Public Safety & Livable Neighborhoods Committee Meeting - October 28, 2020

The Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee met virtually on Wednesday, October 28, 2020, under executive order suspending certain Brown Act requirements due to COVID-19. Councilmembers participated via Zoom, and public comments were taken by phone and online. The committee approved the previous meeting's actions, considered a consent agenda item, and discussed three major items: a joint use agreement with San Diego Unified School District, an in-depth analysis of the police department's FY2021 budget by the Independent Budget Analyst (IBA), the San Diego County Food Vision 2030 plan, and an overview of the Neighborhood Policing Division's homeless outreach and diversion programs.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1 – Consultant Agreement with EFS Engineering, Inc.: The committee unanimously approved a consultant agreement for Az Vita Assessment Engineering and Special District Administrative Services. No public comment was made on this item beyond a brief caller.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Non-Agenda Comment: Francine Maxwell (NAACP San Diego branch president) urged the committee to issue a joint memo to the police chief requesting officers comply with policy on face masks, citing community trauma from certain masks worn by officers.
• Item 2 – Joint Use Agreements: Julie Dennis, parent of students at Curie Elementary, expressed excitement about the joint use field, noting benefits to the community.
• Item 3 – Police Budget Analysis: Multiple callers provided testimony.
  • Donna Cavastos (District 3) called for defunding the police and investing in communities, arguing that gang units target Black and brown youth.
  • Layla Aziz (Pillars of the Community) criticized the Special Operations Unit (formerly Gang Suppression Unit) for constitutional rights violations and called for reinvestment.
  • Francine Maxwell requested two community town halls before the mid-year budget review to discuss the IBA report.
  • Michael Kennington urged not to defund the police, arguing that social workers cannot handle violent encounters; supported partnering police with social workers and increasing PERT teams.
  • Claude Alexander (District 4, Pillars of the Community) argued that investing in social services would reduce the need for armed police intervention and highlighted that gang suppression units target Black and brown children.
  • Tasha Williamson called for defunding police contracts and training, stating that community organizations have proven effective in violence reduction.
  • Sammy Wilson (Pillars of the Community) criticized the gang unit, sharing a personal story of her son being handcuffed and left on a street, and called for redirecting funds to community needs.
• Item 5 – Neighborhood Policing Overview: Marshall Anderson (Downtown San Diego Partnership) praised the Neighborhood Policing Division and urged full funding for overtime. Holly Alexander (Southeast San Diego) expressed skepticism, stating that community policing differs by neighborhood and that the police are seen as an occupying force unless they acknowledge harm caused. John Brady (Voices of Our City) recognized positive changes but raised concerns about enforcement practices and requested investment in improved reporting systems.

Discussion Items

• Item 2 – Joint Use Agreements with San Diego Unified School District: Parks and Recreation Director Andy Fields presented five joint use agreements for Curie, Lindbergh Schweitzer, Pacific View, Paradise Hills, and Rowan Elementary Schools. The agreements, part of the Play All Day program, allocate city and district responsibilities for shared facilities (turf fields, tracks, parking) with 25-year terms. Construction is funded by school district bonds, and annual O&M costs are estimated at $50,000 per site. The committee unanimously approved forwarding the agreements to the full City Council.
• Item 3 – IBA Analysis of Police Department FY2021 Budget: IBA analyst Baku Patel presented a comprehensive report detailing the department's historical budget growth, personnel vs. non-personnel expenditures, overtime categories, vacancies, contracts, training costs, gang-related unit funding, and military-style equipment spending. Key findings: the budget grew $29 million from FY2020 to FY2021 with a decrease of 23 FTEs; personnel costs dominate; overtime is $38.1 million; gang-related unit budgets increased from $12.8M (FY2019) to $16.8M (FY2021) after reorganization; and the department receives grant funds from DHS's Urban Area Security Initiative. Councilmembers Kate and Moreno asked questions about staffing, recruitment during COVID, and the function of gang units. Chief Nisleigh noted the department is 101 sworn officers short of budgeted strength and emphasized lean staffing (1.2 officers per 1,000 residents). Councilmember Moreno raised concerns about targeted policing in certain communities.
• Item 4 – San Diego County Food Vision 2030: Tita Infosang and Rachel Oporto from the San Diego Food System Alliance presented a countywide plan for a healthier, more sustainable food system. They described an 18-month planning process with extensive community engagement (2,200 individuals, 60% from priority communities). Key themes: reducing hunger and food insecurity, minimizing food waste, addressing racial and ethnic disparities, supporting local farms and fisheries, and improving healthy food access. Strategies include improving community food environments, increasing viability of small businesses (especially BIPOC-owned), creating wealth-building opportunities, and scaling up local food value chains. Council President Pro Tem Brie asked for a tangible city action; the Alliance suggested exploring community asset and wealth building through business development. Councilmember Kate discussed partnerships on community gardens. Councilmember Moreno inquired about barriers in permitting and regulatory processes. No action was taken.
• Item 5 – Neighborhood Policing Division Overview: Captain Scott Wall presented an update on the division's homeless outreach and enforcement programs. He highlighted changes: increased training, uniform changes (polo shirts and cargo pants) for the Homeless Outreach Team (HOT), expansion to 7-day service, incorporation of public health nurse and social worker in outreach, and a progressive enforcement model (warning to citation to arrest) with a diversion program that waives tickets if individuals accept shelter for 30 days. The division uses the Get It Done app for reporting, receiving over 15,000 calls for encampments and cleanups in 2020, with a 77% customer satisfaction rating. The division removed 2,500 tons of trash. Captain Wall noted that HOT made 1,713 drop-offs to Operation Shelter to Home. Councilmembers praised the work, with Chair Montgomery Stepp and Councilmember Kate expressing support. Councilmember Moreno questioned the reconciliation of increased calls with decreased homeless counts and asked about the diversion program timeline if housing is unavailable.

Key Outcomes

• Approved:
  • Committee actions from October 7, 2020 (unanimous).
  • Consent agenda item 1 (consultant agreement) (unanimous).
  • Forwarded Item 2 (five joint use agreements) to the full City Council (unanimous).
• No Action Taken (informational items): Items 3, 4, and 5 were presented for discussion and public comment only; no votes were held.
• Next Steps: The IBA police budget report will be used to inform mid-year budget review; the committee will reconvene on November 18, 2020, at 9 a.m.