SDPD proposes shutting down its Northwestern Division
Reporting live from Carmel Valley, Richard Allen delivers an on-the-ground perspective on the proposed closure of San Diego Police Department's Northwestern Division, a move that would consolidate it with the Northeastern Division. The potential cost savings, estimated at $4.2 million through this consolidation and the elimination of 13 citywide command positions, are at the center of a debate that's quickly gaining momentum. The community, particularly residents of Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, Sorrento Valley, and Black Mountain Ranch, are voicing deep concerns about how this budget-driven restructuring could impact their safety and the timeliness of police responses.
- Chief Wall, the San Diego Police Chief, attempted to reassure residents that police presence would be maintained, even if operations were shifted to a new location, stating the plan is to "maintain a footprint in Northwestern division."
- Michelle Strauss, Chair of the Carmel Valley Planning Group, highlighted the critical need for rapid response times, emphasizing that even in a perceived low-crime area, immediate police intervention is vital in emergencies: "If someone needs to call the police because their house is being broken into...they need to know that the police are gonna respond in a timely manner."
- City Council President Joe Laova emphasized the importance of citizen input, and that there will be a public forum on May 5th at 6 p.m. where residents can offer feedback on the city budget. The budget is expected to be adopted by June 10th and will take effect July 1st.
Budget Cuts Put Public Safety at Risk: Northwestern Police Station Closure Lacks Detailed Impact Analysis
April 25, 2025
SAN DIEGO — As the City of San Diego grapples with a massive $258 million budget deficit, one controversial cost-cutting measure has residents and officials alike questioning whether financial savings will come at the expense of public safety.
Mayor Todd Gloria's draft budget proposal includes plans to shutter the San Diego Police Department's Northwestern Division station in Carmel Valley, a move projected to save the city approximately $1.7 million. The proposal would transfer 22 patrol officers to the Northeastern Division based in Rancho Peñasquitos, while 11 supervisors and 2 detectives would be reassigned to fill vacant positions across the city.
SDPD's own budget document acknowledges significant drawbacks to the consolidation, stating it "may impact patrol response times and could weaken collaboration between police and residents in surrounding communities. Eliminating detective positions may hamper our ability to solve crimes in a timely manner and will lead to additional workloads for remaining staff."
Lack of Detailed Analysis
Despite the significant operational changes proposed, city officials have not released any comprehensive cost-benefit analysis or impact study examining how the closure would affect emergency response times, vehicle maintenance expenses, or operational efficiencies.
When NBC 7 Investigates filed a public records request seeking internal memos between city officials and the police department about plans for the Northwestern station, the city denied the request, stating that disclosing the information "would chill the city's ability to have open and frank discussions about pre-decisional, deliberative matters."
This lack of transparency has raised concerns among community members and some city council members who argue that such a significant change deserves thorough public examination.
Response Time Concerns
Data obtained through public records requests shows the Northwestern Division was already the second slowest to respond to "Priority Zero" emergency calls during a nine-month period last year. Priority Zero calls, which include imminent threats to life such as an officer down or attempted suicide, have a target response time of seven minutes.
The slowest division during that period was Northeastern—the same division that would absorb Northwestern's territory and patrol officers under the proposed consolidation. Northeastern already encompasses the largest geographic area in the city.
Michelle Strauss, chair of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Group, expressed shock when the draft budget went public. "To be honest, I didn't really believe it could be true," Strauss said. "How would you feel if you had to call 911 because someone was breaking into your home, and they didn't respond quickly? That's a frightening scenario."
Facility and Vehicle Costs Unexamined
The Northwestern Division police station, located on El Camino Real in Carmel Valley, is a relatively modern facility. According to COAR Design Group, which served as the prime consultant on the project, the 22,000-square-foot police station and 5,500-square-foot vehicle maintenance facility was completed in February 2007 at a construction cost of $14.1 million.
The proposal doesn't address what would happen to this 18-year-old facility, whether it would be repurposed, leased, or sold. There's also no discussion of the potential increased vehicle maintenance costs that could result from patrol officers traveling greater distances from the Northeastern station to cover the same patrol areas.
Transportation and logistics experts note that increased travel distances for patrol officers could lead to higher fuel consumption, more vehicle wear and tear, and potentially longer response times during high-traffic periods. However, no detailed analysis of these factors has been presented to the public or city council.
Police Department Response
Police Chief Scott Wahl defended the proposed cuts, emphasizing that patrol officers would still serve the same areas but report to a different station. "We're just shifting the front-line personnel to come out of that Northeastern substation," Wahl said. "The same amount of personnel will be working in the area, we're just cutting the command and overhead essentially to save money."
