San Diego PD question....

[Ltrain1029]

Does anyone know where I can get a electronic copy of the San Diego Police Department Personal History Statement? I wanted to type mine up to make it look nice and neat, but I can’t scan the document and do that. So if anyone can help, please let me know.

[nobody33]

When I did it, you have to fill it out by hand in ink. And give the original copy.

[DOAcop38]

When I did it, you have to fill it out by hand in ink. And give the original copy.

NOT so happy with SDPD! Was in town fri to sun and watched a lady get att. 211'd @ 1st ave and Ash( was leaving the Holiday Inn to go to the gaslamp) An LASD buddy ,his girlfriend and I tried to chase the crackhead-but he ducked us near the civic auditorium- saw some "young officers" driving nearby and tried to wave them down-when we ran up to the car they DROVE OFF !!!!(wish I could have seen a unit #)- the lady and her friends were drunk but they said they'd call it in later(don't know if they did)-when we saw some older officers later near "E" street on a ped stop- one got peeved and said that some of the younger officers were acting like jerks and dodging calls that nite !) Is there a morale issue going on for the guys that work the downtown area? I know this could happen anywhere -and I've seen even my own guys doing some slug crap like this,but it felt bad when even my bud had his STAR out *(KNOW the unit SAW the badge- from 4 ft away!):confused:

[jato]

I am not SDPD but I do remember the National City financial problem circa 1992/1993. New officers were laid off (they were shorthanded to begin with). The NCPD did a work slowdown. The officers all sat in a remote area and answered calls. Of course they were slow about getting there. No proactive policing at all.

Result: They hired their officers back.

I don’t know what is going on with SDPD, but I will assume 2 things:

1. The economy will get worse and the City of San Diego’s financial trouble will too.

2. Morale will continue to drop at SDPD.

[Fuzz]

SDPD has had problems for several years now. I believe they are still about 200 below their authorized level. Pay cuts caused many to jump ship and morale plummeted. We picked up several of their guys a few years back. From what I've heard some of the newer recruits/graduates havent been that great lately. DOAcop ...sorry to hear about the treatment....wasnt in my city but still makes everyone in the county look bad.

[Mabbottusmc]

They get graduates from the academy and it seems like they quickly weed people out rather then try to help them. They lost about 10 from my academy. It's funny because a lot are wanting to lateral to the SDSD. And they were giving use crap in the academy!

[sparkydavid]

They weed out about 50 percent from the start of the academy until they finish FTO. They have the mind set that if you have any issues with training, then they would rather get rid of you because you are not the "ideal officer". Also the mind set is that persons who apply to SDPD are below caliber and really wont make good officers. Mabbottusmc is absolutly correct about a number of weeded out applicants wanting to lateral over to SDSO. Definately the morale is better and the pay/benifits is much better too. During FTO they do work and encourage their trainees.

My two cents.

[DOAcop38]

didn't want to start a "slam" session on SDPD- I've frequented the city off and on and they seem like a decent bunch of guys,considering that SD is a laid back city,with large military and college folks about.It was just that the incident I posted made me upset,as I know if I did the same in my patrol area ,I'd probably be discoverd and get burned! Maybe the guys were light duty or station bound assigned( just out to buy lunch),or maybe they were from another station or divsion and weren't supposed to be in the area-now its a moot point.

Every dept goes thru "Bad" times,and I hate it when that brings out the "Police academy" type recruits - the type of folks who just want to get the job for a stable pay check or who would NEVER be hired onto a PD/SD any other time.To have the "nerve" to say they are just going thru the process to go somewhere else is total B.S.- if you wanted somewhere else -apply THERE and stay out of the way of people who WANT TO BE on that Dept.Saw this happening in L.A. during the Chief Parks admin ( he was SATAN personified)-the city ended up placing a 5 yr contract on LAPD and damn near placed it on all city affiliated L.E. services(L.A.City Park Rangers-also Peace officers- have the 5 yr contract also)."this too shall pass" as the old saying goes and the people whom work hard and protect the city Of san diego will get there day.

[xdrcx]

Why is it everyone is an expert in things they know nothing about. "I went to the academy with a guy who told me this...."

DOAcop, you have more than a good reason to have a problem with your interaction with SDPD. Everyone can look in the mirror at their own dept and think of guys they know that would probably act in that way. They are slugs and bring a bad name to any dept they work at. Unfortunately, it happened and I think DOAcop has the right attitude about it. If they continue to act this way, it will be noticed by someone. Especially working in a high profile area like the Gaslamp.

As for the level of recruits and how many have been "weeded out." The percentage is far less than 50% from my non-FTO, don't get recruiting reports, point of view. I do hear the rumors of the ones that have been fired, and they needed to go. The academy trains all agencies equally, with equal chances. The FTO's I work with haven't changed their methods from my point of view in the past two years. I know there are FTO's with reps as the ones troubled trainees are sent to, but they have had those reps for many years.

The dept IS hiring more numbers and bigger numbers mean more failures. SDPD is still one of the best departments in the country with a lot of pride. I don't make the most money, but I couldn't imagine working anywhere else or with anyone else.

For your experience, DOAcop, I'm sorry. Without making excuses, 1st and Ash is the way out of jail to the freeways (I5, SR163 and SR94). Its a four block shot from jail at 1st and "B" to the on-ramps. They could have been from any division.

[sparkydavid]

I will end with this. I have been in law enforcement for 11 years and I have had friends with SDPD since then. When I started my LEO career, it was rare to hear of a SDPD recruit washing out of FTO. Now I hear recruits are dropping like flies. I have had simular experiences as DOAcop had in the past (if you want details DOAcop I can pm you). I dont know if its the morale of the department, but one thing is for sure, the department has gone through some fundemental changes in service.

[hulakai]

As for the FTO process washing out recruits that is true SDPD does not care about the FTO Admin. You are just a #. That's OK thanks for the training I am making another agency one hell of a good officer.

[Kravist405]

They weed out about 50 percent from the start of the academy until they finish FTO. They have the mind set that if you have any issues with training, then they would rather get rid of you because you are not the "ideal officer". Also the mind set is that persons who apply to SDPD are below caliber and really wont make good officers. Mabbottusmc is absolutly correct about a number of weeded out applicants wanting to lateral over to SDSO. Definately the morale is better and the pay/benifits is much better too. During FTO they do work and encourage their trainees.

My two cents.


For someone who is applying to SDPD that is very discouraging to hear. I heard the same thing when I applied for Los Angeles. "You'll get in. They take anyone." Didn't think that I would hear that about San Diego as well.