Bureaus & Teams

It takes skill and teamwork to successfully provide law enforcement in a community the size of Riverside County. All sworn deputies have completed rigorous courses in basic Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) and may elect continuing education in law enforcement. Essential duties can include:

Specialized bureaus, teams and units employ unique skills and experience in the following areas:
(Note - Underscored titles link to additional information)

• Auto Theft - Riverside Auto Theft Interdiction Detail (RAID)
  Formed to reduce the incidences of auto theft in Riverside County. 

• Aviation
  Provides helicopter support for patrol operations and search and rescue incidents.

• Ben Clark Training Center (BCTC)
  Offering comprehensive law enforcement, fire, and correctional custody public safety training.

• California Identification System (CAL-ID )
  Automated fingerprint system maintained by the Department of Justice for retaining and identifying fingerprints.

• Central Homicide (CHU)
  Conducts thorough and objective investigations of all deaths and officer-involved shootings that occur in unincorporated Riverside County.

• Chaplain Corps
  Provides support for employees and the public at the scene of traumatic incidents.

• Computer & Technology Crime High-Tech Response Team (CATCH)
  Created in 1998 to help combat computer-related crimes such as network intrusions, computer hacking, theft of trade secrets, counterfeiting and piracy, telecommunications fraud, and theft of high tech related equipment and cargo.

• Crime Analysis Unit (CAU)
  Focuses on the analysis of who is doing what to whom and in some cases who is doing what with whom as it relates to criminal activity in our county.

• Criminal Intelligence (CI)
  Supports the enforcement efforts of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department in tracking organized criminal activities within the county.

• Crisis Negotiation
  Provides on-scene negotiation support to Special Enforcement deployments to include hostage and barricaded suspect negotiations.

• Dispatch Communications
  Supports the enforcement efforts of the Riverside Sheriff’s Department in tracking organized criminal activities within the county.

• Drug Task Force
  Provides street to mid-level drug user and trafficker investigative support.

• Felony Warrant
  Locates, surveils, and apprehends suspects with felony warrants throughout Southern California.

• Forensics
  Provides on-scene forensic support and evidence collection at crime scenes as well as in lab forensic examinations to include document examination.

• Gang Task Force (GTF)
  A multi-agency regional anti-gang task force comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers focusing on the suppression, prevention and intervention of criminal street gangs.

• Hazardous Device (HDT)
  Provides trained experts in numerous types of explosive devices as well as chemical agents with specialty equipment to handle or disarm hazardous devices throughout the county.

• Information Services (IS)
  Maintains a centralized inventory of all completed and archived crime reports and investigations as well as compiles state and federal statistics as required by law.

• Inmate Health Services (IHS)
  Two units, Detention Health Services and Forensics Mental Health, provide inmate health services.

• K9 Law Enforcement Teams
  Provides canine support for patrol operations including suspect apprehension, evidence location and suspect tracking.

• Media Information Bureau (MIB)
  Provides information to print, radio, television and Internet media sources about Department operations and events.

• Off-Highway Vehicle Enforcement (ROVE)
  The Riverside County Sheriff's Department encourages owners of OHVs to seek out legal places to ride and enjoy what Riverside County has to offer. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department GIS team has created a series of maps to identify off-road parks and trails in or near the county.

• Public Safety Enterprise Communication (PSEC)
  The Public Safety Enterprise Communication (PSEC) team is a representative group of Sheriff, County Fire, EDA and RCIT technology professionals working together with Motorola Government & Public Safety Products and Solutions to ensure an integrated public safety system for the County of Riverside.
  • PSEC Newsletter pdf

• Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement (SAFE)
  Mutil-agency task force focusing on proactive sexual offender monitoring, field visits and warrant sweeps, as well as follow-up visits on sexual offenders who reside in or move into or out of Riverside County.
• Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT)
  Provides technical equipment and personnel for emergency preparedness and incident management for large scale emergencies or events both natural and manmade.

• Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB)
  Provides advanced tactical and specialty trained personnel and equipment for high-risk situations including hostage events, terrorism, and dignitary protection.

• Special Investigations (SIU)
  Enforces local, state, and federal narcotic violations throughout the County of Riverside.

• Professional Standards (PSB)
  Conducts internal investigations regarding claims of employee misconduct.

• Technical Services Bureau (TSB)
  Provides Information Technology Services to the Sheriff's Department and all outlying facilities.