Support Services
- 911 Dispatch Communications
- Cal ID Biometric Identification Network
- Forensic Services Bureau
- Gang Task Force (GTF)
- Information Services Bureau (ISB)
Call if you can, TEXT if you can't
Text to 911 services are now available in Riverside County. Using a phone to dial 911 is still the most efficient way to reach emergency help. Use Text to 911 only when calling is not an option.
Use Text to 911 if you are hearing/voice impaired, are in a dangerous situation where you are unable to speak, or during a medical emergency in which you are incapable of speech.
Simply enter 911 in the “to” field of your message, provide your location and the nature of your emergency, and respond to any questions the dispatcher sends.
Text in English only. Translation services are not available at this time. Do not send pictures or videos. Do not use emojis, acronyms, abbreviations or send in a group message.
Our Dispatch Centers
The Communications Bureau is the critical link between the community and patrol units in the field. Dispatch communication centers are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department has three communication centers. Central Dispatch is located in Riverside, the Coachella Valley Dispatch Center is located in Palm Desert, and the Colorado River Dispatch Center is located in Blythe. The centers provide the highest quality and most professionally competent public services to over one million residents of Riverside County.
Dispatch communications centers handle emergency 911 calls for service as well as wireless calls, non-emergency, and allied agency calls. The calls for service range from in-progress crimes such as a robbery or an assault to non-emergency calls, such as past petty thefts or loud music disturbance calls. Communication centers are also responsible for the dispatching of patrol units to calls for service and specialized units, such as Hazardous Device Team (HDT), Emergency Service Team (EST) and California Fire Arson Investigators (CF), to name a few.
Trained Staff
Each new dispatcher is required to complete a nine-week Dispatch Academy, a three-week Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Basic Dispatch Course, and extensive on-the-job training. Two different communications skills are taught:
- Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP): Focuses on call-taking and interviewing techniques, as well as all phone, Computer Aided Dispatching (CAD), and records systems.
- Radio: Teaches the basics of dispatching calls for service as well as how to deal with critical incidents on the radio and the workings of the radio system.
Did You Know?
In calendar year 2019 Riverside County Dispatch Centers handled 1,732,146 telephone calls and dispatched 874,612 calls for service (CFS) with 289,754 being in-progress priority CFS.
Altogether, the Sheriff is responsible for policing nearly 1.4 million residents of the County’s population of 2.4 million.
The Cal-ID bureau was established in 1985 as a regional program between Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, to purchase an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). The AFIS uses digital imaging technology to obtain, store, analyze, and search fingerprint data.
Cal-ID is governed by two Remote Access Network (RAN) boards, a Local Board and a Regional Board, which generate policy and oversee funding. The RAN Board concept was created and approved by the State Legislature in Senate Bill 190, and its function is described in Penal Code 11112.1 - 11112.7. The RAN board consists of the Sheriff, the Chief of Police from the largest police agency, the District Attorney, a member of the Board of Supervisors, a second Chief of Police selected by all other chiefs (usually through RCLEAA), a mayor, and a member-at-large.
Riverside Cal-ID RAN Board members
Chad Bianco, Sheriff, Riverside County
Mike Hestrin, District Attorney, Riverside County
Jeff Hewitt, Supervisor, Riverside County
Larry Gonzalez, Chief of Police, City of Riverside
Bryan Reyes, Chief of Police, City of Palm Springs
Sean Hadden, Chief of Police, City of Murrieta
Scott Matas, Mayor, City of Desert Hot Springs
Facial Recognition Policy
Facial Recognition Policy (PDF)
RAN Board Meetings:
RAN Board Agenda:
TBD
Cal-ID has evolved since 1985 and now provides an array of critical biometric identification services to all law enforcement agencies in Riverside County. These biometric services not only include AFIS, but also iris capture, facial recognition, mobile identification, and a regional DNA lab.
The Cal-ID AFIS and WebMug systems maintain a fingerprint and mugshot database of all subjects booked within the counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. Crime scene fingerprints (latent prints) can be searched against the database to identify those engaging in criminal conduct. Facial recognition software can be used to compare unknown suspect images against the mugshot database and provide a law enforcement officer a potential suspect lead in a matter of minutes. Currently, the Mobile ID program is operating with great success, allowing law enforcement officers in the field to scan a fingerprint on a hand-held device and identify the individual in 45 to 90 seconds, if they have previously been arrested.
