The
San Diego County Sheriff's Department (
SDSO), is the primary and largest law enforcement agency in
San Diego County,
California, and one of the largest sheriff’s departments in the
United States: with over 4,000 employees, an annual budget of over $600 million, and a service area over 4,500 square miles extending to a 60 mile international border. The department, established in 1850, has over 4,000 sworn deputies and additional civilian support personnel servicing an area of nearly 4,526 mi².