As the City of San Diego launches its nationwide search for a new Chief of Police, community members are invited to take an online survey to share their opinions about the qualities and characteristics they wish to see in the City’s next law enforcement leader. 

"The Police Chief is a critical position in our City’s leadership — they play a central role in shaping the policies and strategies our Police Department uses to keep San Diegans safe,” Mayor Todd Gloria said. “Community input helps ensure that the concerns, priorities, and expectations of San Diegans are taken into account as we work to find the next top law enforcement leader for our city.”   

In addition to the survey - also accessible in Spanish - the City’s Human Resources Department is hosting a series of community forums, with one in each of San Diego’s nine City Council districts throughout the month of January. The complete schedule for the forums can be found on the Chief Recruitment webpage.  Anyone who cannot participate in the forums is especially encouraged to take the online survey.  

“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.” 

The survey asks community members what priorities they deem important, how the San Diego Police Department should engage and interact with the community and what characteristics the next Chief should possess.  

Community members who are interested in participating in the meetings are encouraged to RSVP online; however, an RSVP is not required to attend. Language interpretation and accessibility services are available during the meetings upon request.  

San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit, who was tapped to lead the department in 2018, officially announced his retirement in 2023 and will complete his service in June 2024 after 36 years with the department.  

Candidates for the job will undergo a series of interviews, including one conducted by a panel of community leaders nominated by City Councilmembers and Mayor 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, please visit the City’s Police Chief Recruitment webpage.