City of Cathedral City
Home MenuDepartments » Police Department
Community Information & Safety
Below are answers to frequently asked questions received by the Cathedral City Police Department. Click or tap a question to expand the answer.
General Information
What is a Watch Commander?
The Watch Commander is usually a Sergeant or Lieutenant who is responsible for patrol operations of the police department. There is one on duty at all times.
How do I obtain a copy of my police report?
Report copies are generally available 7–10 working days after the report is taken. There is a service fee. Copies may be requested in person or by mail upon payment of the fee. Call (760) 770‑0304 for more information.
How does the Police Department try to find my stolen property?
Items with serial numbers are entered into a national stolen property system and vehicles as soon as possible. Other stolen property may be broadcast to local agencies depending on uniqueness.
Are all criminal cases assigned to a Detective?
No. Assignment depends on specific factors and evidence obtained during the initial investigation.
What if I want to talk to a Detective?
Detectives are often out of the station. Call (760) 770‑0303 during business hours to make an appointment.
What is the time period my home is most vulnerable to burglary?
Most burglaries occur Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. when residents are often away from home.
What is Neighborhood Watch?
A partnership between police and community to educate residents on crime prevention and reporting suspicious activity. Call (760) 202‑1498 for more information.
What is C.O.P?
C.O.P. stands for Citizens on Patrol — trained volunteers who assist the department and community with patrol observations, traffic direction, and other functions.
What should I do if I hear a police helicopter over my house?
It is likely a felony search. Lock your doors and turn on lights if dark. Do not call police unless you see or hear something suspicious.
How do I know if a door-to-door solicitor is legitimate?
Solicitors must have a City permit. Ask for a business card or company ID to verify legitimacy.
If I have suggestions or concerns about Police services, whom should I contact?
Call (760) 770‑0313 and you will be connected with the appropriate person.
Alarms
How come I didn’t know about the Alarm Ordinance changes?
The City made extensive efforts to publicize the ordinance through council presentations, agendas, media, and automated calls.
Why did the Police Department change how it responds to alarms?
The department revised its Verified Alarm Response policy to better serve the community and respond to all alarms without the need for verification.
Is obtaining an alarm permit optional?
No. The City Municipal Code requires all residential and business alarm users to obtain an alarm permit.
Is the Police Department responding to all alarms?
Yes, all burglar alarms are responded to regardless of activation cause.
Why doesn’t the City just charge more for false alarms?
The intent of the ordinance and fees is to reduce false alarms and fund volunteer Reserve Officers.
Do homeowners with renters need an alarm permit?
Yes, but responsibility for fees should be arranged between homeowner and renter.
Do I need an alarm permit for a medical alert system?
No. Medical crisis alert systems do not require an alarm permit.
Traffic
How long can I park my car on the street?
If there are no signs, vehicles may remain in place up to 72 hours.
Do CCPD officers have traffic citation quotas?
No, quotas are illegal; officers enforce traffic laws as needed.
What should I do if stopped by police?
Pull over safely, keep hands visible, and avoid sudden movements.
Why do officers sometimes park protruding into traffic?
To protect the officer from being struck from behind by approaching vehicles.
Do officers write parking tickets?
Yes, when time allows or when violations are observed.
What if my car is impounded and I disagree?
You may request a post‑impound hearing within 10 days of notice.
When must I report a traffic accident to the DMV?
Report within 10 days if injuries occur or property damage exceeds $500.
Is skateboarding permitted on sidewalks?
Yes, unless prohibited by posted signs.
Reporting Crime Online
What if this happened in another city? Can I file online?
No, unless it’s identity theft or credit card fraud — otherwise contact the local police for that jurisdiction.
What if the incident happened in Riverside county?
Call the Riverside Sheriff’s Department for incidents outside city limits.
What is a known suspect?
A known suspect is someone seen committing the crime, with a known location or vehicle information.
What if I think someone committed the crime but did not witness it?
List the name and reasons for suspicion in your narrative description.
What if this happened on a state freeway?
Call the nearest Highway Patrol office.
Can I report identity theft or credit card fraud online?
Yes, unless extensive evidence suggests suspect identification — in that case call (760) 770‑0300.
What if I have a serial number of a stolen item?
If you have a true serial number, call the Police Department; do not use the online system.
