Azusa Police Department

If you, a close friend or a family member has been arrested or investigated by the Azusa Police Department, it is important to know more than just the “usual” nuts and bolts: what is the bail associated with the offense; what are the requirements for finding a violation of the law or this crime; what are the defenses to the charge and what punishment is possible.

It can be valuable to know a bit about the specific police department involved, such as its size, the most common crimes it investigates, the demographics of the city and even a bit of history of the area.  This information can help one better understand how serious the crime is regarded and how the prosecuting agency, including the judge assigned, may handle the case if it is filed, either at the Pasadena Superior Court or in the downtown Los Angeles Superior Court (the Clara Shortridge Foltz courthouse).

The City of Azusa, with a population of roughly 50,000 in 2020, is located about 20 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains.  The historic Route 66 passes through Azusa, from west to east, as Foothill Boulevard and Alosta Avenue.  Azusa is home to Azusa Pacific University, a private Christian university, and Dhammakaya Open University, a private Buddhist university.  The city also is home to the entrance of San Gabriel Canyon, which explains its nickname “The Canyon City.”

The City of Azusa is 9.7 square miles, or slightly smaller than Arcadia to its west.  It also has about 20,000 fewer residents than Arcadia.  The 210 Freeway runs through the middle of Azusa, with approximately half of the city north of the 210 Freeway and about half south of the 210 Freeway.

The Azusa Police Department employs 55 sworn police officers and 28 civilian professional staff members.  The Azusa Police Department changed it duty weapon from a revolver to its current issue weapon, the Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.  The department also changed its police car shotguns to Heckler and Koch MP-5 .40 caliber rifles.  These rifles give the patrol officers parity with weaponry of the criminal element that continues to increase its firepower while committing crimes.

The most commonly reported and investigated crime in Azusa is auto theft.  In fact, the City of Azusa has one of the highest auto theft rates in the United States.  The Slauson Park and City Center neighborhoods are the most dangerous neighborhoods in Azusa (both are north of the 210 Freeway), followed by the Southwest area south of the 210 Freeway. 

Other commonly reported crimes in Azusa include larcenies (including shoplifting, auto burglary, commercial burglary and residential burglary), assaults (including domestic violence), fraud, and sex offenses.

Azusa’s crime index is 17, which means it is safer than 17% of other cities in the United States, or more dangerous than 82% of other cities in the United States.

Azusa 13 is a criminal street based in Azusa.  Started in the 1960’s, it is now one of the most aggressive Sureño street gangs and currently claims about 450 members.  Like many other Mexican gangs, the 13 in the name stands for the letter "M," indicating its affiliation with the Mexican Mafia.  The gang is known to tax drug sales in the area and funnels money to the Mexican Mafia. 

The gang has been involved in terrorizing African American residents in Los Angeles.  Fifty-one members of the Azusa 13 street gang have been convicted since 2011 for "terrorizing" African Americans in Azusa.  In 2013, Santiago "Chico" Rios, a leader of the gang, was sentenced to 19 years and six months in prison by U.S. District Judge Gary Fees, according to the Los Angeles Times, and his hearing impaired son, Louie "Lil Chico" Rios, was given a 10-year sentence.  Both pleaded guilty to conspiring to attack African Americans and chase them out of Azusa, a gang policy established in 1992, the newspaper said Eighty percent of adults in Azusa are college graduates and 26% are college graduates.  Sixty-four percent of the population is Hispanic or of Latin descent.  15.1% is Asian, 14.6% is White and 2.9% is African American.

As of 2024, the median annual income in Azusa was about $65,912 and the average age of its residents was 29 years old.  
Azusa's largest ethnicity is Hispanic at 62.5%, followed by White at 18%, and Asian at 14.4%.

Below is the Google Map to the Azusa Police Department.