San Diego Public Safety Committee Meeting - September 18, 2024
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San Diego Public Safety Committee Meeting - September 18, 2024
The Public Safety Committee of the San Diego City Council met on September 18, 2024, at 10:00 AM. Chair Von Wilpert presided, with Vice Chair Campio and Councilmember Whitburn present. Councilmember Campbell was absent. The meeting included non-agenda public comment, approval of consent calendar minutes, and three informational items: the annual tobacco report, an update on the Resource Access Program (RAP), and enforcement of street racing, sideshow takeovers, and unsanctioned car meets.
Consent Calendar
- The committee approved the minutes of the July 10, 2024, meeting unanimously (Councilmember Campbell absent).
Public Comments & Testimony
Non-Agenda Public Comment:
- Parita and Cesar Javier reported ongoing health and safety issues from a neighbor's ceramic kiln operation, citing air quality concerns and inadequate enforcement. They urged the city to take action.
- Joy Sanyada expressed condolences for Officer Austin Majitar, who died in a line-of-duty crash, and criticized the Commission on Police Practices for limiting police pursuits.
- Lori Saldania, Andrew Staples, and Danny Avidia testified about the failure of the sexual assault kit tracking system. Staples described being drugged and assaulted, then experiencing a seven-and-a-half-month ordeal with inaccurate information and lack of communication from SDPD and LA County Sheriff's Department. They called for accountability and systemic reform.
- Blair Beekman discussed Memorial Park lighting, noting that the city clarified it is for sports fields only, with no surveillance technology.
- Catherine Douglas raised concerns about the inability of SDPD patrol officers to verify real-time availability at safe parking lots, citing an unmanned phone line.
- Several speakers addressed marijuana and public safety: Becky Rapp noted increased driving under marijuana influence; Kathleen Lippett cited research on THC's role in suicide deaths and psychosis among youth; Peggy Walker called for banning unregulated hemp products marketed to minors; Shelby Huffaker presented data showing cannabis legalization did not increase youth use and argued for expanding licensed retailers through social equity programs.
Public Comment on Item 2 (Tobacco Report):
- Cesar Javier again raised the ceramic kiln issue, linking it to tobacco and marijuana smoke.
- Blair Beekman questioned the use of decoy operations, suggesting they might constitute entrapment.
- Virtual speakers: Barbara Gordon urged stronger retail tobacco ordinance; Megan Stewart highlighted youth vaping and called for more decoy operations; Kathleen Lippett supported enforcement; Judy Strang requested more detailed presentations including district-level data.
Public Comment on Item 3 (RAP Update):
- Joyce Sanyada praised the program's holistic approach and urged continued support.
- Blair Beekman commended the work but cautioned against over-reliance on conservatorship, emphasizing human rights.
- Virtual speakers: A caller expressed concern about conservatorship and drug treatment, arguing for stable housing and root cause solutions. Kelly McCormick supported the program but stressed primary prevention.
Public Comment on Item 4 (Street Racing Enforcement):
- Blair Beekman emphasized the need for community involvement beyond staff reports.
- Catherine Douglas suggested providing a designated venue for racing and criticized pandemic-era police reductions.
- Barry Voz (Mira Mesa Town Council) highlighted economic losses at malls due to unsanctioned car meets, including lost revenue, damages, and higher insurance costs.
- Catherine Douglas (second comment) thanked the police for their work.
Discussion Items
Item 2: Annual Tobacco Report
- Lieutenant Kellington of SDPD presented the 2023 report. Key points: 1,145 active state tobacco licenses, 786 city permits issued; $207,160 in fees collected (up from $177,585 in 2019). 25 covert decoy inspections resulted in 2 citations (both for flavored tobacco). 141 overt inspections found 80% correction rate for violations, 93% for flavored tobacco. The 8% illegal sales rate to juveniles was a 13.58% decrease from 2019. Chair Von Wilpert, who sponsored the 2023 flavored tobacco ban, asked about enforcement resources and fines. Lieutenant Kellington noted the program is grant-funded and relies on volunteers; fines are adjudicated through courts. The committee discussed the need for more decoy operations and potential fine increases.
Item 3: Resource Access Program (RAP) Update
- Deputy Chief Pierce, Battalion Chief Newell, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Kahn, PA Kevin Pascal, and Lyft Program Manager Crystal Robbins presented. RAP uses a holistic, longitudinal approach for high-utilizers of 911 services, assessing patients via the CPS Merits tool. Adding physician assistants in 2022 has expanded care. The Lyft program provides long-term case management and conservatorship petitions. The program saved an estimated $900,000+ annually in EMS response costs. Expansion plans include increasing Suboxone use, long-acting injectables, non-emergency response teams, and partnerships with hospitals. SB 43 implementation (expanding gravely disabled definition) is anticipated January 1, 2025, but bed capacity concerns were noted. Committee members praised the program and asked about funding, dispatch integration, and cost recovery. PA Pascal described self-dispatching to meet patients at hospitals.
