The Police IndexStop data: 2024 · Pay and hiring checked Nov 2026
What the job looks like at Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety
3,445 people stopped in 2024Busiest hour 8am to 9amSalary $142,742 to $189,326Santa Clara County
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is the police department for the city of Sunnyvale, 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 9 a day
3,445 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, 17%.
Busiest hour for stops
8am to 9am
19% of stops are between 10pm and 5am
11th of 14 in Santa Clara County
Stops that came from a call
14%
The rest the officer started
7th of 14 in Santa Clara County
Stops on foot
17%
596 of 3,445
8th of 14 in Santa Clara County
Median stop length
10 min
Pay at Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety in 2025
Published salary range
$142,742 to $189,326
Lowest and highest base salary for officer or deputy titles, as the employer reported it.
Median total pay
$254,923
What a full-year officer was actually paid, with overtime. Half earned more.
Median overtime
$40,464
23% on top of median regular pay. One in ten earned $98,219 or more.
What Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety officers stop people for
Red light, stop sign or traffic sign17%
Speeding13%
Registration, plates or insurance12%
Lights, tint or equipment9%
Phone use while driving9%
Lane, turn or right-of-way violation8%
Parking or stopping violation3%
Consensual contact with a search2%
Public intoxication or open alcohol2%
Theft, burglary or stolen property2%
Everything else23%
The main reason recorded for each of 3,445 people stopped in 2024, grouped from the offense code.
When the work happens
19% of stops happen between 10pm and 5am.
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety
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. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety is highlighted.
On foot17% 8th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
For a traffic violation80% 7th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%60%80%100%
After a call for service14% 7th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
Person perceived as unhoused10% 4th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
How stops end
Verbal warning25% 11th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%60%
Citation54% 1st of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%60%
Arrest8% 9th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
Psychiatric hold2% 5th 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 searched13% 8th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
Handcuffed10% 6th of 14 in Santa Clara County
0%20%40%
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.