San Fernando Police Department

If the San Fernando Police Department has arrested or is investigating you, a family member or a loved one, it is good to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense (if an own recognizance (OR) release is denied), the evidence needed to convict one for the crime that allegedly took place, the defenses possible and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime.

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is also wise to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement. It can be valuable, to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the city’s demographics, the most common types of crime the department investigates and just a bit about the city’s history to make one’s communication with law enforcement more meaningful, more savvy and perhaps, more respectful. This can lead to a better outcome than if one lacks such perspective.

This article is presented with this goal in mind.

The San Fernando Police Department has thirty-five sworn police officers, twenty-five non-sworn staff personnel and twenty sworn reserve officers. This means there are roughly 815 residents per sworn police officer, which is a relatively high number of citizens per officer for Los Angeles County.

As of the 2020 census, the population of San Fernando was 23,946. It is only 2.37 square miles in size. San Fernando is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, with the neighborhoods of Sylmar to the north, Lake View Terrace to the east, Pacoima to the south, and Mission Hills to the west. It is served by the Golden State (Interstate 5), Foothill (Interstate 210), Ronald Reagan (State Route 118), and San Diego (Interstate 405) freeways.

As with much of the San Fernando Valley east of the San Diego Freeway (I-405), the City of San Fernando has seen a significant demographic shift in recent years. Declining birth-rates and an aging population of middle-class whites, who once dominated the area in the 1950’s, has contributed to the movement into other parts of the San Fernando Valley. There has also been movement into the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys to the north.

As of the 2020 Census, the racial makeup of San Fernando was 93.2% Hispanic or Latino, 4.2% Non-Hispanic White, 2.3% Asian, 1.3% American Indian, and 0.8% Black of African American.

The City of San Fernando’s Annual Report states that the median household income was $77,334. The same report states that 73.1% of residents speak a language other than English at home, that 71.2% of residents speak Spanish at home, and 28.1% of residents have limited English-speaking abilities.

Paula Abdul is perhaps San Fernando’s most famous former citizen.

According to Neighborhood Scout, “The crime rate in San Fernando is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 22 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in San Fernando is 1 in 46. Based on FBI crime data, San Fernando is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to California, San Fernando has a crime rate that is higher than 64% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.”

The chance that a person will become a victim of a violent crime in San Fernando; such as armed robbery, aggravated assault, rape or murder; is 1 in 252. This equates to a rate of four per one thousand inhabitants.

Varrio San Fers is a predominately Latino street gang in the San Fernando Valley in the Sylmar community of Los Angeles and the City of San Fernando.

Neighborhood Scout's analysis also reveals that San Fernando's rate for property crime is eighteen per one thousand population. This makes San Fernando a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in San Fernando is one in fifty-six.

Below is the Google Map to the San Fernando Police Department.