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Kevin's retiring!
Officer Carl Weber will be leaving “Kevin” home soon. The 9–year–old Belgian Malanois,
trained in explosives detection, has served San Diegans as Weber's partner for 6 years.
Please help us purchase the dogs that will replace retirees like Kevin.
Donate online!
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SDPD officer losses a community crisis
In a report issued July 11, Mayor Sanders refers to the loss of experienced police officers
as “a crisis for the community.”
The former police chief included his remarks as a preface to the Police
Department’s Recruitment and Retention Plan, which attributes its staffing challenges to a shrinking pool of
qualified applicants, a more competitive recruiting environment and a higher than average loss of tenured officers
to other law enforcement agencies.
It’s not just the lack of pay raises in recent years that are influencing officers’ decisions
to leave SDPD. Increasing healthcare costs, and benefit changes that require officers to pay a larger
portion of their retirement plan contributions have reduced take–home pay for police and all city
employees.
Retention solutions will involve measures to ensure competitive salaries, benefits and opportunities, according to the report.
To download the report, click here.
Internet crimes against children on the rise
The risks of internet crimes being committed against children in the San Diego area are increasing due to the use of Internet sites such as Craigslist.com and Myspace.com, says SDPD Sergeant Chuck Arnold.
"1 in 5 kids online
is sexually solicited! "1
Although the production, viewing or possession of child pornography is a crime, the number of criminals is rapidly growing in the perceived privacy of homes and offices worldwide.
The San Diego Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SD-ICAC) has a team of four detectives working under Sgt. Arnold. Their primary goal is protecting children. But Arnold says the most intensive work has to take place at home.
“Unfortunately, a lot of parents don’t know anything about the dangers of the internet,” says Arnold. “Our kids know more about computers than we do.”
A father himself, Arnold recommends that parents stay aware of their children’s internet activities, including monitoring personal web pages such as Myspace, or blogs (online journals) that their sons or daughters may update regularly.
To report a suspected internet crime against a child or to get information about how to protect your child, go to www.cybertipline.com or call 1 (800) 843-5678.
Arnold reports that his unit is working closely with the federal government to monitor illegal activity on popular user-based websites like Myspace.com and Craigslist.com. And they’re trying to get the Website service providers to store the data shared by users for at least 90 days, so that law enforcement has the ability to subpoena any necessary information for the prosecution of internet crimes.
Meanwhile, San Diego businesses that repair computers are helping out. The unit has been receiving an increasing number of calls from computer repair shops reporting hard drives containing child pornography.
You can help too.
Contact the San Diego Police Foundation at (858) 453-5060 or visit us online at www.sdpolicefoundation.org.
1 David Finkelhor, Kimberly J. Mitchell, and Janis Wolak. Online Victimization: A Report on the Nation’s Youth. Alexandria, Virginia: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2000, page iX. These numbers are based on interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,501 youth ages 10-17 who used the Internet regularly in 1999.
Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Program
Town & Country Resort and Convention Center
500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego
FREE admission (free parking, too!)
To make reservations or inquire about sponsorship:
Phone: (858) 453-5060
Email: kimy@sdpolicefoundation.org
It’s a tough time to be a cop in San Diego. Please join us for a look at current challenges on Wednesday, September 13th. Our “Beyond the Headlines” luncheon is a great opportunity to get a feel for the successes and challenges of men and women who wear a bulletproof vest and badge to work.
It’s also an important fundraising event for the San Diego Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization that puts charitable dollars to work on crime prevention, law enforcement and public safety needs in our communities.
Our guests always enjoy a brief dynamic program. Please plan to bring a friend or two and reserve your seats early. If you like what you hear, we hope you’ll make a contribution.
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You can help:
Leadership opportunities
Invite friends and colleagues
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Air Support Unit receives new radios
A $10,000 contribution by the Bell Charitable Foundation will be used to help fund new police communication radios in the department's helicopters. The radios are used to keep incident commanders in the air in touch with officers on the ground.
July 4th a less rowdy holiday in 2006
Compared to last year, San Diego beaches were a little less crowded and visitors more under–control during the July 4th weekend, according to the San Diego Police Department. Misdemeanor citations tell a big part of the story.
The majority of misdemeanor citations during a holiday weekend are for alcohol possession or being drunk in public. And police reported a 61 percent decrease in misdemeanor citations – down from 1,294 in 2005 to 795 this year. Captain Boyd Long, of the SDPD Northern Division, partially attributes this drop to an improvement in police staffing.
During the 4–day holiday weekend, the department staffed 500 additional police officers at the beaches and increased the number of officers on duty during the peak crime hours between 7 p.m. and midnight.
Other factors contributing to a calmer, safer holiday:
- Mayor Jerry Sanders’ messages about beach safety, alcohol consumption restrictions and first aid that were broadcast by the media in the week prior to the long holiday weekend.
- The Tuesday holiday may have influenced some partiers to head home earlier.
Citizens’ Review Board is recruiting
The City of San Diego Citizens’ Review Board is responsible for reviewing all officer-involved shootings, all deaths in custody and citizen complaints against police officers. The time commitment is approximately 15 to 20 hours per month including: evening meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month; participation on one standing committee, training, ride-alongs, and special meetings or conferences that may arise.
The CRB strives to reflect the diversity of San Diego. Members must either live in or work full time in the city of San Diego and may serve for up to eight, one-year terms. For more information, please visit the CRB website at www.sandiego.gov/citizensreviewboard or contact Executive Director Scott Fulkerson at (619) 236-6296.
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