La Mesa at a glance
Population by race and Hispanic origin
Cities in this database with the most similarly-sized populations
Full-time law enforcement staff, La Mesa Police Department
- 65 Officers
- 30 Civilian staff
Full-time law enforcement officers per 1,000 residents
- 1.58 La Mesa
- 1.6 National average, cities with 50,000 to 99,999 population
- 2.2 National average
These figures reflect the La Mesa Police Department only, and do not include state or other police agencies that may be present in this location.
Federal grant funding for La Mesa
USA spending grants for La Mesa have not yet been reviewed, please check back soon. Alternatively, why not search for other states, cities, or counties in the database.
Military equipment transfers
We were unable to locate any military equipment transfers for this location using the LESO Property Transferred to Participating Agencies database published by the Defense Logistics Agency. It is possible that this location has acquired military equipment for policing via other sources or programs.
Local police misconduct data, consent decrees, and settlements
Data last updated November 17, 2025
Settlements
We identified 1 publicly reported settlement that resulted in $10,000,000.00 in monetary compensation to victims.
| Year | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 |
In March 2023, the City of La Mesa, California, reached a settlement of $10 million in a civil case filed by Leslie Furcron, a fifty-nine-year-old great-grandmother—one of the largest officer use-of-force settlements in the San Diego region. During a racial justice protest on May 30, 2020, La Mesa Police Detective Eric Knudson fired a beanbag projectile that struck Furcron in the head. Due to the impact, Furcron was placed in a medically induced coma and was left blind in one eye and with permanent injuries that led to her using a walker. |
Compensation
$10,000,000.00 |