The Riverside Police Department was founded in 1896, growing from a small frontier town police force to a large metropolitan police department with over 409 sworn police employees and 200 civilian employees. The Riverside PD has provided training materials to police academies and other law enforcement agencies across the country. For example, the current method of initiating a traffic stop on a high-risk offender in a moving vehicle, known in law enforcement as a "felony traffic stop", was first put into use by Riverside officers. This safety technique spread throughout the police profession, with nearly all law enforcement agencies in the nation using it.
In 2010, Sergio G. Diaz was sworn in as the new Chief of Police, replacing former Chief Russ Leach, who left after a drunken driving incident.
In 2020, police chief Larry Gonzalez was named as the next police chief of Riverside after the former chief Sergio G. Diaz announced his retirement in September 2019.
Controversy
In 1998, a woman named Tyisha Miller was found by her relatives unconscious and foaming at the mouth in a locked car, with a gun on her lap. Her relatives called 911 and four Riverside Police officers arrived. An officer forced his way into the car and attempted to remove the weapon. The officers claimed that Miller sat up and grabbed the weapon, at which point the officers opened fire, hitting her with at least 12 shots. Later, it was not proven that Miller had reached for the gun and it was suggested she may have still been unconscious at the time. The United States Attorney announced an investigation of the shooting; ultimately, the officers were fired but not prosecuted.
In 2006, a black police officer was awarded 1.6 million USD in a discrimination lawsuit against the RPD after being subject of harassment and racial discrimination by his colleagues. The lawsuit displayed many patterns of harassment to the officer. The court ruled in his favor.
Organization
The RPD is situated in several police buildings. The downtown headquarters building houses the Office of the Chief of Police, Community Services Bureau, Administrative Division (Personnel), Records Bureau, Communications Bureau, and the Emergency Operations Center.
The Field Operations Division includes Patrol, the Traffic Services Bureau, and Vehicular Homicide Unit, and is located at the Lincoln Police Station (8181 Lincoln Ave). The Internal Affairs, General Investigations, and Special Investigations offices are located in the Magnolia Police Station (10540 Magnolia Avenue).
Chief of Police - Larry Gonzalez
Chief's Adjutant - Lieutenant
Administration - Deputy Chief of Police
Administrative Services Division - Administrative Coordinator (Equivalent of a Captain)
Office of Accounting & Budget - Civilian Manager (Equivalent of a Lieutenant)
