Public Safety Committee Meeting - February 15, 2023
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Public Safety Committee Meeting - February 15, 2023
The Public Safety Committee of the San Diego City Council met on February 15, 2023, at 2:00 PM. The meeting covered a consent agenda item, a discussion item on increasing fees for a sex trafficking education program, informational updates on the EMS ambulance contract and the fentanyl crisis, and the committee's 2023 work plan. The meeting included extensive public comment, with a strong focus on the proposed Protect Act.
Consent Calendar
- First Amendment to contract with Mallory Safety and Supply LLC – Approved unanimously without discussion.
Discussion Items
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Changes to the City Attorney's Sex Trafficking Education and Prevention Program (STEP) – Assistant City Attorney Paige Folkman and Chief Deputy City Attorney Angie Law presented a request to increase the penalty fee for defendants (Johns) from $200 to $600. The fee funds the program, which offers pre-plea diversion for first-time offenders charged with solicitation. The requested increase would expand the program from 3 to 8 hours, provide better compensation for panelists, purchase equipment, and fund survivor services. The program currently has a recidivism rate of less than 4% (based on a study through 2017). Public comment included concerns about program effectiveness and affordability, but the committee voted unanimously to forward the resolution to full council.
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Falk Mobile Health Corporation Contract Update – Fire Chief Keith Stoll and Assistant Chief Dave Gerboth provided an informational update on the ambulance service contract. Since contract implementation in June 2021, Falk has been unable to meet the required 900 advanced life support (ALS) unit hours per day, though hours have stabilized. The fire department is negotiating a contract amendment to adopt an "alliance model" where the city becomes a recognized EMS provider, subcontracts with multiple ambulance providers, and sets unit hours based on demand. In the interim, Falk would subcontract with a second provider. Falk reported a tentative labor agreement with the paramedic union (SDAPP), and 31 new paramedics are in training. Public comment included support from Falk and union leadership. No vote was taken.
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U.S. Department of Justice Informational Presentation on Fentanyl – Cindy Sitriani, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, presented an overview of the fentanyl crisis. She noted that 60% of fentanyl seized at the Southwest border comes through San Diego ports of entry. Fentanyl deaths in San Diego County increased by 2,366% from 2016 to 2021. The U.S. Attorney's Office has formed a multi-agency Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team targeting dealers responsible for overdoses. A fentanyl toolkit is available at SDPDATF.org. The office has provided presentations to thousands of students. Public comment highlighted the role of prevention and the need for education. No vote was taken.
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San Diego Police Department Update on Fentanyl – Captain Matt Novak and Lieutenant Bill Brown presented local enforcement efforts. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. The department participates in the regional NTF Team 10, investigates overdose deaths as crime scenes, uses OD mapping and TruNarc analyzers to detect fentanyl. Mayor Gloria signed an executive order prioritizing enforcement against fentanyl sales. Public comment included questions about the Protect Act's impact on policing. No vote was taken.
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Public Safety Committee Work Plan for Calendar Year 2023 – Chair von Wilpert introduced the work plan, which prioritizes EMS system oversight, fentanyl and opioid response, mental health crisis teams, gun violence prevention, and more. Chair clarified that the Protect Act is not explicitly named but will be docketed for a future meeting once a draft is ready. Extensive public comment – over 150 written comments and many callers – addressed the Protect Act, with speakers both supporting and opposing it. Proponents cited racial disparities in stops; opponents argued it would hinder policing. No vote was taken. The next meeting is scheduled for March 15, 2023.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Multiple members of the public spoke on agenda items. On the STEP fee increase, callers raised concerns about program outcomes and cost. On the ambulance contract, Jeff Bean of Falk and Tony Sorcy of SDAPP supported the collaboration. On fentanyl presentations, callers emphasized prevention and education, with specific requests to limit marijuana flavors and packaging to protect youth. On the work plan, the majority of public comment focused on the Protect Act, with both strong support and opposition expressed.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar (Item 1) – Approved unanimously.
- STEP Program Fee Increase (Item 2) – Approved unanimously to forward to City Council.
- EMS Contract Update (Item 3) – Informational; no action taken. Amendment expected at March committee meeting.
- Fentanyl Presentations (Items 4 & 5) – Informational; no votes. Chair noted that next month's committee will hear from health and human services on opioid settlement use.
- Work Plan (Item 6) – Informational; no vote. Chair committed to docketing the Protect Act when ready and noted the work plan is a guiding document, not a binding legislative agenda.
Meeting Transcript
All right, good afternoon, good afternoon, everybody. Welcome to the public safety committee meeting of February 15th, 2023 at two PM. Our uh until further notice, our committee meetings will be conducted pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code Section 54. While the public is allowed to attend the meetings in person, we encourage you to maintain six feet of social distance as well as follow California mask guidelines where masks are strongly recommended. In addition to being able to attend in person, this meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the committee liaison will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. Committee member Campio. Here. And I am also present. Also attending our meeting today is Laura Easton with the Office of the City Attorney. Baku Patel with the office of the IBA, Chloe Madison, opposite the mayor, and Sarah Jordan, our committee liaison. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of chambers and place it in the box indicated at the speaker's lecture and at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can join us by webinar on the computer, tablet, or smartphone by accessing the link which is listed online in the preamble language of the agenda on the city's webpage. To join the Zoom webinar by telephone, please dial 1669-254-5252. When prompted, it put webinar ID 1614-8702 pound sign. This information is also available on the agenda and will appear on the screen during public comment period for each item. A quorum is now present. We will be taking up the committee actions and all of the items in order, but because we have outside speakers who have a time certain to leave, we will be taking non-agenda public comment at the end, just for this meeting. And we will begin with uh the approval of the committee actions of January 18th, 2023. Sarah, please please proceed with any public comment on the committee actions of January 18th. Chair, the public comment period for the committee actions is now open. If you are in person, please be sure to have the speaker slip submitted and come up to the reserved seats at the front of the room when your name is called. Members of the public who wish to provide testimony via a call-in or an internet-based service option must enter the virtual speaking queue within five minutes after the conclusion of in-person public testimony or before the virtual speaking queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. If you have already joined the Zoom webinar online or by phone, please raise your hand if you wish to speak. You can do so by selecting the raise your hand button or input star nine if by phone. If you are watching on City TV or the live stream online and would like to call into the meeting to speak, please call 1669-254-5252 and when prompted, input webinar ID 161-413-8702 pound. I will announce when it is your turn to speak. Unmute yourself by either selecting the unmute button or by inputting star six. We currently have no speakers in chambers, but we do have eight speakers on the committee actions. So we will begin with Blair Beekman. Blair Beekman, I've given you permission to speak. Please unmute yourself and provide your comments on the committee actions. Hi, uh, I think I'm I'm I'm waiting for uh non-agenda public comment. Is that coming up? That is going to be coming up at the end of the meeting, and so I will move along and then just please wait for that item to come up to raise your hand. Thank you so much. Thank you. Again, this is for the committee actions. So moving along, we will go to Ming Zhu. Ming Zhu, I've given you permission to speak on the committee actions. Please unmute yourself and provide your comments. Um hi, this is Ming Zhou. Um I oppose the dangerous CT ordinance preventing over police systems. This is for the excuse. Excuse me, Ming Zhu. This is for the this is comment period for the committee actions only right now. Oh, okay. So if you so no problem. If you can please listen for the non-agenda public item to come up at the end of the meeting, that is when you would raise your hand to provide your comment.
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