By Amelia Anderson The Fullerton Police Department, commonly known as FPD, is the municipal law-enforcement agency serving the City of Fullerton, California. The department handles emergency response, patrol, criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, crime prevention, evidence collection, community policing and temporary detention.
Call 911 when immediate police intervention is necessary, such as during an assault, an active break-in, a serious injury, a dangerous confrontation or another event where someone’s safety is at risk. For routine police assistance that does not require an emergency response, call 714-738-6700. The department’s general business number is 714-738-6800.
Fullerton Police uses three geographic response zones rather than multiple public precinct stations. The department is led by Police Chief Jon Radus and is organized primarily into an Operations Division and a Support Services Division.
Fullerton Police Department Quick Information
| Information | Details |
| Official name | Fullerton Police Department |
| Common abbreviation | FPD |
| Headquarters | 237 W. Commonwealth Avenue, Fullerton, CA 92832 |
| Emergency number | 911 |
| Non-emergency dispatch | 714-738-6700 |
| General business line | 714-738-6800 |
| Front Desk | 714-738-6716 |
| Records Information | 714-738-6790 |
| Watch Commander | 714-738-6817 |
| Traffic Bureau | 714-738-6810 |
| Property Department | 714-738-6818 |
| Fullerton Police Jail | 714-738-6722 |
| Police chief | Jon Radus |
| Main divisions | Operations and Support Services |
| Geographic response zones | Three |
| County | Orange County |
| Online police reports | Available for qualifying incidents |
| Orange County inmate information | 714-647-4666 |
| County jail complex | 550 N. Flower Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703 |
The department’s current staff directory lists the principal Records, Property, Traffic, Jail and Watch Commander telephone numbers above.
Fullerton Police Department Address
The main police station is located at:
- Fullerton Police Department
- 237 West Commonwealth Avenue
- Fullerton, California 92832
- Business line: 714-738-6800
Public Front Desk hours are generally:
- Monday-Friday: 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
Headquarters provides access to police Records, report services, front-desk assistance, investigations, property services and other administrative functions.
The police station should not be used as a substitute for requesting officers during an urgent incident. Dispatch can send personnel directly to the location and determine the appropriate response priority.
Fullerton Police Response Zones
Fullerton does not operate several public police precinct buildings. Instead, the city is divided into three call-response zones, with a patrol lieutenant serving as Area Commander for each zone.
The Area Commander system gives residents a specific police contact for recurring crime, traffic and quality-of-life concerns.
Zone 1
Zone 1 covers the western portion of Fullerton.
Its approximate boundaries include:
- State Route 91 to the south
- Buena Park and Los Angeles County to the west
- Imperial Highway and La Habra to the north
- Euclid Street to the east
Important locations in Zone 1 include Fullerton Municipal Airport, Amerige Heights, Coyote Hills and Sunny Hills High School.
Zone 2
Zone 2 covers much of central Fullerton.
Its approximate boundaries are:
- State Route 91 to the south
- Euclid Street to the west
- Imperial Highway to the north
- Raymond Avenue to the east
Downtown Fullerton, Fullerton College, Fullerton Union High School, St. Jude Medical Center, City Hall and Hillcrest Park are among the important locations within this zone.
Zone 3
Zone 3 covers eastern Fullerton.
Its boundaries generally extend from State Route 91 north to Imperial Highway, with Raymond Avenue on the west and Placentia Avenue on the east.
Cal State Fullerton, Hope International University and Troy High School are located within Zone 3.
Residents do not need to identify their zone before requesting police help. Dispatchers use the incident address to determine the appropriate patrol assignment.
Fullerton Police Department Divisions
The department is organized into two main divisions supervised by police captains:
- Operations Division
- Support Services Division
The Operations Division is commanded by Captain Jose Arana, while Captain Pedram Gharah commands Support Services.
1. Operations Division
The Operations Division includes frontline police functions such as patrol and other field assignments.
Patrol officers typically:
- Respond to emergency calls
- Investigate suspicious activity
- Protect victims
- Secure crime scenes
- Search for suspects
- Interview witnesses
- Collect preliminary evidence
- Enforce criminal and traffic laws
- Prepare police reports
- Conduct neighbourhood patrols
FPD also uses Police Services Representatives for selected non-emergency responsibilities. These personnel may investigate burglary or theft reports, take stolen-vehicle reports, handle vehicle impounds, assist with crime-scene investigations and complete some traffic-collision reports.
2. Investigations and Support Services
The department maintains specialized investigative units for cases requiring additional follow-up.
The Investigations Bureau oversees units dealing with:
- Crimes against persons
- Assault
- Robbery
- Homicide
- Sexual assault
- Domestic violence
- Burglary
- Theft
- Fraud
- Vandalism
- Narcotics
- Crime-scene investigation
- Special investigations
The Special Investigations Unit also addresses gang activity, recurring crime trends and difficult-to-locate suspects through targeted enforcement and surveillance.
Not every police report is automatically assigned to a detective. Factors such as seriousness, suspect information, physical evidence, surveillance footage and other investigative leads can affect whether a case receives additional investigation.
Traffic Bureau
The Traffic Bureau handles traffic-law enforcement and collision-related services.
