The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026
What the job looks like at San Diego Police
2,031 swornStarts at $99,091Hiring new officers nowApplicant Score 40
Calls for service
About 1,420 a day
518,306 a year. calls for service in 2025, city report. Officers also stopped 103,463 people in 2024. Most common reason for a stop: red light, stop sign or traffic sign, 16%.
First assignment
Patrol
Busiest hour for stops
9am to 10am
20% of stops are overnight
8th of 11
Stops that came from a call
14%
The rest the officer started
8th of 11
Median stop length
10 min
What San Diego Police officers stop people for
Red light, stop sign or traffic sign16%
Lights, tint or equipment10%
Registration, plates or insurance9%
Speeding8%
Local ordinance violation8%
Phone use while driving7%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation5%
Disturbance or disorderly conduct3%
Assault, battery, robbery or threats3%
Drugs3%
Everything else29%
The main reason recorded for each of 103,463 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code. Service calls with no detention are not in this data.
When the work happens
20% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am, 8th of 11.
San Diego Police
Average of 11
12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Darker means a larger share of stops in that hour.
How the work is done
Each dot is one of 11 departments. San Diego Police is highlighted.
On foot37% 4th of 11
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation60% 7th of 11
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service14% 8th of 11
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused13% 4th of 11
0%20%40%
How stops end
Verbal warning30% 9th of 11
0%20%40%60%
Citation30% 8th of 11
0%20%40%
Arrest15% 3rd of 11
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold4% 2nd of 11
0%20%40%
One person can have more than one outcome, so these do not add to 100%.
When a stop starts with a call
Ends in arrest38% 6th of 11
0%20%40%60%
Ends in a psychiatric hold19% 1st of 11
0%20%40%
Searches and handcuffs
Person searched15% 5th of 11
0%20%40%
Handcuffed8% 6th of 11
0%20%40%
Agencies differ in how consistently they record handcuffing and searches, so small gaps between departments may not be real.
