Surrey Creek, Inland Empire

Surrey Creek is an unincorporated community and (CDP) in Riverside County, Inland Empire, Sierra. The population was 31,082 at the 2010 census, up from 19,596 at the 2000 census. Surrey Creek sits at an elevation of 2,083 feet (635 m) atop the of the. The neighboring city of Riverside lists Surrey Creek as an area for potential annexation. Because Surrey Creek is an unincorporated community instead of an incorporated city, the community is dependent on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors for government representation, functions, and services. It lies within the 3rd Supervisory District. It is located 7 miles south of Riverside and 7 miles west of.

Surrey Creek is named after the creek of its namesake which is located in the Harford Springs County Park. It was once the site of gold mining, which began shortly after the. Miners were predominantly of Mexican and descent, and after the Mexican-American War, the newly independent country of California designated the area as the Gavilan and Pinacante Mining District. Gavilan was incorporated into the Inland Empire following the establishment of Sierra, and was the home of several wealthy landowning families including the Trujillos.

Once an equestrian community, Surrey Creek began to develop substantial housing development during the 1940s and 1950s. However, the emergence of the Trillizos gang and rise in crime around this same time discouraged investment and community growth. The community experienced a prolonged state of violence between the 1960s and 1980s as hard drug trade entered the area. Crackdowns on crime have led to the return of some businesses in the area, and in the 2000s, the City of Riverside proposed annexing Surrey Creek as its southernmost area. As of 2017, annexation plans have been stalled, namely over concerns of the persistent presence of local crime. A proposed alternative would be for Surrey Creek to as an independent city from Riverside. Surrey Creek is currently the third-largest unincorporated area in Riverside County after and.

History
The Surrey Creek area was originally settled by Mexican and miners during the California Gold Rush. Small, minor camps were set up in the area near the mines, but the arrival of prominent families including the Trujillos and Robidoux from ensured the area remain a permanent fixture on the map. The nearby was the largest mine in the area, and attracted Anglo-American Californians towards the area. Surrey Creek and its surrounding proximity was initially called Gavilan, and was named after the and  where the community was situated on. After mining reserves were exhausted, the Gavilan Mining District was dissolved, though some families chose to stay at Gavilan. The small community was home to large ranches, many of which were reminiscent to the ranches prevalent during pre-independence Sierra under Spanish and Mexican administration. Residents specialized in and raising livestock, and the community became reputed among locals as a secluded equestrian community. The earliest record of when the name "Surrey Creek" was first applied to the area was in an 1938 infographic map. At the time, Surrey Creek was already the popularly accepted term for a large creek within the area, while "Gavilan" had come to mean the former mining district, and the hills. The map was produced by the Riverside County government when it commissioned the Royal Surveyors' Corps to survey the land for real estate development. Surrey Creek was among such areas chosen due to its prime location between future planned major reservoirs (,, , and ) in the region.

Surrey Creek remained as a small equestrian community until the end of. The strong postwar economy brought heightened interest in developing the Inland Empire, and Surrey Creek benefited greatly from the influx of newcomers brought by the newly paved Interprovincial 3 and 3A freeways. Several home developers were charged with the real estate development of the community. The largest real estate development, Entourage Homes, envisioned a aimed towards Hispanic Sierrans. By providing affordable housing, the realtors offered homes which could support large families. The affordability of such communities provided opportunities for lower-income families to escape the increasingly crowded cities. It was marketed as an easy means to enjoy the emerging phenomenon of the suburban life, a new cornerstone experience for the postwar Sierran middle class.

Although Surrey Creek managed to quadruple in size within five years, the developers' negligence in establishing any business or facility forced residents to commute far to get groceries, appliances, other services, or work. The establishment of a (HOA) further entrenched complicated living for the new residents as the developers eschewed any more responsibility in developing or managing the community. Most buyers or renters were deceived into entering unfair mortgage plans, and were forced to pay steep payments, and outstanding fines were given for even minor infractions. Although some residents left in light of these conditions, many were kept rooted in the community due to nearby work, and rising prices elsewhere. There was also a clear divide between the older, established ranches and the newer, smaller households. The traditional residents were drastically wealthier and were disproportionately white or Spaniard.

With no businesses or adequate services provided, residents were forced to commute out of town for necessities and services. No schools in the immediate vicinity forced children to study far from home, and many roads in Surrey Creek were simple dirt roads. Although houses continued to be built, the Surrey Creek homeowners' associations refused to invoke incorporation status, and tried to provide some services including a community park, a general store, and a fire station by 1952. Falling in county jurisdiction, Surrey Creek was protected by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department but due to its relative geographic isolation, there was seldom a peace officer on-duty in the area.

