Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department - Pico Rivera Station

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LAPD), Pico Rivera Station, it can cause a lot of anxiety. 

Facing such a situation, it can be good to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release.  It is also valuable to know what evidence is needed to convict one for the crime that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime. 

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is smart 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, 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 to provide this information.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Pico Rivera Station, has an unspecified number of sworn police officers and an unspecified number of civilian support personnel assigned to it. 

The Pico Rivera Station is responsible for patrolling El Rancho, Los Nietos, Pico Rivera, the unincorporated area of West Whittier, and West Whittier.

Pico Rivera was founded in 1958, from the merger of the long-standing unincorporated communities of Pico (named for Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California) and Rivera (the Spanish word for "riverbank").

The City of Pico Rivera itself has a population of 62,088 as of the 2020 census. 

As of 2010, the racial makeup of Pico Rivera was 5.2% Non-Hispanic White, 1.0% Black or African American, 1.4% Native American, 2.6% Asian, and 0.1% Pacific Islander.  Hispanic or Latino of any race is 91.2% of the population.

 
The Los Angeles Assembly, a 157-acre (0.64 km2) manufacturing facility at the corner of Rosemead and Washington Boulevards, was owned and operated by the Ford Motor Company.  The plant opened in 1958 and closed in 1980 and was purchased by Northrop Gruman in 1982 for its Advanced Systems Division.  Upon the unveiling of the B-2 Spirit bomber in 1988, it was revealed that much of the development for the former secret project had occurred at the site.

In the early 1990’s, the division was renamed the B-2 Division to reflect its most famous product.  At its peak, the project employed approximately 13,000 workers in Pico Rivera.  The site was closed and then demolished in 2001 partially due to air quality remediation efforts and became a large retail center. 

The area's unincorporated neighborhoods are far more violent than other Whittier area cities, according to statistics.

In unincorporated South Whittier, for example, deputies counted 260 cases of aggravated assault in 2003 compared with 187 cases in Whittier, which has 52 percent more people.

Even with its relatively small violent-crime rate, Whittier has anywhere from six to fifteen officers on duty at any given time, according to Lt. Wyatt Powell.

And the city has two officers dedicated specifically to combating gangs.

Of all area cities, Pico Rivera has the most gang members, deputies say.  About twelve gangs are active in the Pico Rivera Station's patrol area, which includes Pico Rivera and unincorporated areas of West and North Whittier.

Despite efforts by deputies to target gang violence, the number of gang-related murders has climbed the last few years.

There were nine gang-related murders in Pico Rivera in 2002.  The most well-known gangs in the Pico Rivera area are Varrio Pico Viejo (VPV), Varrio Pico Nuevo (VPN), Jardin (J13) and Rivera 13 (R13).  Graffiti in the area often uses the initials of the gang and it is visible from the local freeways such as the I-605.

The Quiet Village gang, which is believed to have ties to the Mexican Mafia, is in Whittier and it has been targeted by federal authorities in the past.  Other known gangs in Whittier include Brown Brother Hood, Canta Ranas and Eastside Cole Street.

Most cases arising out of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Pico Rivera Station’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Whittier or Norwalk Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Clara Shortridge Foltz criminal courts building (CCB) at 210 West Temple Street in downtown Los Angeles.  Cases that may be filed at CCB instead of at the Whittier or Norwalk Courthouses would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled over 30 cases arising out the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s station and brought in the Norwalk or Whittier Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to domestic violence, to shoplifting, to trespassing, to criminal threats to burglary.