Brea Police Department

If a family member, a loved one or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Brea Police Department, it can cause many worries. 

Facing such a situation, one’s worries may be reduced by knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release.  It is also helpful 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 helpful 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, 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 Brea Police Department is a medium-sized force with 52 sworn police officers and an undisclosed number of civilian support personnel assigned to it. 

The Brea Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Brea, which is in the northern part of Orange County.  It is north of Fullerton and east of La Habra.  Brea means tar in Spanish.

The city is 12.1 square miles, which is a medium-sized city. 

As of 2010, the city’s population was 39,282, which was 57.2% non-Hispanic white, 18.2% Asian, 1.4% African American and 25.2% Hispanic. 

According to the 2010 United States Census, Brea had a median household income of $82,055, with 5.6% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Brea is traditionally a Republican stronghold at the presidential level; however, Democratic candidate Joe Biden carried the city in 2020.  According to the California Secretary of State, as of October 22, 2018, Brea has 24,775 registered voters.  Of those, 9,991 (40.33%) are registered Republicans, 7,370 (29.75%) are registered Democrats, and 6,466 (26.10%) have declined to state a political party or are independents.

Bank of America, the top employer in the city, employs 3,000 people.  Mercury Insurance is second, employing 1,440.

Austin Tamagno, a great runner while in high school and later at the University of Oregon, grew up in Brea.

 
According to Neighborhood Scout, with a crime rate of 35 per one thousand residents, Brea has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities.  One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 29.  Within California, more than 89% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Brea.

Neighborhood Scout reports that violent crime in Brea occurs at a rate higher than in most communities of all population sizes in America.  The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in Brea; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 516.  This equates to a rate of 2 per one thousand inhabitants.

In addition, Neighborhood Scout found that a lot of the crime that takes place in Brea is property crime.  Property crimes that are tracked for this analysis are burglary, larceny over fifty dollars, motor vehicle theft, and arson.  In Brea, one’s chance of becoming a victim of a property crime is one in 30, which is a rate of 33 per one thousand population.

Most cases arising out of the Brea Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Fullerton Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Driver West in downtown Santa Ana.  Cases that may be filed at the Central Justice Center instead of at the Fullerton Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps 50 cases arising out the Brea Police Station and brought in the Fullerton Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to shoplifting (often at the Brea Mall).

Below is the Google Map to the Brea Police Department.