Ontario Police Department

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Ontario Police Department / San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department operating in Ontario, it can cause a lot of anxiety, mostly just from fear of the unknown of what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the honesty, accuracy and competence of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you in having the police report properly written.  

Facing such a situation, knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release may help lower one’s anxiety.  It is also prudent 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 valuable to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be valuable to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, a bit of history about the town, city or area, and the most common types of crimes the department investigates 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 and makes assumptions that may be wrong.

This article is presented with these goals in mind.

The City of Ontario Police Department is located at 2500 South Archibald Avenue in Ontraio.  It is a large station with, according to its website, “over 130” sworn police officers and, we estimate, 50 civilian support personnel assigned to it. 

 
The City of Ontario is 50.00 square miles and has a population of 175,265 as of 2020.

The city is home to the Ontario International Airport, which is the 15th-busiest airport in the United States by cargo carried.

The large shopping mall, Ontario Mills, opened to the public on November 14, 1996, on the old Ontario Motor Speedway parking lot.

  
On December 13, 1996, AMC Theatres opened AMC Ontario Mills 30 in Ontario, which it billed as the "world's largest theater.”  Three months later, Edwards Theatre opened the Edwards Ontario Palace 22 across the street.  Ontario now had 52 screens on the one site, more than any other location in the United States.

For arrests along Interstate 10, Interstate 15 and State Route 60 crossing Ontario, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Ontario Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Ontario jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, or the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.

As of 2010, Ontario’s population was 13.69% non-Hispanic white, 8.95% Asian, 5.90% African American and 68.43% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of the Ontario Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Rancho Cucamonga courthouse, but some are also brought at the San Bernardino Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown San Bernardino.  

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps 40 cases arising out of Ontario and prosecuted in the Rancho Cucamonga Courthouse.  These cases have ranged from shoplifting at the Ontario Mills mall, to DUI, to violation of a restraining order, to many post-conviction matters.  

Nonetheless, we have received phone calls from people in Ontario asking about hiring a criminal defense attorney.  We find that locals to the Ontario often distrust local criminal defense attorneys as being social friends with prosecutors and judges, so they are unwilling to fight too hard to preserve their friendships, so we are considered as counsel instead because we are not located in Ontario and presumably have no such ties or loyalties.

Areas Served:  City of Ontario

Below is the Google Map to the Ontario Police Department.