Mission

We provide the highest quality public safety service to everyone in San Diego County.

Vision

We earn the respect and confidence of the public as a professional public safety organization.

• We instill trust and confidence by building relationships and by being open and visible in our actions.

We are innovative, compassionate, and responsive to those we serve and work in partnership with our communities.

• We are considerate and invested in the services we provide.
• As members of the community, we are respectful and adaptive in our interactions.

We attract and retain highly competent and diverse employees.

• We are dedicated to the development and betterment of our people.
• Our department is an inclusive, united, and effective team.

Guiding Principles

The department's long-term strategy is anchored in professionalism, adapting to change, building partnerships, innovating solutions, and providing the highest level of public safety services. We achieve success by clearly articulating priorities and strategies to guide our decision-making and resource allocations with a vision for the future.

Leadership Charter

As a team, we create an environment that challenges processes and encourages people. We inspire a shared vision and enable others to act. We accomplish this by:

• Leading by example
• Being open and honest
• Honoring commitments
• Making informed decisions
• Encouraging leadership at all levels
• Employee recognition

People Are Our Priority

People are our greatest asset. Our shared success is based on an investment in continuous, relevant learning, accessible to all. Using innovative methods, mentoring, and the sharing of knowledge, we enhance personal and career development. We cultivate a dynamic work environment that attracts and retains highly competent employees. We have a spirited workplace that inspires partnerships, innovation, achievement, and accountability. We are an organization that demonstrates sensitivity to employees' human needs.

We demonstrate people are our greatest asset by:

• Providing relevant training, education, and mentorship for staff and our communities
• Ensuring each employee understands and fulfills their professional role and responsibility
• Encouraging leadership at all levels
• Rewarding innovation and celebrating accomplishments
• Sharing best practices
• Committing to finding solutions and resolving conflict
• Using equitable assignment and promotion processes

Partnerships & Engagement

We achieve excellence through the strong partnerships we form among ourselves and those we serve. We base these partnerships on transparency, honesty, and mutual respect. We ensure our people feel we are an engaged and responsive organization. Our outreach, networking, and task force involvement expands our influence and presence to better impact the quality of life of our communities. We are transparent to build trust. Our engagement and consistent professionalism are key to building and maintaining trust.

Adaptation & Performance Management

As the only law enforcement agency in San Diego County providing detentions, courts, and law enforcement services, we bear enormous responsibility. We are a regional coordinator in times of crisis, and a leader in our discipline. Our decisions and actions impact every allied agency, every city, and every unincorporated community in San Diego County. We embrace our obligation to be responsive and readily adapt to public and employee needs.

We are committed to performance management and setting yearly goals supportive of our mission, vision, and values. Strategic planning encourages proactive and responsible growth in personnel, technology, resource acquisition, and operations. We achieve this by fostering a culture of innovation and empowering our employees to create processes and programs geared towards better serving our communities.

Information Led Policing

The San Diego County Sheriff's Office is committed to proactive policing via modern policing concepts, collaborative problem solving, and data driven strategies coordinated with technology to increase our efficiency and effectiveness in delivering services to our community.

Our Core Values