Item 4: Enforcement of Street Racing, Sideshow Takeovers, and Unsanctioned Car Meets
- Detective Sergeant John Ample and Investigator Jason Costanza presented a detailed overview. They described three subcultures: sideshow takeovers, street racing, and unsanctioned car meets. Calls for service increased 553% from 2016 to 2021 but declined after targeted enforcement. The presentation included videos of dangerous behavior, damage to intersections (e.g., $11,237 at Broadway/Pacific Highway, $9,675 at Genesee/Esplanade), and involved crimes: firearms, fraud, smuggling, DUI. Officers use court-ordered vehicle seizures (30-day impound) and vehicle forfeitures (destruction) as alternatives to dangerous pursuits. An early 2000s ordinance led to a 99% reduction in organized street racing; the department is working with the city attorney to revive vehicle forfeiture. Councilmember Whitburn noted the intersection in his district and asked about the 30-day seizure process. Chair Von Wilpert praised the investigative work on social media and discussed potential collaboration with social media companies. The committee emphasized support for additional resources and a dedicated dragnet enforcement.
Key Outcomes
- The consent calendar minutes were approved unanimously.
- The committee received the annual tobacco report and the RAP update as informational items, with no formal votes.
- The committee received the street racing enforcement presentation; Chair Von Wilpert indicated she would submit a legal services request regarding social media liability and will work to support additional funding for enforcement.
- The next regular meeting of the Public Safety Committee is scheduled for October 16, 2024, at 2:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Right, wonderful. We are going to start. Good afternoon. Welcome to the public safety committee meeting of September 18th. I can't believe it's September 18th, uh, 2024. Our committee liaison Sarah Jordan will provide information and instructions for the public to participate in today's meeting. Sarah, please proceed. Thank you, Chair Von Wilpert. Well, members of the public are able to attend the meeting in person. This meeting is being televised and live streamed on the city's website, and the council administration will continue to make arrangements for the public to comment using the Zoom webinar platform. 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 queue is exhausted, whichever occurs first. This will allow for better meeting management between the two platforms and ensure the committee is able to manage and conduct city business. We appreciate the public's cooperation. Chair Von Wilbert. All right, Sarah. Vice Chair Kempio. Here. Committee member Campbell. Committee member Whitburn. Sure. Chair Von Wilpert. President. And also attending the meeting today is Laura Easton from the office of the city attorney. Bakup Patel from the office of the IBA and Coda Zeiser from the office of the mayor. If you are in person, please complete a speaker slip located at the entrance of the committee room and place it at the box indicated on the table at the front of the room. Please do so in a timely manner to ensure proper meeting management. Members of the public can join the webinar by 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 1669-2545242 and when prompted, input webinar ID 161-215-0336 pound. Members of the public who wish to provide virtual testimony must enter the virtual queue by raising their hand before the queue closes. And as a reminder, this queue will close when the last virtual speaker finishes speaking or five minutes after in-person testimony ends, whichever happens first. Please note that if you are watching via City TV 24 or online, there may be delay. Please participate via the audio on your phone and mute your TV or computer when it's your turn to speak. If you wish to speak on a particular item, please wait for that item to be called. And then raise your hand to speak by tapping the raise your hand icon, or if you are a call-in participant by pressing star nine on your phone. If you raise your hand during a non-comment period, your hand will be lowered. Thank you very much for reviewing the instructions on how to participate for the benefit of the public. But before non-agenda public comment, I want to take a point of privilege as a chair just to acknowledge the memory of Officer Austin Majitar, who was a dedicated member of the San Diego Police Department, who tragically lost his life in the line of duty recently, a few weeks ago. Austin was a Chula Vista native and a 2012 graduate of Otie Ranch High School. He joined the San Diego Police Department in March of 2019 and just recently celebrated his 30th birthday. He was featured prominently in our San Diego police recruiting materials and flyers because he cared about bringing in more people to our great police department. In his five and a half years as a police officer, Austin served our community with an unwavering commitment to public safety and a genuine smile that everyone said brightened the room when he came in. He exemplified courage and compassion, leaving a a lasting impact on those he served. His legacy of service and his spirit of adventure will always be remembered with deep respect and gratitude here by the city hall. Our thoughts are with his family and friends and all word hall, who were touched by his kindness and dedication. We will be celebrating Officer uh Office Austin's life coming up on Saturday, September 21st. And we are also thinking deeply for Officer Zach Martinez, who was critically injured in the same incident. Luckily, he is out of the hospital, but he has a long road to recovery. So just wanted to take a moment to thank our officers and our firefighters and all in our lifeguards, all of our first responders for literally putting your your bodies and your lives on the lines to protect the rest of us. And with that, we will uh now move on to our agenda, beginning with a non-agenda public comment. The council members respect and appreciate the public's input and are fully committed to protecting every participant's free speech rights at council and committee meetings.
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