What if there is evidence (fingerprints, video, etc.)?
Call the Police Department so an officer can be sent for investigation.
My car was stolen last night. Can I report it online?
No. An officer must take the report in person.
One of my guns is missing — can I report it online?
No. An officer must take a report for lost or stolen firearms.
What if I knowingly file a false police report online?
Filing a false report is a misdemeanor; reports will be reviewed and prosecuted.
Emergency: Call 9‑1‑1
Non‑Emergency: (760) 770‑0300
As of January 2015, California residents who cannot establish legal presence in the United States may apply for a driver’s license if they can show eligible proof of identification and residency in the state.
These driver’s licenses may not be used for identification purposes. By law, no one may discriminate against a holder of an AB-60 license, or use this license to attempt to question the holder’s citizenship or immigration status.
For more information visit the Department of Motor Vehicles: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/assembly-bill-ab-60-driver-licenses/
Below are answers to frequently asked questions about drones (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) as they relate to Cathedral City. If you have questions not answered here, please contact us.
What is an Unmanned Aircraft?
An unmanned aircraft is any aircraft that operates without the possibility of direct human intervention from inside or on the physical aircraft. This commonly refers to drones and similar systems.
What is a Civil UAS?
A Civil UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) is a drone operated for purposes other than strictly hobby or recreational flying. This can include commercial or informational uses by businesses or media services.
Can I fly my drone (UAS) in Cathedral City?
Yes, but you must follow Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules and any applicable local regulations regarding airspace, safety, and permitted flight areas. Check official FAA airspace maps and guidance before flying.
Helpful Links:
What are Regulations for Flying over People?
Regulations for flying a UAS over people are governed by FAA rules and may include restrictions or required certifications depending on your drone’s class, weight, and the type of operation. Download the official FAA guidance for more information.
Emergency: Call 9‑1‑1
Non‑Emergency: (760) 770‑0300
General Safety Tips
Keep these tips in mind to protect yourself, your home, and your belongings.
Vehicle Safety
- Don’t leave anything in your vehicle. Remove gym bags, GPS devices, laptops, and any other items that can be taken. This greatly decreases your chance of becoming a victim.
- Never leave your purse in the vehicle while shopping. Doing so can lead to a stolen purse and broken window.
- Keep all doors and windows closed and securely locked. Doors should have deadbolt locks with a 1″ throw and reinforced strike plates with 3″ screws. Windows should have window locks.
- Lock your attached garage door at all times and fully close the garage door. Never leave it partially open for ventilation.
- Always lock your vehicles and roll up windows—even in the garage. Cracking a window for ventilation makes it easier for criminals to gain access.
Home Safety
- Prepare a File of Life card with your medical history and place it on your refrigerator for emergency personnel.
- Create the illusion you are home using timers on lights, radios, or TVs.
- Never leave messages indicating you are away on vacation or for extended periods.
- Get to know your neighbors and their vehicles. Report unfamiliar vehicles or persons.
- Arrange for trusted neighbors to collect mail and stop newspaper delivery while you are away. Consider asking a neighbor to park in your driveway to make it look like someone is home.
- Keep window shades, blinds, and curtains in varied positions for a normal appearance.
- Trim shrubbery away from entrances and walkways to eliminate hiding spots for burglars.
- Keep your home’s perimeter well-lit with low-voltage outdoor lights to discourage intruders.
- Secure sliding glass doors with a metal rod or piece of wood in the track and install vertical bolts while still allowing air circulation.
Personal & Pet Safety
- Never leave animals alone in a parked vehicle. It can be fatal due to heatstroke and is illegal in several states.
- Animals with flat faces (e.g., Pugs, Persian cats), elderly, overweight, or individuals with heart or lung conditions should stay cool in air-conditioned rooms during heat waves.
- Know the symptoms of overheating in pets: excessive panting, difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, drooling, weakness, collapse, seizures, bloody diarrhea, or vomiting. Body temperature over 104º is dangerous.
- Hydrate pets with plenty of fresh water, provide shade, avoid over-exercising them outdoors, and keep them indoors during extreme heat.
Property & Belongings
- Take photos and write descriptions of jewelry and valuables to increase chances of recovery if stolen.
