After being questioned by City Council members on various topics during an hour-long meeting this week, the mayor’s choice for San Diego’s next top cop was allowed to move forward, bringing him closer of the place.
Deputy Chief Scott Wahl, a 25-year veteran, was named head of the city’s police department in March. On Monday, council members heard from community members and publicly interviewed Wahl, addressing topics such as officer recruitment, racial disparities in police stops and reducing overtime — all long-standing issues in the within the county’s second-largest police agency.
Wahl covered a lot of ground during the two hours of back-and-forth, answering more than a dozen questions from council members and reiterating his main goals: building trust between the police department and San Diego’s communities , strengthen recruitment and retention efforts through agents. development and improving efficiency by overhauling the agency’s outdated organizational model.
“My vision as police chief is to build an inclusive organization that reflects the city we serve and is worthy of your trust and cooperation,” the San Diego native said.
Deputy Chief Scott Wahl addresses San Diego City Council members during a hearing Monday.
(Sandy Huffaker/For the San Diego Union-Tribune)
Several council members referenced the racial disparities that have long plagued San Diego police data. Studies have shown that people of color – particularly Black people – are stopped, searched and subjected to force at higher rates than their white counterparts, even after accounting for factors such as poverty and rates of violence. crime.
While discussing these disparities, Wahl said he wants community policing to be the foundation of everything the department does. Instead of directing law enforcement to solve neighborhood problems, he wants to partner with stakeholders and find solutions together.
“I recognize that these disparities exist, and I recognize and see the frustration, the emotion that comes with feeling like you’re not receiving fair and equal treatment under the law,” Wahl said. “I also see the men and women who come to work every day and risk their lives to protect and serve people they don’t even know.
“I submit to you all that both truths can be real and valid and exist at the same time.”
He also plans to centralize the department’s community policing efforts and bring in a civil policy expert to ensure decisions made across the organization are focused on equity.
Wahl often returns to what quickly became his central principle: establishing trust.
“This work is all about the relationships we build and cultivate, and I recognize that trusting relationships haven’t always been there,” he said. “In this business, without trust, nothing else we do matters. »
The Council, acting as a committee, voted 8-1 in favor of the nomination and will vote on whether to confirm Wahl next month. Only council member Henry Foster III, the new representative for District 4, which includes communities such as Lincoln Park, Skyline and Bay Terraces, dissented.
Dozens of community members expressed support for the mayor’s nomination. Residents who had worked with Wahl on his previous assignments called the deputy chief “uniquely qualified.” Many highlighted his history of collaboration with city stakeholders.
Deputy Police Chief Scott Wahl, left, takes a photo with community members before Monday’s meeting.
(Sandy Huffaker/For the San Diego Union-Tribune)
“I think it’s remarkable that we heard from dozens of people talking about Chief Wahl tonight, and no one said anything bad about him. It must be nice,” said council member Stephen Whitburn, wryly.
But a few speakers questioned the process that led to Wahl’s selection, arguing it wasn’t as community-centered as it could have been.
“Please know that we are ready to work with our next police chief, but we want you to stop using the progressive buzzwords, roll up your sleeves and ask the tough questions,” said longtime resident Francine Maxwell of Southeast San Diego and former state president. the San Diego branch of the NAACP, told council members. “It’s our tax money. It’s our black men who are arrested daily. Our BIPOC community is hungry to build a bridge into 21st century policing.
The deputy chief’s appointment follows a four-month nationwide search to find the city’s next police chief. Launched in November, the search included a series of meetings where residents could voice their thoughts on the department’s next head, the development of a survey collecting similar information and several interview panels with community leaders, of the city and law enforcement.
Foster noted that the last community meeting – held in his district – took place less than a week before the first round of interviews, apparently leaving the city little time to incorporate the community feedback it received before narrowing the field to seven candidates.
“I have to agree with some comments expressed by the public in my community that this project has been the subject of inside work for some time,” Foster said. “Mr. Wahl appearing before us today is no surprise.
Mayor Todd Gloria greets Deputy Chief Scott Wahl during a hearing Monday.
(Sandy Huffaker for the San Diego Union-Tribune)
During his decades-long career, Wahl served on a variety of assignments. He started as a patrol officer in the Southern Division, which includes communities such as San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, before becoming a detective in the vice unit. Wahl served as department spokesperson for three years and captain of the Northern Division, which encompasses many of the city’s largest beach communities, as well as the department’s organizational support division. He also helped the department establish its neighborhood policing division, which tackles issues such as homelessness.
He currently serves as deputy chief overseeing special projects and legislative affairs, a relatively new position.
“Deputy Chief Wahl shares my commitment to ensuring our police department reflects the needs and expectations of our community today,” Mayor Todd Gloria said Monday. “We know there are communities who are concerned about policing, and just as our city evolves and changes based on the needs and desires of our residents, so must our police department.
“Deputy Chief Wahl completely understands this.”
Current police chief David Nisleit is expected to retire in June. If confirmed, Wahl would be the third consecutive police chief to rise through the department’s ranks.
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