Orange County Sheriff's Department - Lake Forest Station

If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Lake Forest Station of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, it can cause a lot of anxiety, mostly just from fear of the unknown.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the honesty and competence of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you.  

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 ease some anxiety.  It is also good 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 wise to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be good 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 Lake Forest Police Station of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is a smaller station with 53 sworn deputy sheriffs and an unspecified number of civilian support personnel assigned to it.  

The Lake Forest Station of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Lake Forest, which is a city of 16.79 square miles and 85,858 residents as of the 2020 census.  Lake Forest was previously known as El Toro, but changed its name in 1991 when the city incorporated.  Lake Forest was then expanded to include the master-planned developments of Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills.  

At one time, El Toro was considered a military town due to the presence of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro (which Greg Hill flew into when he was in the Marine Corps), but the city blossomed independently in the 1980’s and 1990’s before the base closed in 1999.

The city is rankest as the tenth safest city in the United States. 

Lake Forest is also home to two county parks. Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park in the eastern part of the city was the site of an infamous mountain lion mauling in 2004 that captured the attention of the West Coast news media.

For arrests along the freeways crossing Lake Forest (the I-5 (Golden State Freeway) and the California 241 toll road), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Lake Forest Sheriff’s station for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Lake Forest jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the larger Orange County Jail in Santa Ana.

As of 2010, the city’s population was 47.18% non-Hispanic white, 18.1% Asian, 2.2% African American and 23.2% Hispanic.  According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $86,285, and the median income for a family was $96,133.

Lake Forest is home to the headquarters of eyewear manufacturer Oakley, Inc., metals company Kaiser Aluminum, in-flight entertainment provider Panasonic Avionics, Karem Aircraft, an aircraft company developing UAV’s with major aircraft companies; telecommunications software developer Greenlight Wireless Corp.; barbecue retailer Barbeques Galore; restaurant chains Johnny Rockets and Del Taco; medical equipment maker Apria Healthcare; and skateboarding companies Sole Technology, Inc., Etnies, Autism Behavior Services Inc., and Tilly's; among others.

Most cases arising out of the Lake Forest Station 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 Harbor Justice Center 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 of Lake Forest and brought in the Harbor Justice Center.  Such cases vary from DUI to domestic violence, to one very serious sex case to shoplifting.

Below is the Google Map to the OCSD Lake  Forest Station.