Blythe Police Department

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Blythe Police Department, it can cause a lot of angst, mostly just from uncertainty of what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the competence, honesty and accuracy 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 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 well worth taking the time 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 Blythe Police Department is a small force with 26 sworn police officers and an undisclosed number of civilian support personnel assigned to it, although we would estimate that to be between five and ten such people.

 
The Blythe Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Blythe, a city of 27.37 square miles and has a population of 18,317 as of 2020.  The city is in easternmost Riverside County and borders the Colorado River and thus, the Arizona border.

A large portion of the city's population are inmates in the Chuckawalla and Ironwood State Prisons, which Greg Hill of our office has visited. Both prisons hold up to 3,000 prisoners each.

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

As of 2010, the city’s population was 28.3% non-Hispanic white, 1.5% Asian, 15% African American and 53.2% Hispanic.  According to the 2010 United States Census, Blythe had a median household income of $48,327, with 16.1% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Most cases arising out of the Blythe Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Blythe 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 Blythe Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has not handled a single case arising out the Blythe Police Station and brought in the Blythe or downtown Riverside Courthouse.  However, we would expect such cases to include, but not be limited to DUI, domestic violence, shoplifting and possession / sale of a controlled substance.  

We find that locals to the Blythe area do call us with distrust local criminal defense attorneys as being friends with prosecutors and judges, so they are unwilling to fight too hard, so we are consulted because we have no such ties or loyalties.  When we explain our fee would include the expense of driving back and forth to Blythe and staying the night in a hotel or motel there, the caller usually never calls us back.

For more information about being arrested and possibly facing a criminal case, please click on the following articles:

Below is the Google Map to the Blythe Police Department.