Page Tools

Divisions

Patrol

The Patrol Section is the heart of the Rancho Mirage Police Department. The basic law enforcement protection is provided to the City of Rancho Mirage by contractual agreement with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. This agreement provides the City with a cost effective way to provide police services to the residents, businesses and visitors to the City of Rancho Mirage. As a result of this contract with the City, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department provides over sixteen (16) uniformed deputy sheriffs for patrol and traffic enforcement. The patrol deputies are the Department’s most visible element. They are the first to respond in emergency situations and all have training in basic life saving measures.

The Patrol Section is comprised of two shifts; each is supervised by a sergeant. The patrol sergeants are responsible for implementing patrol strategies and techniques that are decided upon by the patrol lieutenants and the Chief of Police.

The patrol activities are supported by clerical, special enforcement team, crime prevention and investigative personnel at the station level; and various support units from Aviation, K-9, Forensic and Special Investigations Bureau, such as Homicide, Narcotics, Bomb Squad and SWAT. They also receive additional support from the Rancho Mirage Citizens on Patrol.

The City of Rancho Mirage Police Department provides 24-hour a day police protection service to the community. The department serves approximately 17,180 residents, patrolling approximately 25 square miles of City streets.

The Patrol Section provides continuous available units to:

• Respond to over 16,514 calls for service in 2007
• Deter crimes by visible patrol
• Recover and return lost or stolen property
• Ensure the safe movement of vehicular and pedestrian traffic
• Provide follow-up investigation of offenses when warranted by time or circumstances
• Reduce both immediate and potential hazards to the community

Traffic

To report any problems regarding speeding, reckless driving, illegal parking, abandoned vehicles or other traffic-enforcement related issues in your neighborhood.

The Rancho Mirage Police Department Traffic Enforcement Team is charged with ensuring that all streets of the City are as safe as possible for its residents and visitors by enforcing the California Vehicle Code regulations. The Team is dedicated to reducing injuries and fatalities caused by vehicle collisions. This is accomplished through enforcement and education. The members participate in a variety of federal, state and local programs to enhance the overall effectiveness of their mission.

Motorcycle Traffic Enforcement

The Rancho Mirage Police Department Traffic Enforcement Team was formed in 1997 in response to the increase in traffic; traffic collisions and traffic related offenses in the City. The team personally attends to traffic issues and creates a specialized plan to alleviate the problem. The team works on a daily basis to correct those drivers whom operate their vehicles at speeds unsafe for the citizens of Rancho Mirage. The Team currently consists of two Motorcycle Enforcement Officers, Deputy Johnson and Deputy Miller. They are both trained in the latest state of the art radar and lidar technology to enforce speed laws. The team deploys riding on Honda ST1300 with 1300 cc engines.

Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit

In 1987, based on complaints from Rancho Mirages citizens along with complaints from Palm Desert and Indian Wells, the COVE Communities instituted a Commercial Vehicle program. This program is funded jointly by all three cities with primary enforcement in the areas of commercial traffic. Violations include overweight and oversize vehicles, equipment malfunctions, poorly maintained vehicles and the use of these vehicles on restricted roadways within the COVE Communities.

The Commercial Unit uses a 2004 Ford F350 diesel crew cab truck. It carries the latest state of the art commercial scales to weigh suspected overweight vehicles. This vehicle is also used for traffic accident reconstruction. The vehicle carries surveying equipment, cameras, radars, laser, and traffic control equipment to investigate major or fatal traffic collisions.

Traffic Safety

In 2007, the number one cause of vehicle collisions in Rancho Mirage was due to excessive speed. The next leading cause was from unsafe lane changes. In addition, the three most hazardous locations in the City for 2007 were:

