Police FAQS
The Station is located at:
Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station
73-705 Gerald Ford Drive, Palm Desert, CA 92211
Telephone (760) 836-1600
To Report a Crime (760) 836-3215
Depending on the severity of the crime, the person will either be taken to jail or released on a promise to appear.
- Indio Jail is located at 46-057 Oasis Street Indio, CA. 92201, Telephone (760) 863-8910.
- Smith Correctional Facility is located at 1627 S. Hargrave Street, Banning, CA. 92220, Telephone (951) 922-7300.
- To locate an inmate by name and birthday //jimspub.riversidesheriff.org/
The registered owner needs to respond to the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station to obtain a vehicle release. If the registered owner does not have a valid driver’s license, they must bring someone with them who does. Before the vehicle can be released, everything must be current with the Department of Motor Vehicles. A Vehicle Impound Cost Recovery (VICR) fee in the amount of $145.00 must be paid to the police department in cash, money order, or cashier’s check. The VICR fee is in addition to the fee charged at the tow yard. You will need to contact the tow yard to find out what their fees are for your vehicle.
If all requirements are met, you will be issued a release form by the Sheriff’s Station. Take the form to the tow yard, pay their fees and your vehicle will be released to you. Vehicle releases are processed anytime the Sheriff’s Station lobby is open. We can only accept the exact amount of $145.00 in cash, money orders or cashier’s checks after 5:00 P.M. The money order or cashier’s check must be made out to the “Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.” We recommend you bring in the exact amount of the VICR fees to expedite the release of your vehicle.
- Parking Citations
If you receive a parking citation and wish to contest the validity or merit of the ticket, you may call (800) 989-2058 to receive instructions on how to request a review. This process allows the citation to be reviewed at an administrative level by a designated city staff member. If you are not satisfied with the results of the review, then the appeal process allows for the citation to be reviewed by a civilian arbitrator. It is important to realize that the parking tickets are deemed “administrative” by the courts and are handled through the City of Rancho Mirage and its representatives. - Moving Violations
Questions regarding the validity or merit of moving violations, such as speeding, stop signs or signal lights, are handled by the Indio Traffic Court located at 46-200 Oasis Street Indio, California 92201. We cannot directly dismiss these citations, as they are handled through the court process.
While a case is in the process of being adjudicated, all property associated with the case is normally held as evidence. Once the trial proceedings have been completed, the property is released to the rightful owner. There are instances in which the property held is not claimed, or the rightful owner is not known. In these situations, the property is then released and prepared for auction. Additionally, found property that is held for 90 days and not claimed, is also released and prepared for auction. Only those items that can be legally released are available for auction.