- Record serial numbers and descriptions of valuable items. Keep this information on an external hard drive in a safe or safety deposit box.
- Organize a community watch program to protect your neighborhood. Alert communities deter crime.
- Do not leave purses unattended in shopping carts or while loading groceries. Place your purse in your vehicle immediately and lock the doors while loading the trunk.
Additional Safety Tips
- Keep doors, windows, and sliding doors locked. Reinforce weak points with deadbolts, rods, or vertical bolts.
- Keep your home well-lit and maintain visibility of entrances and walkways.
- Use timers on lights, radios, and TVs to create the illusion of occupancy.
- Never leave indications that you are away on social media or voicemail messages.
- Be vigilant of strangers or unusual vehicles near your home and report suspicious activity to the Police Department.
A "golf cart" is a motor vehicle having not less than three wheels in contact with the ground, having an unladen weight less than 1,300 pounds, which is designed to be and is operated at not more than 15 miles per hour and designed to carry golf equipment and not more than two persons, including the driver.
4019. A golf cart operated pursuant to Section 21115 is exempt from registration.
21114.5. Notwithstanding Section 21663 or any other provision of this code, local authorities may, by ordinance, authorize the operation of electric carts by physically disabled persons, by persons 50 years of age or older, or, while in the course of their employment, by employees of the United States Postal Service, state and local governmental agencies, or utility companies, on public sidewalks. Any ordinance shall, however, contain provisions requiring any disabled person or person 50 years of age or older who owns or leases an electric cart to apply to the local authority for a permit and an identification sticker to so operate the cart, and requiring the person to affix the sticker to the cart in order to operate it on the sidewalk. The permit and sticker shall become invalid if the person ceases to operate, own, or lease the cart. This section does not apply to devices described in subdivision (b) of Section 415.
21115. (a) If a local authority finds that a highway under its jurisdiction is located adjacent to, or provides access to, a golf course and between the golf course and the place where golf carts are parked or stored or is within or bounded by a real estate development offering golf facilities and is designed and constructed, so as to safely permit the use of regular vehicular traffic and also the driving of golf carts on the highway, the local authority may, by resolution or ordinance, designate the highway or portion of the highway for combined use and prescribe rules and regulations that shall have the force of law. No highway shall be so designated for a distance of more than one mile from the golf course if the highway is not located within a development or beyond the area of a development, provided, the finding of the local authority in this respect shall be conclusive. Upon the designation becoming effective it shall be lawful to drive golf carts upon the highway in accordance with the prescribed rules and regulations. The rules and regulations may establish crossing zones and speed limits and other operating standards but shall not require that the golf carts conform to any requirements of this code with respect to registration, licensing, or equipment, except that if operated during darkness the golf cart shall be subject to the provisions of Section 24001.5 regarding equipment. The rules and regulations shall not be effective until appropriate signs giving notice thereof are posted along the highway affected. A "real estate development offering golf facilities," for purposes of this section, means an area of single-family or multiple-family residences, the owners or occupants of which are eligible for membership in, or the use of, one or more golf courses within the development by virtue of their ownership or occupancy of a residential dwelling unit in the development. 21115. (b) For purposes of this section, a "golf cart" includes a low-speed vehicle.
21716. Except as provided in Section 21115.1 and Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 1950) of Division 2.5 of the Streets and Highways Code, no person shall operate a golf cart on any highway except in a speed zone of 25 miles per hour or less.
24001.5. A golf cart as defined in Section 345 shall only be subject to the provisions of this division which are applicable to a motorcycle.
385.5. (a) A "low-speed vehicle" is a motor vehicle that meets all of the following requirements: (1) Has four wheels. (2) Can attain a speed, in one mile, of more than 20 miles per hour and not more than 25 miles per hour, on a paved level surface. (3) Has a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 3,000 pounds. (b) (1) For the purposes of this section, a "low-speed vehicle" is not a golf cart, except when operated pursuant to Section 21115 or 21115.1. (2) A "low-speed vehicle" is also known as a "neighborhood electric vehicle."
Per Ordinance 620, Municipal Code Chapter 11.52.030 “No Person shall operate any off-highway motor vehicle on private or public lands within the jurisdictional boundaries of the city.” This prohibition precluded the use of golf carts and NEV’s on any street in Cathedral City.
