Whittier Police Department

If you, a loved one or a family member was arrested by or is being investigated by the Whittier Police Department, it can be overwhelming.  It is common to need to know the bail amount (if any) associated with the offense (if own recognizance (OR) release is denied), the evidence required to convict one for the crime that allegedly took place, the common defenses and the sentence a judge can impose if one is convicted of the crime. 

We at Greg Hill & Associates believe it is also helpful to know a few more things before interacting with any branch of law enforcement.  It can be good 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 Whittier police department is staffed by 128 sworn police officers and 54 non-sworn staff personnel.  This makes the Whittier Police Department a larger-than-average police department within Los Angeles County. 

The Whittier Police Station jail facility provides enough bed space to accommodate 9 females and 22 males.  All inmates are pre-trial arrestees who have been arrested for misdemeanors and felonies.  The Whittier Police Department does provide a trustee program for those inmates sentenced by the court and mandated to “work off” their time. 

The jail does not provide a “pay-to-stay” overnight program.  As the jail it a Type I jail facility it is only authorized to hold inmates for a maximum of 96 hours, precluding any emergencies.

All inmates booked in the Whittier City Jail are eligible to be released on bail or bond, unless specified by warrant, court order, bail schedule, or the level of the inmate's intoxication makes it unsafe to release the inmate.

Bail is the deposit of cash, cashier’s check, money order, or even a personal check from a California bank for the entire amount specified.  Deposited monies will be returned after the appearance of the individual bailed out and according to the rules established by the court receiving the bail.  Bail money will be returned only by the court.

Bond is the deposit of a surety bond by a licensed bail bond company for the amount of the bail. The Whittier Police Department or its employees will not recommend any specific bail bond company.  Bail bond companies can be located using Google or in the telephone book and they can provide specifics regarding fees and cost associated with the use of their services.

The City of Whittier had a population of 87,306 as of 2020, spread out over 14.66 square miles.  This makes its officer to city population higher than most police departments in Los Angeles County.

As of 2020, the racial makeup of Whittier was 48.7% White (24.5% non-Hispanic White, 24.2% Hispanic White), 1.5% African American, 5.3% Asian, and 65.8% Hispanic or Latino.  13.1% of the population was born outside the United States.  Mexican and German were the most common ancestries.  Mexico and El Salvador were the most common foreign places of birth.

During 2009–2013, Whittier had a median household income of $68,522, with 12.4% of the population living below the federal poverty line.

Under Chief David M. Singer, who took office in 2001, the Whittier Police Department supported and the City of Whittier enacted the first ever gang injunction against the criminal street gang "Whittier Varrio Locos."  Chief Singer also implemented numerous technological advancements such as the graffiti tracker system, the automatic license plate hunter and the installation of remote cameras to monitor high risk locations.

Our office has handled many cases out of Whitter in the last 25 years, ranging from DUI’s to domestic violence, to criminal threats, to sales of drugs, to public intoxication.

Below is the Google Map to the Whittier Police Department.