Riverside County was created from portions of San Bernardino and San Diego Counties on May 9, 1893. In the early history of the County, the Sheriff's Office was a one-person operation.

Today the Sheriff is responsible for 7,310 square miles, spreading over 200 miles in length, and embracing approximately 50 miles in width. This territory constitutes the third largest County in the State of California. Vast changes have occurred in Riverside County since its inception. The population, having increased from 13,745 in 1893, to more than 2,139, 535 in 2010, ranks it fourth in population among California's counties.

The Riverside County Sheriff's Department is now the second largest Sheriff's Department in California, with a staff of over 3,000 dedicated men and women.