Officer Brooke Kohrell is the department’s LGBTQ+ Liaison. She can be reached via email at BKohrell@cathedralcity.gov or by phone at: (760) 770-0300 ext. 706
HATE CRIME – DEFINITION: Any unlawful action designed to frighten, harm, injure, intimidate, or harass an individual, in whole or in part, because of a bias motivation against the actual or perceived race, religion, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability of the victim.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
- Protect yourself. Defuse the situation if at all possible. Do not respond to taunts.
- Call 911 immediately. Consult this information and state you are reporting a hate crime.
- Note the physical descriptions of the suspects in as much detail as possible.
- Write down everything that was said and done, including the time and location.
- FILE A POLICE REPORT
- Get involved. Be a witness if someone else is a victim.
- If you know the suspects, ask about obtaining a restraining order.
- Stress that the crime was motivated by hate based on perceived sexual orientation. You do not have to reveal your sexual orientation to report the crime and you should not be asked to. It is the suspect’s perception that matters. Whether or not the perception is correct is irrelevant under the law.
- Describe in detail the date or prejudice that was expressed and what caused you to fear harm
- EXAMPLES: “They approach in a menacing manner, called me ‘Faggot’ in an angry voice, and then threatened to kill me.”
- “They drove by us as we walked down the sidewalk, shouted ‘Peruvians Go Home!’ out the window and hurled a beer bottle at us.”
- Get the report number from the responding officer.
Cathedral City Police Department’s HATE CRIMES POLICY:
It is the policy of the Cathedral City Police Department to ensure that the rights guaranteed to all, irrespective of their race, religion, ethnic/national origin, sexual orientation, gender, or disability are protected. Any acts or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation or other crimes designed to infringe upon those rights will be handled with the utmost priority. Particular attention shall be given to addressing the safety and related concerns of the victims as well as their families and others affected by the crime.
A neighborhood watch is an organized group of civilians devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood. In other words, neighborhood watch is a crime prevention scheme under which civilians agree together to keep an eye on one another’s properties, patrol the street, and report suspicious incidents to law enforcement agencies.
The aim of neighborhood watch includes educating residents of a community on security and safety and achieving safe and secure neighborhoods. However, when a criminal activity is suspected, members are encouraged to report to police, and not to intervene.
In partnership with the police department, Neighborhood Watch can be an effective measure against crime.
The police department does not provide Neighborhood Watch signs, but they can be ordered from these vendors:
- https://www.nnwi.org
- https://www.mysecuritysign.com/neighborhood-watch-signs
- https://www.compliancesigns.com/products/no-trespassing-security/neighborhood-watch-signs
The Cathedral City Police Department does not endorse any company listed above.
The Cathedral City Police Department established the School Resource Officer Position in the fall of 1999. The School Resource Officer (SRO) is a sworn police officer who is assigned to Cathedral City High School, which currently has approximately 2,797 students enrolled. Officer Jesus Felix is our school resource officer and can be reached at jfelix@cathedralcity.gov
The SRO serves as a teacher, counselor, role model, and advocate for students, families, faculty, and staff. In the classroom, the SRO presents classes on law enforcement, drug and alcohol abuse/recognition, and driver’s education. In addition, the SRO works closely with the Riverside County Probation departments.
The School Resource Officer’s duties extend beyond the classroom and normal workday. The SRO participates in faculty meetings, club projects, special events, student social functions, and sporting events. The presence of the SRO demonstrates the officer’s commitment to the school and helps develop a communication bond with the students.
While the primary focus is prevention and deterrence, the SRO conducts all criminal investigations on campus. Although under the direct supervision of the Police Department, the SRO is considered a member of the school faculty and works closely with the Principal and Vice-Principals to determine the proper course of action: school discipline or criminal prosecution.
The ultimate goal of the SRO program is to maintain and improve the safety of the learning environment in our schools through the reduction and prevention of school violence and drug/alcohol abuse.
While a vacation rental unit is rented, the owner, the owner’s authorized agent or representative and/or the owner’s designated local contact person shall be available twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week for the purpose of responding within forty-five minutes to complaints regarding the condition, operation, or conduct of occupants of the vacation rental unit or their guests.
Learn how Code Enforcement manages Short-Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) to ensure compliance and community safety.