Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Colorado River Station

If you, a loved one, a family member or a friend has been arrested by or are being investigated by a deputy or deputies from the Colorado River station of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, it can cause a lot of worries, mostly just from not knowing what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the accuracy, honesty and competence of a sheriff’s deputy, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you do in having the police report properly written.  

Facing such a situation, if one knows the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny an own recognizance (OR) release, that may help reduce some uncertainty with the situation.  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 smart 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 San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Colorado River station, is located at 1111 Bailey Avenue in Needles.  It is a medium sized station, as Needles’ population is only 4,959 (as of the 2020 Census), but out-of-town visitors to the area and the Colorado River swell the area’s population to near 10,000 on some weekends.  

Moreover, the station is also responsible for a vast area from the Nevada State line south to Riverside County line and from the Arizona State line on the Colorado River to Kelbaker Road.  It is 5200 square miles of unincorporated area and ninety miles of the Colorado River.  

Kelbaker Road is one of the main roads desert enthusiasts use to visit a 25,600-acre area of lava flows and volcanic cinder cones thought to range in age from 10,000 to 7 million years old, as well as Kelso depot (an old train station), Kelso Dunes and the Granite Mountains.

For arrests along Interstate 40 and State Route 95 crossing this area, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the local CHP station for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Colorado River station until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.

As of 2010, Needles’ population was 65.4% non-Hispanic white, 0.7% Asian, 2.0% African American and 22.4% Hispanic.
In most cases arising out of Colorado River station area, the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office will file the case at the San Bernardino Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown San Bernardino.  There is a courthouse in Needles, but it just handles traffic tickets.

Over the last 25 years, our office has not handled a single case arising out of Colorado River station or Needles and prosecuted in the San Bernardino Hall of Justice /Courthouse.  However, we would expect such cases to include, but not be limited to DUI, violation of a protective order, domestic violence, shoplifting and possession of and / or sales of a controlled substance.  

Nonetheless, we have received phone calls from people in Needles asking about hiring a criminal defense attorney.  We find that locals to the Needles area 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 Colorado River and presumably have no such ties or loyalties.

Areas Served:  Colorado River Indian Tribes, Desert Center, Eagle Mountain, East Blythe, Midland (Long Term Visitor Center), Nicholls Warm Springs (Mesa Verde) and Ripley.

Below is the Google Map to the Riverside Colorado River Station.