Sailboats and Jet Skis dot the cityscape as Harbor Police Cpl. Mario Martinez expertly guides the firefighting patrol boat around patches of entangled seaweed, responding to a call of possible human remains near the tip of Point Loma.
With a strong ocean breeze at their backs, Martinez and his partner, Officer Eugene Wheeldon, accompany a specialized Harbor Police dive team to a spot near a secluded stretch of beach just off the tip of the Peninsula on a recent sunny day.
The Harbor Police dive team responds to the site to search for any sign of the remains. Though the remains turn out to be those of an unidentified marine mammal, the response symbolizes the life-and-death nature of the job for San Diego Harbor Police officers.
Martinez explains the agency’s most important role.
“Out on the water, the only thing standing between you and death is us,” he said.
Harbor Police have one of the most comprehensive law enforcement jobs in the city, encompassing different roles, with each requiring a unique skill set: law enforcement officer, sea vessel firefighter, detective and first responder. Not only do they have to know municipal laws, they need a working knowledge of California Fish and Game Code and admiralty law.
Admiralty, or maritime law, is the body of law governing ships and shipping on the water.
Under the auspices of the Unified Port of San Diego, about 145 officers provide sometimes the only law enforcement and fire protection for San Diego Bay, San Diego International Airport and surrounding harbors, docks and hotels.
Four officers on two boats patrol the harbor around the clock. This particular boat is especially equipped with hoses and other equipment to put out boat fires.
If a fire breaks out, Martinez and Wheeldon will head to the blaze if a call comes in. As one officer drives the boat, the other changes into fire-protection gear similar to what a firefighter would wear to fight fires on land.
Martinez said a Harbor Police officer can change from uniformed patrol officer to fully equipped firefighter ” ready to search a blazing inferno for victims ” in four minutes.
It’s vital that officers arrive at the scene quickly because a vessel fire can spread to others quickly ” particularly when docked close to boats, Wheeldon said.
For Wheeldon, however, that’s all part of the duty.
“That’s our job, saving lives,” he said.
According to Martinez, Harbor Police respond to about 30 vessel fires each year.
But officers’ skills go well beyond firefighting.
Officer Carissa Zettel has been a Harbor Police officer since 2005. She said her job often includes taking on the role of a detective when gathering evidence of a crime.
“People see us and think, ‘Oh, no, they’re just [airport] security,'” she said as she walks along the airport terminal. “[But] I am the detective. I’m the alpha and the omega.”
Zettel scans the terminal with watchful eyes, looking for suspicious activity, before kindly helping a traveler with directions.
Firefighter, police officer, welcoming committee ” the officers do it all.
Officers rotate between posts on the water, at the airport or on vehicle patrol and can be a part of a bicycle team, diving team, canine or other specialized units.
At least three patrol vehicles must stand watch at the airport and tidelands in cities like San Diego, Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach and National City.
Starting salaries for the San Diego Police Department ranges from $46,000-$48,000 a year, according to the city’s police officer application process posted online. The starting salary for a Harbor Police officer is about $59,000, according to the officers.
Within the last year, the department received about three new Dodge Magnums equipped with enhanced radio communication to coordinate between various law enforcement agencies. But officers say the department as a whole lacks the resources a burgeoning department needs.
“We need a new headquarters,” said airport patrol Sgt. Steve Byrd.
The current department headquarters sits just opposite Lindbergh Field at 1401 Shelter Island Drive. Though the exterior looks newly painted, the architecture is reminiscent of a 1950s-style building.
“We’ve outgrown this one,” Byrd said.
Lack of resources aside, the department continues to receive accolades from the Port board of commissioners for a job well done.
Commissioners recently honored Cpl. David Marshall and Officer Brad Wiebke for saving the life of a man who fell, along with an Oceanside police dog, more than 200 feet from the Coronado Bridge in early April.