Orange Police Department

If a loved one, a family member or you have been arrested by or are being investigated by the Orange Police Department, it can cause a lot of worries, mostly just from fear of the unknown.  Moreover, one is dependent upon the honesty and competence of a police officer, who may or may not be experienced or have the same sense of urgency as you. 

Facing such a situation, knowing the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense or offenses at issue if police deny their own recognizance (OR) release may be a big help.  It is also good to know what evidence is necessary to convict one for the crime or crimes that allegedly took place, the possible defenses and what sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime or crimes. 

 
We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is also prudent to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be wise to know the size of the police or sheriff’s department, the area’s demographics, the most common types of crimes the department investigates and just a bit about the area’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 these goals in mind.

The Orange Police Department is quite big, although it is not the biggest police department in Orange County.  The Orange Police Department has 160 sworn police officers and 120 civilian support personnel assigned to it. 

The Orange Police Department is responsible for patrolling the City of Orange, which is a city of 25.2 square miles and has a population of 139,000.  Villa Park is within the City of Orange and is completely surrounded by Orange.  Villa Park has a population of 5,812 as of the 2010 census and is the smallest city in Orange County (Villa Park is separately policed by the Orange County Sheriff).

Orange is notable for having many homes built in the 1920’s and earlier.  While other cities demolished such homes and rebuilt newer homes in their place in the 1960’s, Orange did not follow this practice. 

For arrests along the freeways crossing Orange (i.e., the 5, 22, 55 and 57 Freeways), the California Highway Patrol (CHP) will normally handle this work, although one may be thereafter transported to the Orange Police Department for processing, a breath test (if a DUI) and booking.  The person may also be held at the Orange jail until bail is posted or the person is transferred to the Orange County Jail in Santa Ana.

As of 2020, the city’s population was 39.55% non-Hispanic white, 12.91% Asian, 1.59% African American and 41.15% Hispanic.  During 2009–2013, Orange had a median household income of $78,838, with 11.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

From data, Orange is safer than 35% of U.S. cities, and Orange's violent crime rate is lower than the national average of four violent crimes per 1,000 residents at about one per 1,000 residents.  Property crime rate is higher, at almost 16 property crimes per 1,000 residents, still lower than the national and state averages by at least 6.  There were ninety-four crimes per square mile in Orange, higher than the state average of eighty-three, and at least seventy crimes higher than the national average of about 28.

On March 31, 2021, four people, including a child, were killed and two more were injured in a mass shooting at an office complex on Lincoln Avenue in north Orange.

Most cases arising out of the Orange Police Department’s areas of responsibility are brought at the Santa Ana Courthouse, but some are also brought at the Central Justice Center at 700 Civic Center Driver West in downtown Santa Ana.  Cases that may be filed at the Central Justice Center instead of at the Santa Ana Courthouse would be very serious cases needing specialized prosecutors trained in handling such cases.

Over the last 25 years, our office has handled perhaps one hundred cases arising out the Orange Police Station and brought in the Santa Ana Courthouse.  Such cases vary from DUI to solicitation of prostitution, to domestic violence, to public intoxication, to shoplifting.