Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Rancho Mirage Station

If you, a loved one or a family member have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Rancho Mirage Police Department / Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating in Rancho Mirage, it can cause a lot of worries, mostly just from uncertainty of 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 lower one’s anxiety. It is also helpful 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 wise 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 Rancho Mirage contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services for Rancho Mirage.  In other words, Rancho Mirage does not have its own police department.  The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department station for Rancho Mirage is located in Palm Desert at 73-705 Gerald Ford Drive. 

It is a large station with many sworn deputies assigned, although we could not find exactly how many sworn deputies are assigned to this station.  The deputies patrol Rancho Mirage as well as City of Palm Desert, 1000 Palms, Agua Caliente, Andreas Hills, Indian Wells, Joshua Tree Park, North Palm Springs, Painted Hills, Pinyon Pines, Sky Valley and Thousand Oaks.

The City of Rancho Mirage is 25.74 square miles.  The population was 16,999 at the 2020 census, down from 17,218 at the 2010 census, though the seasonal population can exceed 20,000 with “snowbirds” from colder areas “wintering” in Rancho Mirage for its warmer climate.

Rancho Mirage has been nicknamed the "Playground of the Presidents" due to its extensive history of U.S. presidents residing in and visiting the city. For example, President Harry Truman regularly visited the Tamarisk Country Club, while President Dwight D. Eisenhower lived nearby.  President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford were residents of Rancho Mirage for thirty years.  The Fords moved to the Thunderbird Country Club after leaving office.

President Ronald Reagan was also a regular visitor at Sunnylands and Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have all been visitors to Rancho Mirage.

For arrests along Highway 111 crossing Rancho Mirage, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Palm Desert station for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the John J. Benoit Correctional Facility in Indio until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Riverside County Jail, also called the Robert Presley Detention Center in downtown Riverside.

As of 2010, Rancho Mirage’s population was 81.7% non-Hispanic white, 3.8% Asian, 1.5% African American and 11.4% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of the Rancho Mirage Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Indio Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Riverside Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown Riverside.  Cases that may be filed at the Riverside Hall of Justice instead of at the Indio Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has not handled a single case arising out of Rancho Mirage.  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 Rancho Mirage asking about hiring a criminal defense attorney.  We find that locals to the Rancho Mirage 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 Rancho Mirage and presumably have no such ties or loyalties.

Areas Served:  City of Rancho Mirage

For more information about being arrested and possibly facing a criminal case, please click on the following articles:

Below is the Google Map to the Riverside Rancho Mirage Station.