Barstow Police Department

If a family member, a loved one, or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Barstow Police Department or even the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department operating in Barstow, it can cause a lot of anxiety, mostly just from uncertainty of what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the accuracy, honesty and competence 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 uncertainty.  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 Barstow Police Department is located at 220 East Mountain View Avenue in Barstow.  It is a small station with forty sworn police officers and approximately fifteen civilian support personnel assigned to it.  

The City of Barstow is 40 square miles and has a population of approximately 25,415 residents as of the 2020 census.

It is home to Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and is also a major intersection of the I-15 and I-40 Interstates.  

Barstow is named after William Barstow Strong, former president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.  

For arrests along I-15, I-40, SR-58, Highway 247 and Historic Route 66 crossing Barstow, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Barstow Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto or the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.  

As of 2010, Barstow’s population was 34.2% non-Hispanic white, 3.2% Asian, 14.6% African American and 42.8% Hispanic.  During 2009–2013, Barstow had a median household income of $42,354, with 26.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Most cases arising out of the Barstow Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Barstow Courthouse, but some are also brought at the San Bernardino Justice Center in downtown San Bernardino at 247 West Third Street in San Bernardino.  Cases that may be filed at the San Bernardino Justice Center instead of at the Barstow Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has not handled even one case arising out of Barstow and prosecuted in the Barstow Courthouse or the main San Bernardino Justice Center.  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 many phone calls from people in Barstow asking about hiring a criminal defense attorney.  We find that locals to the Barstow 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 Barstow and presumably have no such ties or loyalties.

Areas Served:  City of Barstow

Below is the Google Map to the Barstow Police Department.