The San Diego County Sheriff's Office (SDSO) is the primary law enforcement agency of San Diego County, California. It was established in 1850. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the county and one of the largest sheriff's offices in the United States, with over 4,700 employees, an annual budget of over $1.1 billion, and a service area over 4,500 square miles extending to a 60-mile international border. The office provides general law enforcement and public safety services to all unincorporated areas of the county (traffic enforcement, accidents, and other traffic related issues are handled by the California Highway Patrol). Nine incorporated cities within the county (Del Mar, Encinitas, Imperial Beach, Lemon Grove, Poway, San Marcos, Santee, Solana Beach, and Vista) contract with the office for municipal law enforcement and public safety services. Within these cities, traffic enforcement is also provided. The office operates and provides detention facilities (jails), court services, and specialized regional services (air support, search and rescue, SWAT, etc.) to all of the county and the nine contract cities. The Wireless Services Division is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the San Diego County–Imperial County Regional Communications System. The Sheriff is elected by the voters of San Diego County. The current Sheriff is Kelly Martinez, who was elected in 2022 and took office at the beginning of 2023.

History

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department was formed in 1850. The San Diego County Sheriff's Department was a co-appellant in the Supreme Court of the United States and Ninth Circuit cases Kolender v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352 (1983), which held unconstitutional laws that allow law enforcement to demand that "loiterers" and "wanderers" provide identification; this continues to affect other offices nationwide. On September 10, 2024, the agency's official name was changed to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.

Organization

Office of the Sheriff

Service bureaus

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is organized into five service bureaus: Law Enforcement Services, Detention Facility Services, Court Services, Human Resource Services, and Management Services. Each bureau is managed by an Assistant Sheriff except the Management Services Bureau, which is headed by an Executive Director.

Law Enforcement Services Bureau

Patrol Stations, Substations and Field Offices

4S Ranch Substation 10282 Rancho Bernardo Rd San Diego, CA 92127 Alpine Station 2751 Alpine Blvd Alpine, CA 91901 Borrego Springs Office 571 Palm Canyon Dr. Borrego Springs, CA 92004 **Boulevard/Jacumba Substation ** 39919 Highway 94 Boulevard, CA 91905 Campo/Tecate Substation 378 Sheridan Rd Campo, CA 91906 North Coastal Station (formerly Encinitas Station) 175 N. El Camino Real Encinitas, CA 92024 Fallbrook Substation 388 East Alvarado St Fallbrook, CA 92028 Imperial Beach Station 845 Imperial Beach Blvd Imperial Beach, CA 91932 Lakeside Substation 12365 Parkside St. Lakeside, CA 92040 Julian Substation 2907 Washington St, Bldg C Julian, CA 92036 Lemon Grove Substation 3240 Main St Lemon Grove, CA 91945 Pine Valley Substation 28914 Old Highway 80, #106 Pine Valley, CA 91962 Poway Station 13100 Bowron Rd Poway, CA 92064 Ramona Substation 1424 Montecito Rd Ramona, CA 92065 Rancho San Diego Station 11486 Campo Rd. Spring Valley, CA 91978 Ranchita Office 25704 San Felipe Rd, S-2 Warner Springs, CA 92086 San Marcos Station 182 Santar Pl San Marcos, CA 92069 Santee Station 8811 Cuyamaca St Santee, CA 92071 Valley Center Substation 28201 N. Lake Wohlford Rd Valley Center, CA 92082 Vista Station 325 S. Melrose, Ste 210 Vista, CA 92081

Court Services Bureau

Detention Services Bureau

Human Resource Services Bureau

Management Services Bureau

Vehicles

Over the years, the agency's marked vehicles have sported unusual paint schemes. Originally in a traditional black and white, they transitioned to a pink-salmon color in the 1960s. From 1971 to 1991 the vehicles were painted kelly green-and-white which were the campaign colors of Sheriff John F. Duffy. When he retired the fleet was returned to the black-and-white color scheme and has remained so ever since. The office has also had a few all-white cars over the years, but these were for Traffic Enforcement and Volunteer Patrols only. Today, the San Diego County Sheriff's Office utilizes the Ford Explorer as their base model for their fleet. The SDSO also operates the Following Aircraft: Hughes 500, Bell 205, and Bell 407.

Weapons

Sheriffs

Deputies killed in line of duty

Rank structure