As the City of San Diego conducts a nationwide search for a new chief of police, community members are invited to a series of public forums intended to gather San Diegans’ thoughts and opinions about the qualities and characteristics they desire in the city’s next police chief.

“There are few decisions as consequential to public safety than choosing who will lead our police department,” said Mayor Todd Gloria. “City Council members and I are eager to hear from the community what they want in San Diego’s next police chief to keep their neighborhoods safe, and we encourage them to participate in helping guide the future of law enforcement in our city.”

The complete schedule for the community forums, which will take place in each of San Diego’s nine City Council districts throughout January, can be found on the Chief Recruitment webpage.

“Every person in every neighborhood deserves to feel and be safe. Providing safety to all people of all backgrounds requires understanding the nuanced and varied needs of the 1.4 million San Diegans. We can only gain that understanding with the help of the community,” said City Council President Sean Elo-Rivera. “The Police Chief Search Forums offer an opportunity for the City to learn directly from the community what sort of leader will help us achieve our goal of making all people feel safe. I hope we’ll have the sort of robust community participation that helps San Diego find the ideal chief to achieve our goal of providing safety and justice for all.”

Community members who are interested in participating in the meetings are encouraged to RSVP online. An RSVP is optional and not required to attend. Language interpretation and accessibility services will also be available during the meetings upon request in advance. An online survey will be available in early January for those unable to attend in person.

San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, who was promoted to the top position in 2018, officially announced his retirement last month and will complete his service in June 2024. Nisleit joined the San Diego Police Department in 1988.

Candidates for the job will undergo a series of interviews, including one conducted by a panel of community leaders nominated by City Council members and Gloria.

The process to hire a new chief of police, outlined in Council Policy 300-08, calls for the mayor to appoint a candidate to be confirmed by San Diego City Council. For more information on the recruitment process and upcoming community meetings, visit the Chief Recruitment webpage.