The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026
What the job looks like at Sonoma County Sheriff
9,268 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 11pm to 12amSonoma County
Sonoma County Sheriff is the sheriff's office for Sonoma 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 25 a day
9,268 people in 2024. A stop is a detention or search, so calls with no detention are not counted. Most common reason: registration, plates or insurance, 26%.
Busiest hour for stops
11pm to 12am
46% of stops are between 10pm and 5am
3rd of 12 in Sonoma County
Stops that came from a call
8%
The rest the officer started
5th of 12 in Sonoma County
Stops on foot
24%
2,178 of 9,268
2nd of 12 in Sonoma County
Median stop length
10 min
Where Sonoma County Sheriff works
Filled: Sonoma County. Cities with their own police are gray.
What Sonoma County Sheriff officers stop people for
Registration, plates or insurance26%
Lights, tint or equipment22%
Red light, stop sign or traffic sign10%
Speeding6%
Parole or probation check4%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation4%
Outstanding warrant3%
Trespassing3%
Drugs2%
Mental health hold2%
Everything else19%
The main reason recorded for each of 9,268 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.
When the work happens
46% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.
Sonoma County Sheriff
Sonoma County average
12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Darker means a larger share of stops in that hour.
How the work is done
Each dot is a department in Sonoma County. Sonoma County Sheriff is highlighted.
On foot24% 2nd of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation72% 10th of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%60%80%
After a call for service8% 5th of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused1% 9th of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
How stops end
Verbal warning29% 10th of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%60%80%
Citation2% 12th of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
Arrest17% 1st of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold2% 1st of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
One person can have more than one outcome, so these do not add to 100%.
Searches and handcuffs
Person searched16% 1st of 12 in Sonoma County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed24% 1st of 12 in Sonoma 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.