About Riverside Police Department Test

Located 55 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, the city of Riverside gets its name from its location next to the Santa Ana river. Riverside is a dense, populous city of 303,000 inhabitants, and dates back to the early 1870s, when it was a major hub of the California citrus fruit industry.

Citrus plants and packing houses do still exist in the city, but these days, Riverside is home to a mixture of light industries encompassing everything from banking and legal firms to aircraft manufacturing plants and medical research and development. In addition to the city’s multiple small businesses, the University of California also employs a large workforce of around 11,800 people.

The large university presence gives Riverside a “college town” feel, and the city boasts a large and thriving arts scene, as well as hosting multiple festivals and events throughout the year, many of which take place in the city’s 52 public parks.

The Riverside Police Department was founded in 1896 as a small frontier town constabulary. Today, the force is the largest department in the county, with over 409 sworn police officers and a further 200 civilian employees. The Riverside Police Department occupies several buildings, with a headquarters located at 4102 Orange Street in the downtown area of the city.

To pass the Riverside Police Department test, applicants must complete both a physical and written exam as well as training modules covering skills like mathematical reasoning, memory and spatial orientation. Prospective officers are also required to undergo psychological evaluation including a polygraph test and also a thorough medical examination.

Once accepted, the Riverside Police Department requires recruits to participate in a police academy with intense instruction covering every aspect of police work, from tactical training to criminal law and crime scene investigation.

Application forms for the Riverside Police Department test can be found online.