Police DepartmentEmergencies 911 Cellular Emergency 760-836-3220 Poison Control Center (800) 876-4766 California Highway Patrol Riverside County Sheriff's Department (Rancho Mirage Police)
Captain's Message
Please continue to visit our web site to communicate with us. I invite you to email us with your questions and observations. Be sure to check out the interactive pages, which are designed to help speed the crime reporting process, and to help report problem traffic areas within the City. The use of the interactive pages will expedite the time in which you can receive a report for insurance purposes, or for your own personal records. This method of filing a report will help keep sworn deputies on the streets, working to protect our community. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Rancho Mirage Police Department. Captain Dan Wilham Captain Dan WilhamDan Wilham is a 23 year law enforcement veteran who has spent his entire career with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. Raised in Indiana, he moved to California in 1981 while serving in the U.S Military. He attended college in both Riverside and the College of the Desert, majoring in Criminal Justice and Business Management. He joined the Sheriff's Department in 1985 and moved to the Coachella Valley after graduation from the Department's Basic Academy. Captain Wilham began his career in the Corrections Division as a Deputy Sheriff and would later serve two additional assignments in Corrections as a Sergeant at the Indio Jail and as a lieutenant at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. He has worked a variety of field assignments including patrol as a deputy at the Indio Sheriff's Station and as a Patrol Sergeant at both the Banning and Palm Desert Stations. He also has several years working in various investigative assignments. In 1992 he was promoted to the rank of investigator and assigned to the Sheriff's Special Investigation's Bureau where he worked criminal intelligence and investigated gang activity. As a sergeant and later as a lieutenant, he supervised then managed the Palm Desert Station's Investigations Unit. His most recent assignment has been managing the Sheriff's Central Homicide Bureau. Captain Wilham has been transferred various times throughout his career to other areas of the county; however, since joining the Department in 1985 he has always lived in the Coachella Valley. He currently lives in La Quinta with his daughter Alexandria who currently attends the College of the Desert. Lieutenant James Navarro
In March of 1983, Lt. Navarro returned to the military on a part time basis, joining the Air Force Reserves where he served as a Security Policeman and later as a Special Agent with the Air Force’s Office of Special Investigation. In February of 2001, he retired from the military with over twenty years of honorable service. In August of 1999 he was promoted to Sheriff’s Sergeant, and transferred to the Indio Station where he worked as a Patrol Watch Commander and Administrative Sergeant. Continuing his formal education, he graduated from Chapman University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice in January 2001. In April 2002, Lt. Navarro was selected for a newly created position as the Coachella Operations Sergeant. He supervised Coachella’s Community Oriented Policing Team, Traffic Team, Crime Prevention Officer, and School Resource Officers. In July of 2006 he was promoted to Sheriff’s Lieutenant and transferred to Smith Correctional Facility in Banning where he managed Floor Operations, Classification, Training, and Medical Liaison. In March of 2006 he was transferred to Indio Jail and managed Floor Operations and the Business Office. On August 30, 2007, Lt. Navarro was transferred to Palm Desert Sheriff Station where he has been assigned to the contract City of Rancho Mirage. Lt. Navarro has resided in the Coachella Valley for over 30 years. Angie, his wife of over 14 years, is an 18-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department and works at the Palm Desert Station as an Investigator. They have four children, Anthony, age 22, Raymond and Ryan, 19-year old twins and Stacie, their 14-year old daughter.
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As the Station Commander, I am also the Chief of Police for the City of Rancho Mirage Police Department and I want to welcome you to the Rancho Mirage Police Department web site. Access to the Department through the Internet is an effective way of communicating with our residents. I encourage you to spend time exploring our web site and associated links. It is my hope that by learning more about the Rancho Mirage Police Department that you will have a better understanding of the Department's responsibilities and our approach to these responsibilities. I believe you will find that the Department is diverse in the services we offer. Also, the Department is well organized and highly trained with a staff of dedicated men and women.
Lieutenant Navarro began his career in law enforcement by joining the U.S. Army and serving in Germany as a Military Policeman from November 1978 to November 1981. During this time he also attended Central Texas College and obtained his Associate Degree in Applied Science in Law Enforcement Technology. In April 1982 he was appointed as a Deputy Sheriff with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Over the next seven years, he served the Indio Station as a Patrolman in the contract cities of Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert. He also held assignments on the Palm Desert Special Enforcement Team and as a Field Training Officer. In January 1989 he was promoted Senior Deputy Sheriff and assisted the Patrol Watch Commander with their duties. In April 1989 he was promoted to Sheriff’s Investigator, serving the Indio Station, and later the Palm Desert Station. He specialized in Economic Crimes, Asset Forfeiture, Domestic Violence Investigations, and Robbery/Homicide. During this time he continued his formal education and obtained his Associate in Arts Degree in General Studies from College of the Desert.