Santa Ana Police Department
If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Santa Ana Police Department, one can feel overwhelmed, mostly just from anxiety of the unknown. Moreover, one is dependent upon the honesty and competence of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you.
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 help ease one’s fears. 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 good to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement. It can be wise to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, the most common types of crimes the department investigates and just a bit about the area’s history 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 Santa Ana Police Department is a large police department with “over 300” sworn police officers and “over 200” civilian support personnel assigned to it. The department includes five canine units, an 11-officer equestrian unit and a 37-member SWAT team. The city shares a helicopter with the cities of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach via the Airborne Law Enforcement (ABLE) program.
The Santa Ana Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Santa Ana, which is 27.37 square miles in size and has a population, as of 2020, of 306,457, making it the second biggest city in Orange County and the thirteenth biggest in California.
For arrests along the freeways crossing Santa Ana, such as on the I-5 (Golden State Freeway), SR-22 (the Garden Grove Freeway) and the 55, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Santa Ana Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking. The person may also be held at the Santa Ana jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana.
As of 2020, the city’s population was 8.52% non-Hispanic white, 12.07% Asian, 0.88% African American and 76.73% Hispanic. During 2009–2013, Santa Ana had a median household income of $53,335, with 21.5% of the population living below the federal poverty line.
As might be expected, Santa Ana has an active criminal street gang challenge. Lopers 13 is considered the largest Mexican gang in Santa Ana and likely the largest Hispanic gang in Orange County. They have about 150 active members.
The second largest street Latino gang in Santa Ana is FxTroops 13, which has about 100 active members and are centered at El Salvador park. FxTroops supposedly has stronger ties to organized crime and the Mexican Mafia. The gang traces its origins back to the 1980’s.
Delhi 13 is perhaps the third largest Hispanic gang in Santa Ana and one of the oldest, stretching back to the 1960’s. Their home turf is the Delhi neighborhood and they have 70-80 active members.
There are dozens of other gangs, some who will strongly contest any claim that they are not one of the strongest or most feared in their particular area.
Certain neighborhoods of Santa Ana can be particularly unsafe after dark, so it is wise to know exactly where one is at all times to avoid accidentally straying into certain areas if lost.
All cases arising out of the Santa Ana Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Driver West in downtown Santa Ana.
Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps 150 cases arising out the Santa Ana Police Station and brought in the Santa Ana Courthouse. Such cases vary from DUI to solicitation of prostitution, to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to shoplifting. Over the last 25 years, Greg has also handled several complex criminal fraud cases and several serious sex offense cases at the Santa Ana Courthouse.
Santa Ana Police Department
Main Department
60 Civic Center Plaza
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 245-8665
Non-Emergency Calls
Westend Sub-Station
3750 W. McFadden
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 647-5062
Non-Emergency Calls
Regional Transportation Public Safety Office
1000 E. Santa Ana Blvd., #107
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 565-2632
Non-Emergency Calls
Orange County
David Valentin, Chief of Police
Below is the Google Map to the headquarter location for the Santa Ana Police Department.
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