San Diego has started an online survey to gain feedback for the San Diego Police Department's next chief of police before it begins a nationwide search, it was announced Monday.
"Choosing who will lead the police department will directly impact the public safety of all San Diegans," said Mayor Todd Gloria. "For this reason, City Councilmembers and I hope all community members will express their needs and desires so that we can best select the appropriate candidate for this sensitive and important role."
Community members are asked to complete the survey online to share their opinions about the qualities and characteristics they'd like to see in the next chief of police.
Community meeting schedule
RSVP for any of the meetings here (not required to attend).
- Jan. 8: Council District 7, Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center. 6-8 p.m.
- Jan. 11: Council District 1, Mary, Star of the Sea (community room). 6-8 p.m.
- Jan. 12: Council District 2, Point Loma Library. 5-7 p.m.
- Jan. 13: Council District 8, San Ysidro Library. 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Jan. 16: Council District 9, Park De La Cruz (community room). 5-7 p.m.
- Jan. 17: Council District 5, Scripps Miramar Ranch Library. 5-7 p.m.
- Jan. 18: Council District 6, Alexandria Tech Center. 6-8 p.m.
- Jan. 23: Council District 4, Fourth District Seniors Resource Center. 6-8 p.m.
- Jan. 24: Council District 3, Balboa Park Club. 5:30-7:30 p.m.
San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, who was promoted to the top position in 2018, officially announced his retirement in 2023 and will complete his service in June 2024. Nisleit joined SDPD in 1988, following in the footsteps of his father, who also had a long career as a police officer with the department.
"It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve the city of San Diego during my 36 years with the San Diego Police Department," said Nisleit when he announced his retirement. "I'm committed to continuing the great progress we've made toward keeping San Diego one of the safest big cities, and look forward to transitioning the department into the hands of the top-tier candidate who is selected to serve as the next police chief."
In addition to the survey, which is also accessible in Spanish, the city's human resources department will hosting a series of community forums, with one in each of San Diego's nine council districts throughout January. The complete schedule for the forums can be found on the Chief Recruitment webpage.
"Every person in every neighborhood deserves to feel and be safe. Providing safety to all people of all backgrounds requires understanding the nuanced and varied needs of the 1.4 million San Diegans," said City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. "We can only gain that understanding with the help of the community.
"The police chief search forums offer an opportunity for the city to learn directly from the community what sort of leader will help us achieve our goal of making all people feel safe," he said. "I hope we'll have the sort of robust community participation that helps San Diego find the ideal chief to achieve our goal of providing safety and justice for all."
Community members who are interested in participating in the meetings are encouraged to RSVP online; however, an RSVP is not required to attend. Language interpretation and accessibility services are available during the meetings upon request.
Candidates for the job will undergo a series of interviews, including one conducted by a panel of community leaders nominated by City Councilmembers and Gloria.
The City Council's official process to hire a new chief calls for the mayor to appoint a candidate to be confirmed by the council.
