San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department - Fontana Station

If a friend, a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by a deputy or deputies from the Fontana Station of the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, it can cause a lot of apprehension, mostly just from not knowing what will happen or can happen.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the competence, honesty and accuracy 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 ease one’s anxiety.  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 wise 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, Fontana station, is located at 11780 Arrow Highway in Fontana.  It is a surprisingly small station with just thirty-six deputies and an unknown number of support staff (we estimate this is about ten people).  The station is responsible for patrolling Fontana, Bloomington, Rialto and Lytle Creek, as well as the unincorporated areas of Upland, Montclair, Ontario, Chino, San Antonio Heights and the Mt. Baldy wilderness.

The City of Fontana is 52.04 square miles and has a population of 212,704 as of the 2020 census.  Bloomington 6.07 square miles is and has a population of 24,339 as of the 2020 census.  Rialto is 24.09 square miles and has a population of 104,026 as of the 2020 census.  Lytle Creek is much smaller than these other three cities, with a population of roughly seven hundred spread out over 6.018 square miles. 

For arrests along Interstate 10, Interstate 15, and State Route 210 crossing Fontana, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Fontana Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Fontana jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.

As of 2020, Fontana’s population was 12.42% non-Hispanic white, 8.15% Asian, 8.47% African American and 67.79% Hispanic.

Most cases arising out of Fontana, the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office will file the case at the Fontana Courthouse, but some are also brought at the San Bernardino Hall of Justice at 4100 Main Street in downtown San Bernardino.  

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled just a few cases arising out of Fontana and prosecuted in the Fontana Courthouse.  One was a large drug sales case and another was a DUI, as well as several post-conviction matters. .However, we would expect such cases to also include, but not be limited to violation of a protective order, domestic violence, shoplifting and illegal possession of a firearm.  

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

Areas Served:  Fontana, Bloomington, Rialto and Lytle Creek.  Unincorporated areas of Upland, Montclair, Ontario, Chino, San Antonio Heights and Mt. Baldy wilderness. 

Below is the Google Map to the Fontana Station.