Riverside County Sheriff's Department - La Quinta Station

If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the La Quinta Police Department / Riverside Sheriff’s Department operating in La Quinta, it can cause insomnia, mostly just from fear of the unknown of 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 help one sleep better.  It is also prudent 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 help 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 La Quinta contracts with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, operating out of its Thermal station, to provide law enforcement services for La Quinta.  In other words, La Quinta does not have its own police department.  

The Thermal Station is located about 10 miles east of the La Quinta City Hall and serves the eastern half of the Coachella Valley, which includes the areas of Arabia, Bermuda Dunes, the Cabazon Tribal Nation, Chiriaco Summit, Chocolate Mountain, Chuckwalla, Coachella (another city contracted with the Riverside County Sheriff’s for law enforcement services), Cottonwood Spring, Del Webb Sun City, Flowing Wells, Hundred Palms, Indio County, Indio Hills, Joshua Tree National Park, Mecca, North Shore Desert Beach, Oasis, Salton Sea, Thermal and Valerie.

The Thermal station is a large station, although no data exists online stating exactly how many deputies and  civilian support personnel are assigned to it.  

The City of La Quinta is 35.68 square miles.  The population was 37,467 at the 2010 census, up from 23,694 at the 2000 census. 

 
Golf courses in La Quinta include the La Quinta Resort and Club,  a resort dating to 1926, where director Frank Capra wrote the screenplay for “Lost Horizon,” and SilverRock Golf Resort, a host golf courses for the annual Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, a well-known PGA golf tournament.

For arrests along State Route 111 crossing La Quinta, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Thermal Sheriff’s 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, La Quinta’s population was 63.1% non-Hispanic white, 3.1% Asian, 1.9% African American and 30.3% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of the La Quinta 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 La Quinta and brought in the Indio Courthouse.  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.  

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

Areas Served:  City of La Quinta

Below is the Google Map to the Riverside La Quinta Main Station and the Riverside La Quinta Community Policing Office.

Community Policing Office.