Public Safety Committee Meeting – September 18, 2025

The Public Safety Committee of the San Diego City Council met in a special session on September 18, 2025, to consider a consent agenda, a grand jury response, and informational updates on opioid response and wildfire preparedness. The committee heard public testimony on several items and unanimously passed a motion to recommend approval of the city's response to a grand jury report on the Gaslamp Quarter enforcement team.

Consent Calendar

• Item 1: Approval of the committee minutes from July 23, 2025.
• Item 2: Second amendment to an agreement with Medical Priority Dispatch Corporation for the San Diego Fire Rescue Department.
• Both items were approved unanimously (3-0) with no items pulled from consent. A virtual speaker expressed support for Item 2 but noted confusion over the dollar amounts in the agenda materials.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Cesar Javier (speaking for himself and Perita Javier) addressed multiple agenda items. On the consent agenda, he criticized the department's name and urged recruiting San Diegans as firefighters. On Item 4 (UCSD Health pilot), he accused the city of corruption and wasteful spending, urging use of existing 9-1-1 systems. On the grand jury response, he called for problem-solving and use of treasury revenues. On the SDG&E wildfire presentation, he asked about discounts for preparedness and questioned water supply readiness.
• Perita Javier spoke during non-agenda public comment, listing safety concerns from her residential community, including ceramics toxicity, home invasions, fast traffic, and erosion.
• Sammy (Little Italy resident) described alleged ongoing harassment and identity theft by a property management company, stating that calls to 911 did not go through.
• Virtual speaker (phone ending 8700) raised equality concerns in the city's workforce and supported the opioid program while expressing distress about three daily overdose deaths. On the grand jury report, she shared a personal experience living downtown and spoke about healing from loss of the promenade.
• Peggy Walker urged support for a citywide smoke-free multi-unit housing policy, citing health risks from secondhand smoke and marijuana vapor.
• Terry Ann Skelly supported smoke-free laws, referencing the American Cancer Society’s statement on their effectiveness.
• Judy Strang highlighted youth substance use prevention month and linked substance use to public safety issues such as domestic violence and child neglect.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 – Proposed Response to Grand Jury Report (Gaslamp Quarter Enforcement): Erin Noel and Pakou from the Office of the Independent Budget Analyst presented the draft response. The grand jury report highlighted public safety concerns, staffing shortages, and need for daytime bicycle patrols. The proposed city response agreed with some findings (e.g., need for concerted enforcement) but disagreed in part on bike patrols, citing operational limitations. Recommendation 5 (funding for more bike officers) was marked as not reasonable given 200+ unfilled sworn positions. Councilmember Whitburn noted that a few bars cause problems and called for ABC enforcement; he made a motion to approve the response. Councilmember Campbell seconded and suggested recruiting officers from colder cities. Commander Adam Shark thanked the committee and noted ongoing efforts. The motion passed 3-0.
• Item 4 – UCSD Health Transition Support Team Pilot Program Update (Informational): Dr. Steve Koe presented data showing 1,200 overdose deaths in San Diego in 2023 (62% fentanyl-related) and 30-40% of emergency department visits with substance-related diagnoses. The pilot program, using two licensed social workers in La Jolla and Hillcrest EDs, increased assessments and referrals by 20-23%. Expansion plans include 7-day staffing, psychiatric nurse practitioners in community sites, and continued physician leadership at no cost to the city. Councilmember Campbell shared personal and professional perspectives on addiction, praising the program and urging early intervention. Councilmember Whitburn noted most participants are homeless and highlighted the value of holistic care. Chair Von Wilpert explained the program is funded by opioid settlement money and emphasized coordinated care from ER to street. No vote was taken.
• Item 5 – SDG&E Wildfire Safety and PSPS Preparedness (Informational): Bernadette Buckowitz and Caitlin Haley presented on SDG&E’s weather monitoring, public safety power shutoff (PSPS) protocols, and mitigation efforts (grid hardening, cameras, sectionalizing). The 2025 outlook shows elevated fire risk in coastal areas, possibly affecting communities new to PSPS. They reminded attendees to update contact info at MyEnergyCenter and call 211 for resources during a PSPS. Chair Von Wilpert noted SDG&E’s improvement since the 2007 Witch Creek fire and asked about access to generators and hotel stays for medically dependent customers. Councilmember Campbell thanked the team, mentioning work with the San Diego River Conservancy. Councilmember Whitburn emphasized the growing danger of canyon fires and encouraged the public to heed PSPS warnings. No vote was taken.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda: Approved unanimously (3-0).
• Item 3 (Grand jury response): Motion to recommend full council approval of the proposed response passed 3-0. The response includes agreeing with some findings, disagreeing in part on daytime bike patrols, and recommending against additional funding for bike officers until sworn vacancies are filled.
• All other items were informational; no motions or votes were required.
• Next regular Public Safety Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.