SDPOA Demands Immediate Action on Patrol Staffing Shortages After Deadly Islamic Center Attack

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Police Officers Association is calling for urgent action to address critical staffing shortages within the department, following a deadly shooting at the Islamic Center last week that exposed dangerously low patrol levels. According to the union, the Northern Division had only seven patrol officers on duty the day of the attack, despite a minimum staffing requirement of 14.

Jared Wilson, president of the SDPOA, stated that the problem has been escalating for over a year. "The staffing shortages on the San Diego Police Department have gotten extremely worse over the last year.

Under Chief Wahl, he cut $12 million in patrol overtime last year. We told him that that was gonna skyrocket our response times.

We have less officers on the street. Calls are holding longer.

That means our community is unsafe. Our officers are unsafe, and they're burnt out," Wilson said.

He added that half-staffed patrol divisions are leaving calls unanswered for dangerous periods, including the runaway juvenile call that preceded the shooting. The city's timeline shows a delay of more than an hour between the initial call and officers beginning to search for the suspects.

Wilson noted that such delays have become routine, with priority 2 calls like the runaway juvenile report now holding for over two hours on average. The union emphasized that officers responded quickly once gunfire erupted, but criticized department leadership for failing to provide adequate backup.

In response, the San Diego Police Department acknowledged staffing challenges, stating that like many law enforcement agencies nationwide, they have spoken openly about these issues and will review whether staffing levels played a role in the shooting.