The chief acknowledged citywide response time issues, noting, "Our response times are above where they should be city-wide. That's because of our staffing levels." He pointed to overtime as the solution, though the department's overtime budget would be slashed by $3 million in the same proposal.
The Financial Picture
While the SDPD's overall budget would increase by $29 million compared to last year, most of that increase is allocated to previously negotiated pension payouts and salary raises, according to city financial officials. The Northwestern station closure represents one of several difficult decisions facing city leaders as they attempt to close the budget gap.
San Diego Police Officers Association President Jared Wilson opposes the consolidation. "The primary job of local government is when you [call] 911, someone picks up and then they send someone to get to you. The police car, a fire truck and ambulance," Wilson said. "And we are failing at that right now in the city of San Diego."
Community Impact
The Northwestern Division serves several northern San Diego communities, including Carmel Valley, Del Mar Heights, Sorrento Valley, Torrey Preserve, Torrey Highlands, North City, and Black Mountain Ranch. The division serves a community of close to 70,822 residents and encompasses an area of 41.6 square miles.
Local resident Laurie Altschul voiced concerns at a recent city council meeting. "If the station is closed and services are instead routed through the Rancho Peñasquitos station, response times could double or worse," she said. "As a parent, this is simply unacceptable."
For Del Mar Union School Board Member Alan Kholos, the concern goes beyond response times to established relationships with law enforcement. "In theory, that could work, but the reality is we've developed relationships with the patrol officers and the supervisory staff, and the further they get away from us geographically, we just lose touch," Kholos said.
Station's Future
According to SDPD, the Carmel Valley facility would likely remain open in a limited capacity. The front desk would still be accessible for residents to report crimes, and the station would continue to house the department's Telephone Reporting Unit of approximately 21 officers and about a dozen Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol members.
However, no specific plans have been announced regarding potential alternative uses for the partially vacant building or whether the city might lease portions of it to recover costs.
The Road Ahead
The proposed cuts come as part of a three-pronged approach to addressing the city's structural deficit after voters rejected a proposed one-cent sales tax increase last year. The city council is scheduled to review the budget during public hearings from May 5-9, with a revised proposal due on May 19 and a final vote scheduled for June 10.
Several city council members have called for more detailed information before voting on the proposal. "We need to see a comprehensive analysis of both the financial savings and the potential impacts on public safety before making this decision," one council member stated on condition of anonymity, citing ongoing budget negotiations.
Community activists are pushing for an independent study to evaluate the full range of impacts, including response times, officer travel distances, vehicle maintenance costs, and community relations.
"Some tough decisions have to be made, we understand that," Wilson said. "But this is the wrong decision."
Sources:
- NBC San Diego. "San Diego Police Department proposes shutting down its Northwestern Division." NBC San Diego, April 24, 2025. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/investigations/sdpd-proposes-shutting-down-northwestern-division/3811455/
- San Diego Union-Tribune. "'Grievous mistake': Residents, council slam Gloria's cuts to police, parks, arts, libraries." San Diego Union-Tribune, April 21, 2025. https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2025/04/21/grievous-mistake-residents-council-slam-glorias-cuts-to-police-parks-arts-libraries/
- CBS 8. "San Diego's Northwestern police substation faces possible closure amid budget cuts." CBS 8, April 2025. https://www.cbs8.com/article/news/local/san-diego-northwestern-police-substation-faces-possible-closure-amid-budget-cuts/509-d7dcc404-da3a-4f6a-a3c1-57e931cd221b
- ABC 10 News. "Potential drawbacks in budget funding for San Diego Police Department." ABC 10 News, April 18, 2025. https://www.10news.com/news/potential-drawbacks-in-budget-funding-for-san-diego-police-department
- COAR Design Group. "Northwestern Police Substation." COAR Design Group, accessed April 25, 2025. https://www.coargroup.com/northwestern-police-substation
- Greg Hill & Associates. "San Diego Police Department - Northwestern Division." Greg Hill & Associates, accessed April 25, 2025. https://www.greghillassociates.com/san-diego-police-department-northwestern-division.html
- City of San Diego. "SDPD Budget." City of San Diego Official Website, accessed April 25, 2025. https://www.sandiego.gov/police/about/budget
- City of San Diego Open Data Portal. "Police divisions." City of San Diego, accessed April 25, 2025. https://data.sandiego.gov/datasets/pd-divisions/
- SDPD proposes shutting down its Northwestern Division – NBC 7 San Diego
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