Retiring San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit bade a fond farewell Thursday to the municipal law enforcement agency he served for three dozen years and officially handed off its top post to newly appointed Chief Scott Wahl.
Nisleit walked out of the front doors of the department's East Village headquarters for the final time as chief in the early afternoon, flanked by rows of saluting uniformed officers.
The event included a final radio broadcast in his honor and a symbolic change of command, a longtime SDPD tradition.
Nisleit, the 35th chief of the department, assumed its leadership on March 2, 2018, replacing former Chief Shelley Zimmerman.
"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," Nisleit said when announcing his retirement.
Wahl, who has served as a patrolman in the SDPD Southern Division and as a captain in its Northern Division during his 26-year tenure, was chosen in March by Mayor Todd Gloria to succeed Nisleit.
Gloria nominated Wahl from a pool of 56 candidates "following an extensive national search and interview process that included vetting by community and law enforcement leaders," according to the mayor's office.
"I'll just be honest with you, I'm full of emotion today," Wahl said before the final vote approving his selection as the department's top cop. "I'm committed to being transparent (and) committed to being accountable for the words that come out of my mouth and the actions I take every single day."
