As the saying goes, sometimes public officials get caught with their pants down.
San Diego police Officer Curtis Doll, on the other hand, was allegedly caught with his pants on.
That’s according to recent testimony from San Diego Police Department (SDPD) detective Robert Korbecki in a criminal case against Doll. Prosecutors allege Doll used a department bank account to purchase an array of personal items.
Doll served as director of SDPD’s School Safety Patrol program. The program trains elementary and middle school students from nearly 90 schools in the city to patrol crosswalks and help children safely cross streets.
In May of 2024, investigators from SDPD’s Professional Standards Unit served a warrant at Doll’s house as part of an ongoing investigation.
When officers arrived at the home, according to Korbecki, Doll was wearing one of the items they were looking for — a pair of English Laundry pants purchased from Costco. After searching Doll’s home and workplace, the investigators found a lot more: AirPods, nutritional supplements, holsters, electronic equipment — all allegedly bought using department funds.
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the criminal case against Doll. Korbecki provided these details during a May 13 hearing in San Diego County Superior Court.
The district attorney charged Doll with “fraudulent appropriation by public officer” — a felony crime more commonly known as embezzlement. He allegedly purchased more than $3,000 worth of personal items using a School Safety Patrol bank account.
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The account, which is funded by the city budget as well as parents who buy uniforms and contribute through fundraisers, is intended to purchase program equipment and materials for events.
“There is really no other way to look at (the purchases) other than that they were fraudulent,” said Deputy District Attorney Vincent Chen, according to a transcript from the hearing last month. He added, “We are talking about an individual who is a police officer, put in a position of trust, who parents are giving him money with the belief that it is going to the School Safety Patrol.”
Doll pleaded not guilty after the charges were first filed in December.
“He is proceeding through the legal process with the intention of reaching a favorable resolution that is fair,” wrote Kasey Castillo, Doll’s attorney, in an emailed statement. “All allegations are just that, and Doll maintains his not guilty plea.”
Since the Professional Standards Unit launched its investigation, Doll has continued to receive his salary from SDPD, according to department salary records obtained by KPBS. In 2024, he made $122,000 in base pay and overtime; through March of this year, he made $34,000.
“Curtis Doll is still employed with the department,” wrote SDPD spokesperson Lt. Daniel Meyer in an email. “His position/title is Police Officer II. We are unable to comment any further due to the ongoing investigation and case you have cited.”
Meyer did not respond to emailed questions about the department’s actions after it learned about the investigation and charges against Doll.
Doll could lose his badge permanently, depending on the outcome of the case. A state law passed in 2021 created a system that strips officers of their state certification if they commit certain offenses — including “egregious” actions that violate the law. A felony conviction would also prohibit Doll from being a police officer in California.
A KPBS investigation found that, as of this spring, the state had decertified nearly 300 officers — including 20 in San Diego County.
Years of suspicious purchases
Doll has worked for the School Safety Patrol for “many years,” according to Korbecki’s testimony. According to the court hearing transcript, he was named director of the program around 2020.
For a few years, he was the only officer working in the program. Korbecki said the suspicious purchases started in spring of 2022 and continued for about two years. Doll allegedly purchased clothes, holsters, a display case for commemorative coins, pull-up diapers, a backpack cooler and testosterone supplements, among other items.
Purchases from the program’s bank account were supposed to happen via paper check to ensure proper accounting oversight. The Professional Standards Unit investigation alleges Doll opened a debit card tied to the account without approval.
Doll would have known the use of a debit card violated the School Safety Patrol’s operations manual, according to Korbecki. That’s because Doll himself wrote the manual.
The suspicious activity only surfaced when a lieutenant joined the School Safety Patrol and noticed the questionable purchases, Korbecki testified. Lieutenant Edwards, as she’s identified in the hearing transcript, began collecting receipts and purchase orders. She later shared the documents with the Professional Standards Unit.
The unit gained access to the program’s bank account and reviewed its transaction history. The investigators flagged thousands of dollars’ worth of suspicious purchases. Some items purchased with the debit card were later returned for cash.
The program’s bank account was reimbursed by Doll on at least a few occasions, Korbecki said, including a purchase for car tires.
‘Blown away’
Tasha Williamson, a local advocate for police accountability, attended the May 13 court hearing.
“I was, like, blown away,” Williamson said of the evidence presented. “I think it erodes trust … parents did not put their kids in this program to then have money embezzled.”
Williamson believes Doll should have been terminated or at least suspended without pay, given the amount of evidence presented at the hearing. She also criticized the department for not yet publicly addressing the criminal charges against Doll.
“Communication has to be open,” she said. “You have to (have) dialogue, even in the difficult times … this department is not being transparent.”
The judge found probable cause that Doll is guilty based on the evidence and allowed the case to move forward. The next hearing is an arraignment set for June 17.
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