I am a 28-year veteran officer of the San Diego Police Department, currently assigned as a pilot and tactical flight officer in the police helicopter, call sign “ABLE.” Due to my assignment, I have a unique perspective of the police understaffing issue that most do not. It is because of this perspective that I feel obligated to write about how understaffing adversely affects the safety of the police officers sworn to protect you and the level of police response you may or may not receive.
I spend approximately six to seven hours each shift providing aerial support and covering the police officers on the ground citywide. While they struggle with the understaffing within their respective divisions, I experience its effects across the entire department.
I do not have specific statistics. I only have my nearly 11 years of experience in the Air Support Unit to tell you there are simply not enough patrol cops to adequately handle the calls for service in this city anymore. I’m not just talking about the lower priority calls such as property crimes and annotating reports of crimes that have already occurred. I’m also referring to the Priority 1 and 2 calls such as crimes involving physical violence and crimes in progress.
While ABLE is statistically the first police unit to arrive on scene at approximately 50 percent of the calls we respond to, it is not uncommon anymore to be the only police unit on scene. We do a good deal of “check and advise” to help the communications division triage the level of response should ground units become available.
For the priority calls that do ultimately generate a uniformed patrol response, I see an alarming trend developing. Officers are either finding themselves “” or worse, putting themselves “” in situations where they are seriously outnumbered and/or at a tactical disadvantage. I believe the minimal staffing, coupled with the officer’s need and/or desire to provide the citizens some level of police response, is responsible for such a situation.
One of the most common things I have witnessed of late is the compelling desire for ground officers to declare “Code-4” (meaning no further assistance is needed), even when the situation clearly calls for backup. Two officers attempting to detain, pat down and control seven potential criminals in a darkened alley is anything but Code-4. When asked why this occurs, officers have stated that with such thin staffing levels, they feel the situation may only deteriorate further should they wait for adequate assistance to arrive from a significant distance.
While better equipment and tactics have become available over the years, there is still a need for officers to exercise basic common sense and street smarts in order to police effectively and safely. Unfortunately, the latter is the product of experience, and, as is sadly becoming apparent, the SDPD is losing its experienced mentors at an alarming rate.
With limited human resources there comes a point of physical impossibility in providing a uniformed police response to all who request it. While some continue to debate if we are at that point or not, I suggest that it should never be the concern of those police officers on-duty.
I am not advocating the shirking of their duties and responsibilities or for one second suggesting they not get involved immediately when needed to protect human life.
I am advocating, however, that officers seriously evaluate and assess the level of risk for each and every dispatch and respond in a manner that does not unnecessarily sacrifice or jeopardize their personal safety.
Their No. 1 goal while at work should always be to go home to their loved ones at the end of shift.
Donnie Borinski is a pilot with the San Diego Police Department air support team and a Point Loma resident.