Huntington Beach Police Department

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Huntington Beach Police Department, it can cause frustration and fear of the unknown. 

Facing such a situation, it can be valuable to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense 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 good to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be prudent 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 Huntington Beach Police Department is responsible for enforcing the law and protecting the citizens and visitors to Huntington Beach, a city with approximately 11 million visitors per year.  All 32 square miles of the city and the 9.5 miles of beaches are patrolled by the HBPD.  The department has 212 sworn police officers and 122 other employees, making it one of the biggest police forces in Orange County.  

The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington.  The population was 198,711 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth most populous city in Orange County, the most populous beach city in Orange County, and the seventh most populous city in the Los Angeles – Long Beach – Anaheim Metropolitan area. 

The main thoroughfare of Huntington Beach, Beach Boulevard, was originally a cattle route for the main industry of the area, which was breeding cattle. 

The original Huntington Beach Pier was built in 1904 and was a 1,000-foot-long timber structure. 

Huntington Beach sits above a large natural fault structure containing a critical supply of natural oil.  The city has an offshore oil terminus for the tankers that support the Alaska Pipeline. The terminus pipes run inland to a refinery in Santa Fe Springs.  Huntington Beach also has the Gothard–Talbert terminus for the Orange County portion of the pipeline running from the Chevron El Segundo refinery.

On October 3, 2021, an oil spill was reported where, "Officials warned of a potential ecological disaster” after more than 120,000 gallons of oil leaked from an offshore rig and began washing up on beaches in Southern California as workers tried to contain the spill.  The leak was reported Saturday afternoon, with the U.S. Coast Guard stating that the slick was about three miles off Newport Beach.  The spill was later determined to be caused by a ship dragging its anchor along the ocean floor and puncturing an undersea oil line.

As of 2010, the city’s population was 59.15% non-Hispanic white, 13.04% Asian, 1.06% African American and 19.86% Hispanic.  During 2009–2013, Huntington Beach had a median household income of $81,389, with 8.9% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Most cases arising out of the Huntington Beach Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Westminster 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 Westminster 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 Huntington Beach Police Station and brought in the Fullerton Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to underage possession of alcohol, to resisting arrest, to batter on a police officer to shoplifting.

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