For 50 years, San Diego police chiefs have almost always been hired from within the SDPD. But when Chief David Nisleit steps down in June, he’s likely to replaced by an outsider.
Nisleit is retiring after 36 years in law enforcement. He has served as San Diego’s top cop since 2018.
The chief isn’t alone. The department’s second-in-command, Executive Assistant Chief of Police Chris McGrath, is also retiring next year. Assistant Chief Sandra Albrektsen will leave soon after.
It’s not just SDPD leadership that’s being thinned. Only 1,848 of 2,038 SDPD positions budgeted for the 2024 fiscal year have been filled. Between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2023, the department lost 576 officers, according to NBC San Diego.
The city will launch a nationwide search for its next chief of police. The search will be conducted much like it was six years ago. But with so many high-ranking officials on their way out, an internal selection looks less likely this time around.
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