The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026
What the job looks like at Palo Alto Police
4,528 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 9am to 10amSanta Clara County
Palo Alto Police is the police department for the city of Palo Alto, in Santa Clara 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 12 a day
4,528 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, 16%.
The main reason recorded for each of 4,528 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.
When the work happens
25% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.
Palo Alto Police
Santa Clara County average
12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Darker means a larger share of stops in that hour.
How the work is done
Each dot is a department in Santa Clara County. Palo Alto Police is highlighted.
On foot26% 3rd of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation72% 12th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service21% 3rd of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused3% 10th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
How stops end
Verbal warning31% 8th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%60%
Citation26% 8th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%60%
Arrest13% 7th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold3% 1st of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
One person can have more than one outcome, so these do not add to 100%.
Searches and handcuffs
Person searched16% 6th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed12% 5th of 14 in Santa Clara 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.