1. Highway 111 at Bob Hope Drive
2. Gerald Ford Drive at Bob Hope Drive
3. Bob Hope Drive at Dinah Shore Drive

Deputy Jack Johnson
Deputy Jack Johnson served 6 years in the United States Marine Corps before joining the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in 1995.  He attended the Correctional Deputy Academy in Riverside and was assigned to the Indio Jail.  Seven years later, while still working at the Indio Jail, Deputy Johnson attended an extended Basic Peace Officers Academy.  After graduating the academy, Deputy Johnson was re-classified as a Deputy Sheriff and in 2002 was assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff Station where he worked in the unincorporated areas of Thousand Palms, Desert Hot Springs, and the contract cities of Indian Wells, Palm Desert, and Rancho Mirage.  In 2004, Deputy Johnson was assigned to the Traffic Division of the Palm Desert Sheriff Station and assigned as a Motorcycle Enforcement Officer for the City of Rancho Mirage.  Deputy Johnson is also a department instructor in the use of the less than lethal, Pepperball system, a First Aid / C.P.R. Instructor, a field training officer and a motorcycle enforcement officer instructor.  Deputy Johnson is also a traffic accident re-constructionsist.

Deputy Jimmy Miller
Officer J. Miller has been with the Riverside County Sheriff Department since 1998. After graduating our academy, he was assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff Station where he patrolled the unincorporated areas of Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, and the cities of Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert and Indian Wells. Officer Miller was selected as a Motor Officer for the City of Rancho Mirage in 2008. He attended the Motor Academy in October 2008. Since then, he has completed basic and intermediate traffic collision courses and has been enrolled to attend advanced and reconstruction. Prior to joining our department, he served 4 years in the U.S. Navy, assigned to aircraft squadrons aboard two different aircraft carriers deployed to the Persian Gulf.

Special Enforcement Team (S.E.T.)

The Rancho Mirage Police Department operates a Special Enforcement Team (S.E.T.) as an addition to the Patrol Division.  The team currently consists of three deputies: Deputy Efrain Santos, Deputy David Jones and Deputy Porfirio Rubio.  The primary function of S.E.T. is to provide enhanced patrol services to residents of the City of Rancho Mirage.  S.E.T. conducts specifically targeted enforcement programs to combat identified problems.  In addition, S.E.T. performs bicycle patrol within the City.  The bicycle patrol offers better mobility and quicker response in business and commercial areas (i.e. The River).  

Deputy Rubio
Deputy Sheriff Porfirio Rubio started his career with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department in March of 2005 after attending Cal State University San Bernardino and obtaining his degree in Criminal Justice in 2004.  He was assigned to the Indio Jail in October of 2005 where he worked for approximately 14 months. He was then assigned to the patrol division at the Palm Desert Station and assigned to the City of Rancho Mirage. Deputy Rubio has currently been assigned to S.E.T. since June of 2009.

Deputy Jones
Deputy Sheriff David Jones has been assigned to S.E.T. since October of 2007.  Prior to S.E.T. he was assigned to the patrol division at the Palm Desert Station.  While on patrol Deputy Jones was assigned to the County area covering the unincorporated areas of Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Sky Valley and North Palm Springs. He has been with the Sheriff’s Department since January 5, 2006. Prior to working with the Sheriff’s Department Deputy Jones worked for a year and a half with the City of Calexico Police Department.

Deputy Santos
Deputy Sheriff Efrain Santos has been with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department for ten years.  He worked in the jail for two years and then as a patrol deputy in the contract cities of Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells.  He has also worked patrol in the unincorporated areas of Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Sky Valley and North Palm Springs.  Deputy Santos is a Field Training Officer (FTO).  He has been assigned to S.E.T. for over one year.

Community Oriented Policing (COP)

In order to meet the public safety needs of the citizens of Rancho Mirage, a strategy of community oriented policing has been implemented.  COP is both a philosophy and an organizational strategy that allows the deputy and community residents to work closely together in new ways to solve the problems of crime and rear of crime. The focus of the COP officer is problem solving. Deputy Angela Hafer is currently assigned to this position. Deputy Hafer facilitates efforts between patrol, S.E.T. and investigations. She also handles specialized tasks assigned to her from station administration and works in direct contact with business owners and residents. Depury Hafer uses COP tools to attack the problems that reoccur in a specific area and works on finding a more permanent solution. Please contact Deputy Hafer directly at (760) 770-3200 ext 292.

