Cops and civilians traded places Saturday, March 4 at The San Diego Police Department’s “Inside SDPD: Citizens learn first hand about Use of Force, Police Procedures,” interactive program at Miramar College.
“After today you will have a different viewpoint of what a toy gun is versus what an officer sees,” said Assistant Chief Howard Kendall, to those gathered for a inside look at the job of a police officer.
“This will give you a sense of what officers have to go through every day.”
Some in the diverse audience were interested in pursing a career in law enforcement, others just curious to know the daily goings on of those that protect and serve the community.
With recent incidents sparking criticism against the SDPD’s use of deadly force, the program, sponsored by the San Diego Police Foundation, was a good opportunity to review policies that officers follow when situations get ugly.
“There is a sanctity to life,” Kendall said. “We need to be paying attention to it. Just because someone is trying to hurt us doesn’t mean they automatically forfeit their life.”
Kendall said that when Chief Bill Lansdowne took over the department in 2003, he went straight to officers for suggestions to reduce the number of police-involved shootings. The results have been positive, he said.
Lansdowne said that in 1991, there were 21 officer shootings involving suspects armed with guns, or weapons such as sticks and bottles. By 2004 and 2005, this number had been reduced to six shootings, all involving suspects armed with guns.
“It’s a noble cause and a noble enterprise that we do, said Lansdowne. “This city is safe because of the hard work of the police department.”
Lansdowne also said that even though SDPD is one of the most understaffed, under equipped and underpaid large city departments in the country, it still has been instrumental in San Diego having one of the lowest violent crime rates among large cities.
Lansdowne added that San Diego is enjoying the lowest violent crime rate it has seen in 30 years.
The chief also praised a drop in gang violence, which has declined 45 percent, and cited San Diego’s high arrest rate for homicides. In San Diego, Lansdowne said, there is a 90 percent arrest rate for homicides, compared to 42 percent nationally.
A big push throughout the presentation was for new recruits. The police department is currently short about 125 officers, and every month that number grows by about 10 due to attrition.
There are immediate openings for officers, though officials do acknowledge it is difficult to recruit and retain staff, because the city’s dire financial state threatens officer compensation and a high cost of living has made it difficult to live and work in San Diego.
After Chief Lansdowne, Sgt. Shaun Donelson introduced the audience to various non-lethal weapons that SDPD utilizes. These include batons, tasers, flashlights and pepper spray.
Donelson showed the audience three types of guns and asked them to identify the toy gun. After various guesses, he said that they were all toy guns, and said that an adult carrying a toy gun would be treated as if they were carrying a real gun, because it is very difficult to distinguish them in a highly tense situation in the field.
The sergeant, who said that his real number one rule is to come home safe every night, also addressed the issue why several shots often are fired at suspects. He said that because of adrenaline or size, a suspect can still have the momentum to charge and harm an officer even after being shot. As a result, he said, officers, “shoot until the threat is stopped.”
Wenda Alvarez, CEO of the San Diego Police Foundation, then introduced San Diego’s domestic violence video testimony program, where officers tape a victim’s testimony on the scene of the incident. It allows the department to gather evidence immediately at the crime scene. This has reduced the number of victims who recant and drop charges days later, she said.
Alvarez said that 98 percent of suspects that have videotaped testimony against them plead guilty, and that the evidence is so overwhelming that many of them go through the system to the penalty phases, saving taxpayer money.
After the presentations, attendees went to break out sessions to learn more about the SDPD horse program, see a canine demonstration, and get their chance to be an officer using simulation technology and staged traffic stops.
The program received positive reviews from attendees.
“Even though you know it’s fake, you still get a real adrenaline rush,” said Stephen Brown, a communications tech at AT&T that was invited to attend the presentation. Brown assists the department with communication in hostage situations. “You get a little hint about what it’s like to be a police officer,” he said.
Inside SDPD is open to all members of the community. The next presentation will be held May 6. It costs $15 ($10 for seniors and students). For more information call (858) 453-5060 or e-mail [email protected].
Other upcoming SDPD events include “Inside SDPD Breakfast with the K-9’s” on Thursday, April, 20, 8 a.m. and the “Beyond the Headlines” fund-raiser lunch in September.