Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Norco Station

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Norco Police Department / Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating in Norco, it can cause a lot of angst, mostly just from anxiety caused by not knowing what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the honesty, accuracy and competence of a deputy sheriff, 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 decrease some uncertainty.  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 well worth the time to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be prudent 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 Norco contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services for Norco.  In other words, Norco does not have its own police department.  The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department station for Norco is at 2870 Clark Avenue in Norco. 

It is a smaller station, although the exact number of deputies and staff assigned there is not known.  The city of Norco is 14.08 square miles and has a population of 26,316 as of 2020.

The Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating out of Norco made national headlines on May 9, 1980, when five heavily armed men robbed the Norco branch of Security Pacific Bank of about $20,000 in cash.  Since dubbed the "Norco Shootout,” deputies responded to the bank robbery call and a prolonged gun battle and subsequent vehicle pursuit ensued.  

Units from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol contributed to the pursuit.  The aftermath of the incident left 33 patrol cars damaged or completely destroyed, one helicopter shot down, three robbers imprisoned for life, two robbers dead, eight officers wounded, and one Riverside deputy killed in the line of duty.

For arrests along Interstate 215 crossing Norco, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Norco Sheriff’s station on Clark Avenue for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Riverside County Jail, also called the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside.

As of 2010, Norco’s population was 56.4% non-Hispanic white, 3.1% Asian, 7.0% African American and 31.1% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of the Norco Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Riverside Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown Riverside.  

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps 5 cases arising out of Norco and brought in the Riverside Hall of Justice.  One was a DUI we remember well and one was a violation of a protective order.  

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

Areas Served:  City of Norco.

Below is the Google Map to the Riverside Norco Station.