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

What the job looks like at Pacifica Police

6,372 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 10pm to 11pmSan Mateo County

Pacifica Police is the police department for the city of Pacifica, in San Mateo 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 17 a day

6,372 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, 24%.

Busiest hour for stops
10pm to 11pm
30% of stops are between 10pm and 5am
5th of 17 in San Mateo County
Stops that came from a call
7%
The rest the officer started
12th of 17 in San Mateo County
Stops on foot
8%
494 of 6,372
13th of 17 in San Mateo County
Median stop length
7 min

Where Pacifica Police works

Filled: Pacifica city limits.
Name in the state file
PACIFICA PD
People stopped, 2024
6,372
Separate stops, 2024
6,223

Other departments in San Mateo County

What Pacifica Police officers stop people for

Red light, stop sign or traffic sign24%
Lights, tint or equipment15%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation15%
Registration, plates or insurance13%
Phone use while driving8%
Speeding6%
Theft, burglary or stolen property2%
Seat belt or child seat1%
Outstanding warrant1%
Weapons1%
Everything else15%

The main reason recorded for each of 6,372 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.

When the work happens

30% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.

Pacifica Police
San Mateo County average
12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm

Darker means a larger share of stops in that hour.

How the work is done

Each dot is a department in San Mateo County. Pacifica Police is highlighted.

On foot8% 13th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation90% 5th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service7% 12th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused0% 14th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%

How stops end

Verbal warning66% 2nd of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%60%80%
Citation24% 12th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%60%
Arrest4% 12th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold0% 11th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%

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

Searches and handcuffs

Person searched6% 12th of 17 in San Mateo County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed4% 12th of 17 in San Mateo 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.