La Palma Police Department

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the La Palma Police Department, it can cause a lot of anxiety. 

Facing such a situation, one’s anxiety may decrease 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 prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be wise 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 La Palma Police Department is the smallest police force in Orange County or Los Angeles County, with only sixteen sworn police officers and an undisclosed number of civilian support personnel assigned to it. 

The La Palma Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of La Palma, which is only 1.8 square miles and has a population of 15,568.  It is surrounded by the communities of Buena Park, Cypress and Cerritos.  Citizens of La Palma report online that they feel very safe living in La Palma and that police are quite visible.

La Palma was incorporated on October 26, 1955.  It was originally incorporated as Dairyland and was one of three dairy cities in the region (the other two being Dairy Valley, now Cerritos, and Dairy City, now Cypress), but when the dairies moved east in 1965, the name of the community was changed to La Palma, after the region's Spanish heritage and its main thoroughfare, La Palma Avenue.

As of 2010, the city’s population was 27.8% non-Hispanic white, 48.1% Asian, 5.2% African American and 16.0% Hispanic.  

According to the 2010 United States Census, La Palma had a median household income of $87,289, with 7.2% of the population living below the federal poverty line.  The biggest employer in La Palma is ADP, which employs six hundred people.

La Palma is probably the safest city in Orange County, as it has the lowest crime rate.  Nonetheless, Neighborhood Scout states that the chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in La Palma; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder, is 1 in 411.  This equates to a rate of two per one thousand inhabitants.

Neighborhood Scout's analysis also reveals that La Palma's rate for property crime is twenty per one thousand population.  This makes La Palma a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes.  Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary.  One’s chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in La Palma is one in fifty.

Most cases arising out of the La Palma 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 10 cases arising out the La Palma Police Station and brought in the Fullerton Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to shoplifting.

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 La Palma Police Department.