Riverside County Sheriff's Department - Temecula Station

If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Temecula Police Department / Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating in Temecula, it can cause a lot of frustration, mostly just from not knowing what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the competence, honesty and accuracy 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 ease 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 prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be smart 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 Temecula contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to provide law enforcement services for Temecula.  In other words, Temecula does not have its own police department.  The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department station for Temecula is located at 3755 Auld Road in Murietta.  

It is a large station with 104 sworn police officers and approximately 35 civilian support personnel assigned to it.  

The City of Temecula is 37.19 square miles and has a population of 110,003 as of the 2020 census.

The city is a tourist and resort destination, with the Temecula Valley Wine Country, Old Town Temecula, the Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, the Temecula International Film Festival, championship golf courses, and resort accommodations contributing to the city's economic profile.  The Pechanga Resort Casino is also located in Temecula.

For arrests along Interstate 15 or Highway 79 crossing Temecula, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Murietta station for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Cois M. Bryd Detention Facility in Murietta 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, Temecula’s population was 49.29% non-Hispanic white, 10.96% Asian, 4.38% African American and 27.60% Hispanic.
Most cases arising out of Temecula are brought at the Murietta 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 Murietta Courthouse 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 Temecula and prosecuted in the Murietta Courthouse.  Some were DUI matters and others involved post-conviction relief.  We would expect cases out of Temecula 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.  

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

Areas Served:  City of Temecula

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 Temecula Station.