Services - Patrol Division

The Imperial Beach Sheriff's Station provides law enforcement services for the City of Imperial Beach and the unincorporated communities of Lincoln Acres, Bonita, Sunnyside, Proctor Valley, San Miguel Mountain, Otay Valley, and Otay Mesa stretching to the Mexican Border. The command area covers 51.06 square miles and serves nearly 50,000 people. One lieutenant, five sergeants and 21 deputies patrol the Imperial Beach Command area. In 2002, deputies from the Imperial Beach Station handled a total of 20,149 calls for service.

Deputies rotate beat assignments between the City of Imperial Beach and the unincorporated areas so that they are familiar with all aspects of the command. There is also a group of specially trained deputies that patrol the beach area on all-terrain vehicles known as "Quads." Deputies in four-wheel drive vehicles patrol both the beaches and back country areas of the command.

When citizens encounter a situation that might require law enforcement assistance or attention, they are encouraged to call the Sheriff's Communication Center and ask for a patrol deputy to respond. Citizens often make comments that they do not want to "bother" deputies with trivial matters. The Sheriff's Department urges citizens to call when there is a concern and let the responding deputies decide if they need to take action or not.

Emergency, life-threatening emergencies should be handled through 911.

All non-emergency, non life-threatening situations, calls to file reports and the like should be handled through the Sheriff's business line.

Misuse of the 911 system slows down response times for emergency situations. Please make sure that your household knows when to use 911 and when to use the business line. Clearing the 911 system of non-emergency calls saves lives.