Its responsibilities include:
- Collision investigation
- Traffic enforcement
- Parking-related programs
- Crossing guards
- Tow-service coordination
- Traffic-safety education
- DUI-related enforcement
- Community traffic concerns
The Traffic Bureau information line is 714-738-6810, while the Traffic Desk can be reached at 714-738-5313.
Fullerton also permits qualifying non-injury collisions to be reported online. Eligible incidents must have occurred within Fullerton city limits, must not involve injuries or evidence requiring collection, and cannot have occurred on a state freeway.
What County Is the Fullerton Police Department In?
The Fullerton Police Department is located in Orange County, California.
FPD provides municipal police services inside Fullerton city limits. It is separate from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which operates county detention facilities and provides law-enforcement services in unincorporated areas and contract cities.
Nearby communities such as Anaheim, Brea, Buena Park, La Habra and Placentia have their own municipal police departments.
Some addresses near city boundaries may use Fullerton as their mailing city while actually falling within another jurisdiction. When there is uncertainty, the exact location of the incident determines which agency should handle the report.
Filing a Fullerton Police Report
Fullerton Police provides an online reporting system for selected non-emergency incidents.
Eligible categories currently include:
- Certain assaults excluding domestic violence
- Burglary of businesses, vehicles, storage sheds or unattached garages
- Child-custody violations for documentation
- Credit or debit card fraud
- Financial crimes and identity theft under $100,000
- Harassment
- Property damage, vandalism or graffiti under $5,000
- Theft and shoplifting under $5,000
- Lost property
- Lost or stolen cell phones
- Trespass-letter submissions
The incident must have occurred within Fullerton city limits and not on I-5, SR-57 or SR-91. Online reporting should not be used when an emergency exists, the crime is still happening or the suspect remains at the scene.
After an online submission is reviewed and approved, the reporting person receives an official FPD case number. Additional information, photographs, video or documents can later be submitted as a supplemental report.
For incidents that do not qualify, contact the Front Desk at 714-738-6716 or non-emergency dispatch at 714-738-6700.
Obtaining a Fullerton Police Report
Police reports are handled by the Records Bureau.
- Fullerton Police Records Bureau
- 237 W. Commonwealth Avenue
- Fullerton, CA 92832
- Records Information: 714-738-6790
Report requests can be submitted online. Requests by postal mail require a notarized written request and the applicable payment.
A report request may take up to 10 business days to process because Records personnel must determine whether the requester is legally entitled to receive it and whether protected information must be removed.
Current standard charges include:
- Police report: $20 for the first 20 pages
- Additional police-report pages: $0.15 per page
- Crime or traffic collision report: $20 for the first 20 pages
- Additional collision-report pages: $0.20 per page
- Clearance letter/local record check: $29
Fees can change, particularly for photographs, extensive research or other specialized records.
Property, Evidence and Vehicle Releases
The Property Department can be contacted at 714-738-6818, while Property and Evidence technicians are available at 714-738-3130.
FPD stores:
- Crime-scene evidence
- Found property
- Recovered stolen property
- Items held for safekeeping
- Property belonging to detainees
- Items awaiting criminal proceedings
Evidence connected with a pending case normally cannot be returned until the case is resolved or the appropriate investigator authorizes release.
Current vehicle-release charges include:
- Non-DUI vehicle release: $220
- DUI vehicle release: $285
- Private-property impound release: $61
These administrative charges are separate from towing and storage costs.
Complaints About Fullerton Police Employees
California law gives members of the public the right to complain about alleged police misconduct.
Fullerton Police accepts complaints concerning department employees and provides a Citizen Complaint Form. The department states that complaints are objectively received and investigated by an appropriate supervisor.
Useful details include:
- Incident date and time
- Exact location
- Officer’s name or description
- Badge number, if known
- Police vehicle information
- Report or citation number
- Witness information
- Available photographs or video
The officer’s name is helpful but is not required to raise a complaint.
Fullerton Police Jail and Orange County Custody
FPD operates its own temporary jail and booking facility. Questions about the booking process can be directed to the Fullerton Police Jail at 714-738-6722.
During booking, arrestees are photographed, fingerprinted, checked through law-enforcement databases and have their personal property recorded. People are generally held at the Fullerton facility temporarily before court proceedings or transfer.
FPD specifically notes that detainees are typically housed at its jail until they go to court and may then be transferred to the Orange County jail system.
Orange County inmate information is available at:
- Orange County Inmate Records
- 550 N. Flower Street
- Santa Ana, CA 92703
- Telephone: 714-647-4666
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department operates the Central Men’s and Women’s Jails and the Intake Release Center at this location.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Fullerton Police non-emergency number?
A: Call 714-738-6700 for police assistance when there is no immediate danger. The Front Desk can also be reached at 714-738-6716 for reporting questions and routine services.
Q: How many Fullerton Police precincts are there?
A: FPD does not operate multiple traditional public precincts. The city is divided into three geographic response zones, each overseen by an Area Commander.
Q: Can I file a police report online in Fullerton?
A: Yes. Several non-emergency crimes, including qualifying theft, vandalism, burglary, harassment, fraud and lost-property incidents, can be reported online when they meet FPD eligibility rules.
Q: Does Fullerton Police operate its own jail?
A: Yes. FPD operates a temporary city jail and booking facility. People requiring continued detention may later be transferred into the Orange County jail system.