| San Diego County Sheriff's Office | |
|---|---|
 Patch | |
 Badge | |
 Flag | |
| Abbreviation | SDSO |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1850; 175 years ago (1850) |
| Employees | 4,000+ (2024)[1] |
| Annual budget | US $1,374,767,820 (2024)[2] |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | San Diego County, California, United States |
 | |
| San Diego County Sheriff's Office's jurisdiction. | |
| Size | 4,200 square miles (10,900 km2) |
| Population | 2,974,859 |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 9621 Ridgehaven Court San Diego, CA 92123 |
| Agency executive |
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| Facilities | |
| Stations | 18 |
| Jails | 8 |
| Website | |
| sdsheriff | |
TheSan Diego County Sheriff's Office (SDSO) is alaw enforcement agency servingSan 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 4,206 employees, an annual budget of over $1.3 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 theCalifornia Highway Patrol). Nine incorporated cities within the county (Del Mar,Encinitas,Imperial Beach,Lemon Grove,Poway,San Marcos,Santee,Solana Beach, andVista) 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 theSan 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.[3]
TheSan Diego County Sheriff’s Department was formed in 1850.
The San Diego County Sheriff's Office was a co-appellant in theSupreme Court of the United States andNinth Circuit casesKolender v. Lawson, 461 U.S. 352 (1983),[4][5] which held unconstitutional laws that allow law enforcement to demand that "loiterers" and "wanderers" provide identification; this continues to affect other offices nationwide.[6][7][8]
On September 10, 2024, the agency's official name was changed from San Diego County Sheriff’s Department to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office.[9]
On March 6, 2025,KPBS reported findings by theACLU that Sheriff Kelly Martinez violated the state sanctuary lawSB54 by transferring toICE a felon who was still protected by the act because his conviction was more than the required 15 years old.[10]
The Sheriff’s Office operates a system of seven detention facilities throughout San Diego. The San Diego Central Jail (SDCJ) is located inDowntown San Diego, Both George Bailey Detention Facility (GBDF), The Rock Mountain Detention Facility (RMDF), and East Mesa Reentry Facility (EMRF) is located inOtay Mesa, San Diego in the southern enclave of San Diego, California. Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility (LCDRF) is located in Santee, California. South Bay Detention Facility (SBDF) is located inChula Vista, California. The Vista Detention Facility (VDF) is located in Vista, California.
The San Diego County Jail incarcerates about on an average day in 2022, there were 4,305 people in county jails and with such large numbers, the jail has faced numerous problems with its facilities.[11]
One of the main concerns within the San Diego County detention facilities is death of inmates, while in custody. The San Diego County jails system set a record high of 18 deaths in 2021. Then Sheriff Kelly Martinez took over in February 2022, and the jails matched its record total deaths again.[12] In 2022, a report from theCalifornia State Auditor found that while individuals were in custody at county jails, San Diego County reported the second‑highest number of in‑custody deaths over the time frame of 2006-2021.[13] TheSan Diego County Board of Supervisors Citizens Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) created a semi-annual report, due to the concerns about the rate of deaths in San Diego. The Board noted that from 2006 through 2020, 185 people died in San Diego County’s jails. The report also found that inmates who died in the county's jails had been in custody for only a few days or several months, while others were waiting to be sentenced, set to be released or about to be transferred.[14]
In 2024, at least nine people died while in county jail.[15]
Another concern is that lack of accountability from those in charge. According to Justice Department data, 47 people died between 2021 and 2023, Sheriff Kelly Martinez and her predecessor, repeatedly refused requests from the CLERB to put her deputies through scanners before they start their shifts to reduce the flow of drugs into facilities. This request from the board came after two jail deputies pleaded guilty to drug-related charges last year, one for burglary of medication from a jail prescription medication drop-off box and the other for possession of cocaine on jail property.[16] In December 2024 the County supervisors voted for stronger law enforcement review board powers.[17] It has been noted that even having the sheriff to appear at CLERB meetings has been a struggle.[18]
Families of people who died in jail have expressed their frustration with the sheriff and the jails policy, especially Martinez refusal to scan jail staff for drugs. Thirteen inmates died from drug overdoses in San Diego jails between 2021 and 2023.[18]
In 2025, San Diego County faces a slew of lawsuits filed by at least two dozen people who said they were sexually assaulted as children and teens by probation officers while in the county’s juvenile detention facilities.[19]
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.
4S Ranch Substation10282 Rancho Bernardo RdSan Diego, CA 92127
Alpine Station2751 Alpine BlvdAlpine, CA 91901
Borrego Springs Office571 Palm Canyon Dr.Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Boulevard/Jacumba Substation39919 Highway 94Boulevard, CA 91905
Campo/Tecate Substation378 Sheridan RdCampo, CA 91906
North Coastal Station (formerly Encinitas Station)175 N. El Camino RealEncinitas, CA 92024
Fallbrook Substation388 East Alvarado StFallbrook, CA 92028
Imperial Beach Station845 Imperial Beach BlvdImperial Beach, CA 91932
Lakeside Substation12365 Parkside St. Lakeside, CA 92040
Julian Substation2907 Washington St, Bldg CJulian, CA 92036
Lemon Grove Substation3240 Main StLemon Grove, CA 91945
Pine Valley Substation28914 Old Highway 80, #106Pine Valley, CA 91962
Poway Station13100 Bowron RdPoway, CA 92064
Ramona Substation1424 Montecito RdRamona, CA 92065
Rancho San Diego Station11486 Campo Rd.Spring Valley, CA 91978
Ranchita Office25704 San Felipe Rd, S-2Warner Springs, CA 92086
San Marcos Station182 Santar PlSan Marcos, CA 92069
Santee Station8811 Cuyamaca StSantee, CA 92071
Valley Center Substation28201 N. Lake Wohlford RdValley Center, CA 92082
Vista Station325 S. Melrose, Ste 210Vista, CA 92081
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Over the years, the agency's marked vehicles have sported unusual paint schemes. Originally in a traditionalblack 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:Bell 205,Bell 407, andBell 412.
| Title | Insignia |
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| Sheriff |  |
| Undersheriff |  |
| Assistant Sheriff |  |
| Commander |  |
| Captain |  |
| Lieutenant |  |
| Sergeant |  |
| Corporal |  |
| Deputy Sheriff |
| International | |
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| National | |