Deputy Hafer
Depu ty Hafer has been with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department since 1998.  After graduating the academy, she was assigned to the Indio Jail.  When Deputy Hafer completed her jail assignment in 1999, she was assigned to the Palm Desert Sheriff Station, where she patrolled the unincorporated area of Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Sky Valley, and the contract cities of Indian Wells, Palm Desert and specifically assigned to Rancho Mirage over the last four years. During her time at the Palm Desert Station, Deputy Hafer was also assigned to the Investigations Bureau as the Sex Registration and Compliance Officer. She was in charge of tracking and registering the sex registrants in the local community and keeping them in compliance. Deputy Hafer is currently on the Riverside County Sheriff's "Peer Support" team, and is also a Field Training Officer.

Investigation

The Palm Desert Station Investigations Bureau serves the City of Rancho Mirage, as well as the cities of Palm Desert and Indian Wells and the unincorporated area of the county. The Investigations Bureau is managed by Lt. Greg Ammons, a 23-year veteran of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and Sgt. Dave Florez, a 26-year veteran. Lt. Ammons also manages the Crime Analysis Unit. Lt. Ammons and Sgt. Florez have worked a variety of assignments with the Sheriff's Department. The Bureau is comprised of 13 dedicated Investigators assigned to various specialties such as robbery, assaults, sex crimes, child abuse, and property crimes, as well as missing persons, runaways and domestic violence investigations.

 All the investigators are assigned cases after a supervisory review. If you have a case assigned to this Bureau, the assigned investigator will contact you about your case, as necessary. Our mission is a collective one; to serve the City of Rancho Mirage and the Cove Communities by solving crimes, recovering property, and identifying criminal suspects.

The Investigations Bureau from left to right, bottom to top: Dep. Randy Paulsen, OA Claudia Reynaga, Inv. Marlayna Covington, Lt. Greg Ammons, Frances Valderas, CSO Stacey Hernandez, Inv. Alfredo Verduzco, Inv. Lisandro Tijerina, CSO Vicki Haas, CSO Allison Kabarra, Inv. Ken Black, Inv. Daniel Porras, Inv. Robert Nagles, Inv. Robert Garcia, Inv. Sean Dusek, Inv. Mario Martinez, Inv. Kirk Steines, Inv. James Roy, Inv. Damen Butvidas, Mike Nelson, Sgt. Dave Florez, Inv. Pete Reeves (not pictured)
 

Community Service Officers

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department, under contract with the City of Rancho Mirage, provides the City with Community Service Officers (CSO's). These officers are not sworn deputies and do not carry firearms or other defensive weapons other than pepper spray. Under general supervision, CSO's perform the most responsible law enforcement support duties involving a variety of civil and criminal issues that do not require the authority of a sworn law enforcement officer. However, their duties have a high factor of responsibility, liability, and criticality. Their role is to provide services to the residents and visitors in the City directly or by assisting deputies. For example, CSO's investigate and complete crime reports wherein the suspect is not known. They will also investigate and complete non-injury traffic accidents. CSO's provide a cost effective method to "free up" deputies who can then investigate, follow-up and complete more serious investigations and reports. CSO's assist the deputies at crime scenes and traffic collisions by directing traffic, setting up flare patterns and coordinating vehicle towing. Also, if the deputies make an arrest, a CSO can transport the suspect to jail, which allows the deputy to concentrate on the criminal investigation and required reports. Basically, the role of the CSO's is to assist the deputies and other department personnel in completing their assignments.

Crime Prevention Community Service Officer

In addition to the duties of a Community Service Officer, the Crime Prevention Community Service Officer develops and implements community projects on public safety and crime prevention. CSO Codi Mix is currently assigned to this position. CSO Mix sets up special meetings, presents lectures, develops and updates literatures on crime prevention. Although Rancho Mirage does not administer a Neighborhood Watch Program, CSO Mix is available to provide information on Neighborhood Watch Programs. To arrange for crime prevention training for your neighborhood or HOA, or to discuss crime prevention issues, please contact CSO Mix. Extra patrol requests of your neighborhood and/or residence is another service offered.  These services are offered at no cost. You can reach CSO Codi Mix directly at (760) 770-3200 ext. 192 or via e-mail at .