The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026
What the job looks like at Merced County Sheriff
3,525 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 10pm to 11pmMerced County
Merced County Sheriff is the sheriff's office for Merced 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 10 a day
3,525 people in 2024. A stop is a detention or search, so calls with no detention are not counted. Most common reason: lights, tint or equipment, 25%.
Busiest hour for stops
10pm to 11pm
34% of stops are between 10pm and 5am
3rd of 8 in Merced County
Stops that came from a call
12%
The rest the officer started
2nd of 8 in Merced County
Stops on foot
7%
253 of 3,525
4th of 8 in Merced County
Median stop length
11 min
Where Merced County Sheriff works
Filled: Merced County. Cities with their own police are gray.
What Merced County Sheriff officers stop people for
Lights, tint or equipment25%
Registration, plates or insurance23%
Red light, stop sign or traffic sign18%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation8%
Speeding7%
Theft, burglary or stolen property2%
Trespassing2%
Outstanding warrant2%
Parking or stopping violation1%
Disturbance or disorderly conduct1%
Everything else13%
The main reason recorded for each of 3,525 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.
When the work happens
34% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.
Merced County Sheriff
Merced County average
12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Darker means a larger share of stops in that hour.
How the work is done
Each dot is a department in Merced County. Merced County Sheriff is highlighted.
On foot7% 4th of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation89% 5th of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service12% 2nd of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused4% 1st of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
How stops end
Verbal warning46% 7th of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%60%80%
Citation17% 4th of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
Arrest8% 5th of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold0% 1st of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
One person can have more than one outcome, so these do not add to 100%.
Searches and handcuffs
Person searched5% 6th of 8 in Merced County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed8% 3rd of 8 in Merced 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.