SAN DIEGOSAN DIEGO — After months of searching, San Diego’s mayor tapped a familiar face to be the city’s next top cop.
At a news conference in his office Thursday morning, Mayor Todd Gloria announced his appointment of San Diego police Assistant Chief Scott Wahl, a 25-year veteran of the department and a lifelong San Diego County resident.
For Wahl, it’s the realization of a lifelong dream — one that began taking shape when he was just a boy, he said in an interview after the announcement. It was while watching his father work as an undercover San Diego detective that his desire to wear the uniform emerged.
“I think one of the most inspiring things about being a police officer is that you’re part of a collective good in helping your community, and I kind of took that from him,” Wahl said.
If confirmed, Wahl would be the third police chief to ascend from the department’s ranks in recent years. At a future date, the City Council will publicly interview Wahl and take public comment before docketing the appointment for a vote.
Gloria said while the city vetted many qualified candidates during the search — more than 55 people put in for the job — Wahl’s deep understanding of the department’s challenges and their shared commitment to meeting the needs and expectations of residents put him over the top.
“There are communities who have expressed concerns about policing, and much like our city evolves and changes to the needs and desires of our residents, so, too, should our Police Department,” Gloria said. “It is imperative to me that we remain committed to the core principles of integrity, professionalism, and unwavering dedication to public safety, while also being inclusive, and building trust with all of our communities.
“Assistant Chief Wahl gets that.”
He has his work cut out for him. The department faces a number of challenges — some that have been longstanding.
Although the number of police officers leaving the agency has slowed in recent years, the city expects staffing struggles — which impact everything from response times to ballooning overtime costs — to endure for years. The department has long faced criticism over racial disparities in police stops — Black residents, especially, are stopped and suffer force at greater rates than their White counterparts, according to several analyses. And how officers should be responding to homelessness and mental health emergencies remain hot-button issues.
Wahl listed several priorities during Thursday’s announcement including investing in employee and leadership development and a department reorganization to boost efficiency. But his No. 1 goal? Restore trust.
“Without trust, nothing else matters in this business,” he said.
Wahl said he plans to spend the next few months listening and learning from community and council while current Chief David Nisleit finishes out his term. Wahl said he’ll be expecting his staff to do the same — to listen to community concerns with the intent to understand where people are coming from. Those are the kinds of conversations that have helped him find common ground in the past, he said.
“We have to start with that open dialogue, being willing to accept ,” he said. “We don’t always get it right. But by owning that, by being able and being willing to make the changes that are necessary, we can meet the needs of our community.”
Andrea Guerrero, executive director of Alliance San Diego, a human rights organization, said she looked forward to working with the new chief on difficult topics such as racial profiling, warrantless searches and excessive force.
“We stand ready to work with SDPD to address these issues in a meaningful way,” Guerrero said. “Public safety depends on public trust, and it is imperative that Chief Wahl work to build that trust by fully protecting our human rights.”
Wahl wants to meet the needs of his officers, as well.
He said the department has been “holding on to a decades-old organizational structure and it has served us well over the years, but it has run its course.”
He hopes a reorganization will have cascading effects on everything from response times to community policing efforts and will help ensure no one area is shouldering too much of the load, possibly leading to burnout.
Wahl also plans to invest in developing officers, particularly to take on leadership positions, both to increase retention and prepare for “an unprecedented amount” of turnover in the next few years.
Over the next three fiscal years, the department is set to lose roughly 160 people to the city’s deferred retirement option plan, also known as DROP. The program allows some city employees to collect pension in a retirement if they agree to retire within five years of the date they enroll.
Nisleit, who’s been with the department for 36 years, is enrolled in the program, which is why he must leave in June. The current chief said Wahl was the right person to lead the department into the future.
“I have full confidence that under Chief Wahl’s leadership, SDPD will continue to thrive and serve our community with excellence,” Nisleit said.
The San Diego Police Officers Association also applauded the mayor’s choice in a statement Thursday.
“(Wahl’s) profound understanding of the city’s local issues and commitment to community policing are crucial for leading the department in the nation’s eighth largest city,” the police union said.
Over his decadeslong career, Wahl has worked a variety of assignments. He started as a patrol officer in Southern Division, which includes communities such as San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, before become a detective in the vice unit. Wahl served as the department spokesperson for three years and was a captain at Northern Division, which encomes many of the city’s largest beach communities, and the department’s Organizational Division. He also helped the department stand up its Neighborhood Policing Division, which addresses challenges including homelessness.
He currently serves as the assistant chief overseeing special projects and legislative affairs, a relatively new position.
Wahl is a fourth-generation San Diegan and went to University of San Diego High School, now called Cathedral Catholic High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from San Diego State University and has a master’s degree in organizational leadership. He and his wife, Stephanie, have four children.
“I love this city, and I love this police department,” Wahl said. “I am here because I want to make a difference in this police department.”
Wahl’s nomination follows a four-month, nationwide search for the city’s next police leader. Launched in November, the search included a series of meetings where residents could voice their thoughts on the department’s next chief, the development of a survey that collected similar information, and several interview s with community, city and law enforcement leaders.
If confirmed, Wahl’s salary would fall between $300,000 and $350,000.
Staff writer Teri Figueroa contributed to this report.
