Costa Mesa Police Department

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Costa Mesa Police Department, it can cause a great deal of stress. 

Facing such a situation, such stress can be reduced by knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses 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 often good to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be smart to be aware of 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 Costa Mesa Police Department is staffed with 136 sworn police officers and 76 civilian support personnel assigned to it, making it one of the larger forces in Orange County.

The Costa Mesa Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Costa Mesa, which is 15.81 square miles and has a population of 111,918 as of 2020, making it one of the larger cities in Orange County. 

Two state highways, State Route 55 (the Costa Mesa Freeway) and State Route 73 (the Corona del Mar Freeway), have their respective southern and northern terminus points within Costa Mesa. The San Diego Freeway (I-405) also runs through the city.  Traffic stops and arrests taking place on or nearby these freeways are handled by the California Highway Patrol and not the Costa Mesa Police Department.

Since its incorporation in 1953, the city has grown from a semi-rural farming community of 16,840 to an urban area including part of the South Coast Plaza and John Wayne Airport.  This is one of California’s largest commercial clusters, with an economy based on retail, commerce, and light manufacturing.  The city is home to the two tallest skyscrapers in Orange County.

As of 2010, the city’s population was 48.40% non-Hispanic white, 8.45% Asian, 1.17% African American and 36.45% Hispanic.
During 2009–2013, Costa Mesa had a median household income of $65,830, with 15.1% of the population living below the poverty line.

South Coast Plaza is the largest in California and the fourth largest in the United States.  It has over 270 stores, including many high-fashion retailers, as well as restaurants and boutiques.  South Coast Plaza attracts around 24 million visitors each year.  It generates more than $1 billion per year in revenue.

Wahoo’s Fish Taco was founded in Costa Mesa in 1988 by Chinese-Brazilian brothers Eduardo "Ed" Lee, Renato "Mingo" Lee and Wing Lam.

Some manufacturing activity also takes place in the city, mostly in the industrial, southwestern quarter, which is home to a number of electronics, pharmaceuticals and plastics firms.  Business services company Experian is the largest employer in the city, and has its North American headquarters in Costa Mesa.

The Orange County Fair takes place at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa each July.  The Fair receives more than one million visitors each year.

Most cases arising out of the Costa Mesa Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Harbor Justice Center (Newport Beach 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 Newport Beach Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps 100 cases arising out the Costa Mesa Police Station and brought in the Newport Beach Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to sex offenses, to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to shoplifting out of the South Coast Plaza shopping center. 

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 Costa Mesa Police Department.