The Cal-ID bureau is committed to providing technologically advanced equipment and training for local law enforcement agencies to better serve the citizens of Riverside County.
For more information please contact:
Christa Dreier - Cal ID Bureau Manager
951-955-9328 Desk
PO Box 512 Riverside, CA 92502
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Forensic Services Bureau provides expert forensic support services to local, state, and federal agencies upon request. The Bureau’s Forensic Technicians, each with diverse and vast experience, respond to officer involved shootings, homicides, and other major crimes as requested.
The Forensic Services Bureau provides forensic investigative assistance in the form of crime scene services, laboratory services, questioned document examination, and forensic photography. These services are managed by a lieutenant and three supervising forensic technicians. Investigations are conducted by a team of forensic technicians, forensic document examiners, a forensic photographic laboratory technician, and support personnel.
Formed in 2006, the Riverside County Regional Gang Task Force has aggressively combatted criminal street gangs and the negative impact they present to our communities. The presence of these criminal elements diminishes the quality of life for our residents through criminal activities, such as violent offenses, distribution of narcotics, and vandalism. The Gang Task Force remains committed to confronting these criminal enterprises through a collaborative effort of experienced deputies, police officers, probation officers, federal agents, and prosecutors. Through this multidimensional approach, the Riverside County Gang Task Force aims to make our streets a safer place to live, work, and play.
Our Mission
The mission of the Gang Task Force is to provide safe and secure communities free of violent crime and gang violence. This is achieved by:
- Special Operations
- Intelligence Gathering
- Aggressive-Street-Level Enforcement and Investigations
- Enhanced Communication with Allied Agencies
- Vigorous and Effective Prosecution of Gang Members
- Intervention Programs to Prevent Youth Gang Membership
Agencies Involved
- Banning Police Department
- Beaumont Police Department
- California Highway Patrol
- Hemet Police Department
- Murrieta Police Department
- Riverside County District Attorney’s Office
- Riverside County Probation Department
- Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
- United States Border Patrol
Regional Members
The Gang Task Force consists of six regions governed by a Regional Board and supervised by a Task Force Commander. Members of the Gang Task Force consist of experienced law enforcement peace officers from the following local, state and federal agencies.
If you know of or suspect criminal gang activity in your community, please contact your respective regional commander by email or call 951-210-1159. If you prefer, you may also report gang activity through our webpage.
- Coachella Valley Region: Sgt. Paul Heredia- Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
- Cities: Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and surrounding communities.
- Hemet/San Jacinto Valley Region: Sgt. Ian Baily- Hemet Police Department
- Cities: Hemet, San Jacinto, and surrounding communities.
- Jurupa Valley/Riverside Region: Sgt. Nate Padilla- Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
- Cities: Jurupa Valley and surrounding communities
- Murrieta/Temecula Valley Region: Sgt. Steve Dyer- Murrieta Police Department
- Cities: Murrieta and Temecula, and surrounding communities.
- Perris/Lake Elsinore Region: Sgt. Jose Ayala- Riverside County Sheriff’s Department
- Cities: Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Perris, Wildomar and surrounding communities.
- San Gorgonio Pass Region: Sgt. Mike Bennett- Banning Police Department
- Cities: Banning, Beaumont, and surrounding communities.
Information Services Bureau (ISB)
The Information Services Bureau is a support division handling a variety of functions. Their duties include, but are not limited to: responding to California Public Records Act (CPRA) requests, processing subpoenas duces tecum (criminal and civil), extraditions, record sealings, clearance letters, and local criminal record reviews. They maintain local summary criminal history information and oversee records management, and imaging systems. They conduct record searches for authorized law enforcement and criminal justice agencies, provide applicant fingerprinting, release crime reports to authorized individuals and agencies, and fulfill our Department’s mandated Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) to the Department of Justice (DOJ) each month. The Information Services Bureau is also the total Warrant Repository Bank for the County of Riverside.