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El Cajon Police Department

The city of El Cajon was incorporated in 1912. Law enforcement at that time was provided by a town marshal. During the early 1900’s no official police station is known to have existed. It is believed that the marshal probably worked out of the Corona Hotel at Main and Magnolia. However, some research shows that the town marshal may have worked from the Weinstock Building since it was the only building in El Cajon at the time that had a working telephone. The building still stands at Prescott and Main.

In 1928, El Cajon named Frank Jennings as its first police chief. He was replaced in 1933 by Chief Edward Menke. Chief Menke had one officer under his command and together they served a population of about 5,000.  

In 1941 a station was constructed at Main and Orange behind the Fire Station. The city named Rex Huffman as its new chief. Chief Huffman at this time had a five-man force. Crime during this time centered around public intoxication. There were bars on both sides of Main Street that were frequented by town members and citizens from Lakeside. The other problem was stray dogs. One of Chief Huffman’s first official acts as chief was to require the licensing of all dogs that lived in the city. By 1952 the city experienced a huge growth in population.  

A new station was built at 240 Highland Ave. In addition to the police station the building contained City Hall and a fire station. Joe O’ Connor was appointed chief; the department had 25 officers at this time.

The city continued to grow and a new state of the art station was built at 100 Fletcher Parkway in 1968. The department had 46 officers and policed a city of about 60,000. 

In 2011 the department moved to a new building at Civic Center Way. The city is currently policed by approximately 120 sworn officers. They serve a population of 100,000 people.

Jul 14, 2026
Full time
Police Officer (Lateral/Academy Graduate) El Cajon
$50.53 hourly
El Cajon Police Department El Cajon, CA
Position Description Function :  Under general supervision: Performs varied law enforcement duties; Enforces laws and regulations, and apprehends lawbreakers; Provides information, advice, and assistance to the public; Conducts crime investigations and performs special assignments in a particular phase of police work; Performs related work as required.  Class Characteristics :  Employees in this class perform from routine to difficult and responsible work associated with the rendering of police services. Employees are expected to efficiently handle a wide range of tasks with a minimum of supervision. Representative Duties General Duty Assignment:  Patrols an assigned area in a police unit, on a motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot; Answers radio calls and responds to routine and emergency calls and complaints; Investigates reported disorders or crimes and takes appropriate action; Checks...
Jul 14, 2026
Full time
Police Recruit El Cajon
$38.55 hourly
El Cajon Police Department El Cajon, CA
Candidates are being screened for the Regional Police Academy:   Opportunity:   The City of El Cajon is looking for motivated individuals who want to make a direct impact to the community of El Cajon, to join their Police Department as a Police Recruit The Community : As the sixth largest city in San Diego County, El Cajon is recognized as a wonderful location to live, work and play.  El Cajon boasts a diverse and vibrant community, safe and attractive neighborhoods, many parks and recreation centers, award-winning schools, libraries, and other amenities.  El Cajon is a full service City, with first-class police and fire departments. Ultimately, El Cajon is a shining example of a local government that provides exceptional municipal service with an innovative mindset.  El Cajon is seen as a leader among cities. Through the vision of the El Cajon City Council, El Cajon is able to balance new growth and development while...