Serving the city of Lemon Grove. 

Emergency: 9-1-1

858-868-3200 (Dispatch)
619-337-2000 (Business)
619-337-2076 (Fax)

Safe Lemon Grove Website

Message from Lt. Joseph Barry

The Sheriff’s Department has been providing service to the city of Lemon Grove since it incorporated in 1977.

The large monument of a lemon at the intersection of Main Street and Broadway has attracted people to the center of Lemon Grove since 1963. From the agricultural roots of a dairy farming community through the evolution to a large citrus ranch to the busy small city of today, Lemon Grove residents have enjoyed the bragging rights of having the “Best Climate on Earth” for years.

Lemon Grove is home to a diverse population of over 27,000 residents who reside in the 3.9 square miles that make up the city.  The city is also home to over 400 businesses, ranging from major automotive corporations to small family-owned shops.  The Lemon Grove School District includes five elementary schools and a middle school.

Twelve patrol deputies, two detectives, three traffic investigators, a motorcycle deputy, two sergeants and one lieutenant provide direct law enforcement services to the city.  In addition to the sworn law enforcement personnel assigned, the substation also has a full-time clerical staff, a Community Services Officer, a Crime Prevention Specialist, and a Crime Analyst.

The Sheriff's contract with Lemon Grove also affords the city access to other Sheriff's specialized units as needed, such as Major Crimes Division, Criminal Intelligence Unit, Search and Rescue, and ASTREA (air support). Lemon Grove is situated on one of the busiest trolley lines in San Diego. The trolley affords the residents great public transportation opportunities to many destinations, including the college district, Old Town San Diego, and the historic Gaslamp Quarter. The Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation also works very closely with MTS enforcement to help provide safety to our mass transit visitors.

Patrol

In 2022, deputies responded to over 12,000 calls for service in Lemon Grove.  In addition to these community-generated calls, deputies also conducted approximately 6,000 proactive, deputy-initiated actions.  These proactive actions included security checks, foot patrols, enforcement stops, criminal compliant investigations, homeless outreach projects, and community relations interactions.

The staff at the Lemon Grove Sheriff's Substation understands we cannot stop crime from occurring on our own and actively seek opportunities to partner with our communities to find long lasting safety solutions. We use an Information Led Policing (ILP) model to put our deputies in the right place to interrupt crimes in progress and use a proactive crime prevention model to get the word out to the community about crime trends and community concerns.

Traffic

The Traffic Unit handles vehicle code enforcement, traffic collision investigations and traffic control within the city of Lemon Grove. The California Highway Patrol is the agency responsible for traffic enforcement in the unincorporated areas throughout the State of California.

In 2022, the Lemon Grove Traffic Unit investigated over 200 traffic collisions and made over 40 arrests for driving under the influence. The Traffic Unit conducted several grant-funded enforcement shifts focused on DUI enforcement, and bicycle patrols. The Traffic Unit also conducted traffic safety training to the public and local schools to promote good driving behavior and awareness.

Detectives

Detectives assigned to Lemon Grove investigate cases involving theft, physical assaults (excluding homicides), sexual assaults, vandalism, burglaries, annoying phone calls and other crimes. Specialized investigative units such as homicide, bomb/arson, financial crimes, child abuse, human trafficking, gangs, and narcotics handle specific crimes for the entire Sheriff’s jurisdiction, including the Lemon Grove Substation. In 2022, Lemon Grove Detectives conducted follow-up investigations on over 850 cases.

Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Specialists assigned to the Lemon Grove Station provide information and presentations about the following topics:

• Residential and Commercial security techniques (CPTED- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design)
• Internet Safety
• Vehicle Theft Prevention
• Identity Theft Protection
• Robbery Prevention
• Crime Prevention for Senior Citizens
• Con Artist and Fraudulent Scam Awareness
• Crime Prevention for Children
• Keeping Illegal Activity Out of Rental Property (Crime-Free Multi Housing)
• Neighborhood Watch
• Business Watch

For additional information or to schedule a program, contact the Lemon Grove Crime Prevention Unit at (619) 337-2039.

Learn more about the Sheriff's Crime Prevention Program

Senior Volunteers

The Lemon Grove Substation is also proud to have a robust Senior Volunteer Patrol who handle a variety of community services and high visibility patrol throughout the city.

The Sheriff’s Senior Volunteer Patrol program is designed to draw upon the experience of senior citizens from our community. The men and women participating in the Lemon Grove Substation’s program provide valuable assistance to existing staff as it strives to increase the quality of life in the community. These dedicated volunteers provide many valuable services to our community including:

• Home vacation security checks
• Visit the homebound (You Are Not Alone –YANA)
• Enforce handicapped parking regulation
• Patrol in marked SVP vehicles
• Assist Crime Prevention with public presentations
• Conduct residential and business security surveys
• Traffic control

Volunteers undergo a background check, receive training to perform their duties, and are asked to work a minimum of six hours per week. Volunteers are always needed. If interested, please contact (619) 337-2000.

Learn more about the Sheriff's Senior Volunteer Program