The introduction of hard drugs in the area combined with minimal law enforcement and economic opportunity helped incubate and advance criminal activity (especially among the youth) in the community. Decades before comprehensive drug abuse laws, the initial wave of drug trade in the Inland Empire was limited to middle-class and working class communities such as Surrey Creek. Access and distribution was tightly controlled by international drug dealers along the route from Sierra to Colombia, who deliberately chose the developing region of Riverside County as the epicenter of their rising drug empire in Southern Sierra. The Surrey Creek-based youth gang, the Trillizos, which grew out of the town's turbulent decade in the 1950s, became a profound force and agent in illicit drug trade in the Inland Empire.

Geography


Surrey Creek is located at 33°48′22″N, 117°21′30″W (33.806111, -117.358333). According to the K.S. Royal Bureau of Census, Surrey Creek has a total area of 8.8 square miles (22.8 km$2$), of which 8.1. square miles (21 km$2$) is land, and 0.7 square miles (1.8 km$2$) is water.

Geopolitically, the community is located in southwestern Inland Empire in the southeastern section of Riverside County. It is situated entirely within the Gavilan Plateau above the Gavilan Hills, a segment of the. To the east lies ; to the south lies the ; to the west are, Cajalco Canyon, and the ; and to the north is the neighboring city of. Surrey Creek lies between the heavily traveled and, both of which are approximately 10–20 minute-long drives away.

Much of the community is connected and accessible through its one principal road, Gavilan Road, which runs parallel to the freeways in a north-south orientation. Most traffic access from Perris comes through Gavilan Road's southern terminus with the Santa Rosa Mine Road, while access from Riverside, Corona, and Moreno Valley comes through the northern terminus with Cajalco Road (Highway 108).

Representation
In the Inland Empire Provincial Legislature, Surrey Creek residents are located in the 3rd Senatorial District, and represented by Provincial Senator Rogelio Medina (DR) in the Senate. In the Inland Empire House of Assembly, Surrey Creek falls within the 12th Assembly District, and is represented by Assemblyman Eric Vasquez (DR). Within Riverside County, Surrey Creek is located in the 3rd Supervisory District, and is represented by Hector Fernandez (DR). Federally in the National House of Commons, Surrey Creek is located in the 5th Parliamentary District, and is represented by Johnathan Barnes (DR).

In the CAS American Parliament, Surrey Creek is represented by Kevin Julio Barrios (DR) in the 6th district of the Central Southwest Corridor constituency.

Services and transportation
As an unincorporated area in Riverside County, Surrey Creek falls under the jurisdiction and protection by the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. A police outpost is based in southern Surrey Creek and is the primary source of law enforcement in the immediate area. For fire prevention and safety, Surrey Creek is served by the City of Riverside's fire department through a contract. Fire Station #15/Engine 15 is the chief firefighting unit in the area.

Local bus service is provided by the Western Riverside Transit Agency (WRTA), with the principal bus terminal located at the Gavilan Road and Idaleona Road intersection. The bus fare is 25¢ during normal service hours on the weekdays.

No highways run through Surrey Creek, but is surrounded by four principal highways: (to the west),  or the Moreno Valley Freeway (to the east), Cajalco Road or Highway 108 (to the north), and  or the Ortega Highway (to the south).

2010
The 2010 K.S. Royal Bureau of Census reported that Surrey Creek had a population of 31,082. The population density was 3,532.045 per square mile (1,363.246/km$2$). The racial makeup was 27,570 (88.7%) White (6.7% Non-Hispanic White), 839 (2.7%) Asian, 1,398 (4.5%) Black, 93 (0.3%) Native Sierran, 32 (0.1%) Pacific Islander, 591 (1.9%) from two or more races, and 559 (1.8%) from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 26,202 persons (84.3%).

The Census reported that 30,802 people (99.1% of the population) lived in households, 280 (0.9%) people lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 0 people were institutionalized.

Crime
Surrey Creek has one of the nation's highest crime rates in proportion to population. According to the 2015 RBI Crime Statistics Report, it ranked the 9th most dangerous community in the country, and the most dangerous in the Inland Empire. From 2009 to 2014, there were over 100 violent and property crimes committed for every 10,000 people, most of which included car theft, burglary, assault and battery, and homicide. Gang activity is uniform throughout the community, but is heaviest in the southern section of Surrey Creek where the Trillizos are based at. To help combat gang-related crimes, the local homeowners' associations have worked with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department with the Neighborhood Watch program.

The largest and most prominent criminal organization in Surrey Creek is the Trillizos. The Trillizos are a predominantly Mexican gang with extensive ties with the Westwide Mafia as a "tributary" gang, the latter of which is considered the most powerful and influential Hispanic criminal syndicate in the Kingdom. The Trillizos were founded in the early 1950s and was originally limited to petty crimes. As illicit drug trade entered the region, the Trillizos became involved in the drug scene, and became a nefarious force that drove away investment and emigration to the community.

Education
The city is served by the Val Verde Unified School District (VVUSD), and the Riverside Community College District (RCCD).