The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026
What the job looks like at San Luis Obispo Police
5,547 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 9am to 10amSan Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo Police is the police department for the city of San Luis Obispo, in San Luis Obispo 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 15 a day
5,547 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, 20%.
What San Luis Obispo Police officers stop people for
Red light, stop sign or traffic sign20%
Phone use while driving14%
Speeding13%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation9%
Lights, tint or equipment9%
Registration, plates or insurance8%
Trespassing3%
Seat belt or child seat3%
Outstanding warrant1%
Parole or probation check1%
Everything else20%
The main reason recorded for each of 5,547 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.
When the work happens
14% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.
San Luis Obispo Police
San Luis Obispo 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 Luis Obispo County. San Luis Obispo Police is highlighted.
On foot19% 3rd of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation81% 4th of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service11% 6th of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused5% 3rd of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%
How stops end
Verbal warning23% 9th of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%60%80%
Citation64% 1st of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%60%
Arrest6% 8th of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold0% 7th of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%
One person can have more than one outcome, so these do not add to 100%.
Searches and handcuffs
Person searched6% 7th of 9 in San Luis Obispo County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed4% 7th of 9 in San Luis Obispo 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.