Since a new law went into effect last December, law enforcement agencies across San Diego County have differed in how they’ve used it to make arrests.
Last November, California voters approved Proposition 36 which reclassified some drug and theft crimes from misdemeanors to felonies. It also created the classification of a “treatment mandated felony” for those with two or more prior drug offense convictions, allowing those convicted to opt for rehabilitation rather than prison time.
El Cajon and Escondido police officers have made the most arrests on Proposition 36 offenses per capita than any other city in the county, an analysis for Voice of San Diego found.
From December 2024 to June 2025, El Cajon’s arrest rate was 16 per 10,000 residents and Escondido’s is 12 per 10,000 residents.