A leader in developing officer safety tactics and emergency response approaches, Riverside PD has long provided training materials to police academies and other law enforcement agencies across the nation.
For example, the current method of initiating a traffic stop on a high-risk offender in a moving vehicle, known in law enforcement as a "felony traffic stop", was first put into use by Riverside officers.
This safety technique spread throughout the police profession with nearly all law enforcement agencies in the nation utilizing it.
In 1998, a woman named Tyisha Miller was found by her relatives unconscious and foaming at the mouth in a locked car, with a gun on her lap.
The United States Attorney announced an investigation of the shooting; ultimately, the officers were fired but not prosecuted.