, Rancho Mirage, Sky Valley and Thousand Oaks.

Palm Desert is 27.02 square miles.  The population was 51,163 at the 2020 census.  The city has been one of the state's fastest-growing since 1980, when its population was 11,801.

For arrests along Interstate 10 and State Route 111 crossing Palm Desert, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Palm Desert Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the John J. Benoit Correctional Facility in Indio until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Riverside County Jail, also called the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside.

As of 2010, Palm Desert’s population was 70.4% non-Hispanic white, 3.4% Asian, 1.8% African American and 22.8% Hispanic.  According to the 2010 United States Census, Palm Desert had a median household income of $53,456, with 9.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Most cases arising out of Palm Desert are brought at the Indio 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 Indio Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.  Traffic cases are brought at the Palm Springs courthouse.

Over the last 25 years, our office has not handled a single case arising out of Palm Desert and brought in the Riverside Hall of Justice or  / Indio Courthouse / Palm Springs Courthouse / Banning Courthouse.  We would expect such cases to include, but not be limited to DUI, violation of a protective order, domestic violence, shoplifting and possession of and / or sales of a controlled substance.  

However, we have received phone calls from people in Palm Desert asking about hiring a criminal defense attorney.  We find that locals to the Palm Desert often distrust local criminal defense attorneys as being social friends with prosecutors and judges, so they are unwilling to fight too hard to preserve their friendships, so we are considered as counsel instead because we are not located in Palm Desert and presumably have no such ties or loyalties.

Areas Served:  City of Palm Desert, 1000 Palms, Agua Caliente, Andreas Hills, Indian Wells, Joshua Tree Park, North Palm Springs, Painted Hills, Pinyon Pines, Rancho Mirage, Sky Valley and Thousand Oaks.

Below is the Google Map to the Riverside Palm Desert Station.