Who to Call

A call to 911 should be a call for help. In any emergency police, fire or medical situation call 911 to report a crime, fire, heart attack, serious injury or any incident requiring immediate response.

Click the FAQs button above if you have additional questions about stray dogs, loud noise or illegal off-road vehicles.

Sheriff's Non-Emergency Numbers

In non-emergency situations the Sheriff's Department operates three dispatch facilities throughout the county. In the event of a life-threatening emergency dial 9-1-1. For all other requests and to report a crime of a non-emergency nature please contact the Dispatch Center closest to you at one of the numbers listed below. If you live in the City of Moreno Valley or the City of Temecula please use the dedicated phone line for your area. The toll free number 800-950-2444 works for all locations in the county.


Western Region	Central Region	Eastern Region
951-776-1099	760-836-3215	760-921-7900
Moreno Valley
951-247-8700
Temecula
951-696-4357
For the hearing impaired, all of the above numbers have TDD capabilities (for crime reporting or general questions).

City-Operated Police Agencies in Riverside County

If you live in an incorporated city in Riverside County that operates its own police department, you should call your city's police department, not the Sheriff's department. The map below shows cities that maintain their own police departments. Click on a city name to go to the agency's website.

City-Operated Agencies in Riverside County

Calling 9-1-1 from a Cell Phone

When calling 9-1-1 from a cell phone your call may be answered by the California Highway Patrol. CHP will direct the caller to the appropriate law enforcement or public safety agency based on the information provided by the caller.

When to Call 9-1-1

Emergency - Dial 911
Any assault with a weapon, i.e. stabbing, shooting In-progress burglary to a residence or business Armed robbery to person, residence or business Physical altercations Missing children Any medical emergency involving a child	Life threatening medical emergencies, i.e. difficulty breathing, chest pains, etc. Fire - structure, vegetation, vehicle Traffic accidents where injuries are known or suspected Airplane/train crashes Any crime where a suspect is still at the scene or has just fled

What to do When Calling 9-1-1

Tips for Reporting an Emergency

All 9-1-1 calls are received by Sheriff’s Communications Officers, who are trained to screen calls quickly in an effort to minimize response times. Dispatchers are trained to get the information quickly in order to determine the needs of the caller and ensure a quick response.

Dial 9, then 1, then 1 again.
What You Need
Tell the Sheriff’s Communication Officer what you need and/or what the emergency is; “I need an ambulance, fire truck, police officer; there’s a burglary in progress, there’s been a car accident, someone is having a heart attack, etc.”
Location
Give your name and address. If your address is different from the location of the crime, tell the dispatcher. For citizens living in mobile home parks, apartments, and/or condominiums include the apartment or space number. If you are calling from a business, provide the name of the business along with the suite number if there is one.
Description
If possible, provide additional information to the dispatcher, such as suspect description, vehicle description, etc.
Be Calm
When a caller is upset or hysterical, it is difficult to understand what they are saying or to get vital information quickly.
Stay on the Phone
Do not hang up unless told to by the dispatcher.

Some of the questions a dispatcher will ask are:

What is the emergency? Where is the emergency? When is the time frame for the emergency?

If it is a crime, the dispatcher may ask for additional information including:

Suspect information: Name, race, age, gender, height, weight, facial hair, clothing, etc
Suspect vehicle information: Color, year, make, model and license plate
Direction the suspect/vehicle was last seen traveling
Weapons used: type, number, etc.
Use of drugs or alcohol by any/all involved persons

Click for Printable Dispatch Call Questionnaire

Other Sheriff's Department Numbers

Use the following numbers for general information, warrants or records requests.

General Information	Media Information	Records	Warrants
951-955-2400	24-Hour Pager 951-222-7536	951-955-2440	951-955-2430
Sheriff's Administration 4095 Lemon Street Riverside, CA 92501 951-955-2400

Sheriff's Bureaus & Services

Professional Standards Bureau
Captain Patricia Knudson
4095 Lemon Street
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 955-2400 Court Services East
Captain Shelley A. Kennedy-Smith
46-200 Oasis St. Room B15
Indio, CA 92201
(760) 863-8255

Ben Clark Training Center
Captain Richard Coz
16791 Davis Ave.
Riverside, CA 92518
(951) 486-2800 Court Services West & Central
Captain Shelley A. Kennedy-Smith
4095 Lemon St. 4th Floor
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 955-2420

Coroner / Public Administrator
Captain Dave Nordstrom
800 S. Redlands Ave.
Perris, CA. 92570
(951) 443-2300 Dispatch Center
Captain Larry Grotefend
7195 Alessandro
Riverside, CA 92506
(951) 955-2526

Non-Emergency Numbers

Toll Free:	800-950-2444
West:	951-776-1099
Central:	760-836-3215
East:	760-921-7900
Moreno Valley:	951-247-8700
Temecula:	951-696-4357
Emergency - Dial 911

Sheriff's Stations
Cabazon Colorado River Hemet Indio Jurupa Valley Lake Elsinore Moreno Valley Palm Desert Perris Southwest

Riverside Sheriff's Stations

Law Enforcement Agencies

Sheriff-Contracted Agencies

City-Operated Agencies

State & Regional Agencies