The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026

What the job looks like at El Cerrito Police

2,905 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 7pm to 8pmContra Costa County

El Cerrito Police is the police department for the city of El Cerrito, in Contra Costa County. This page shows what its officers spend their time on, from the stops the department reported to the state for 2024.

People stopped
About 8 a day

2,905 people in 2024. A stop is a detention or search, so calls with no detention are not counted. Most common reason: red light, stop sign or traffic sign, 43%.

Busiest hour for stops
7pm to 8pm
25% of stops are between 10pm and 5am
8th of 17 in Contra Costa County
Stops that came from a call
4%
The rest the officer started
12th of 17 in Contra Costa County
Stops on foot
6%
164 of 2,905
13th of 17 in Contra Costa County
Median stop length
10 min

Where El Cerrito Police works

Filled: El Cerrito city limits.
Name in the state file
EL CERRITO PD
People stopped, 2024
2,905
Separate stops, 2024
2,889

Other departments in Contra Costa County

What El Cerrito Police officers stop people for

Red light, stop sign or traffic sign43%
Registration, plates or insurance18%
Lights, tint or equipment14%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation7%
Phone use while driving6%
Speeding2%
Theft, burglary or stolen property2%
Assault, battery, robbery or threats1%
Parking or stopping violation1%
Weapons1%
Everything else6%

The main reason recorded for each of 2,905 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.

When the work happens

25% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.

El Cerrito Police
Contra Costa County average
12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm

Darker means a larger share of stops in that hour.

How the work is done

Each dot is a department in Contra Costa County. El Cerrito Police is highlighted.

On foot6% 13th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation93% 4th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service4% 12th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused2% 10th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%

How stops end

Verbal warning30% 13th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%60%80%
Citation62% 3rd of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%60%80%
Arrest4% 11th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold0% 14th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%

One person can have more than one outcome, so these do not add to 100%.

Searches and handcuffs

Person searched4% 14th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed6% 11th of 17 in Contra Costa County
0%20%40%
This page covers the work only. Pay, hiring steps and test rules for this department are not on the site yet. Agencies differ in how consistently they record handcuffing and searches, so small gaps may not be real.

Sources: California Department of Justice stop data, 2024 · Map outlines: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files, 2023, 1:500,000.