San Diego, CA

Audit recommends overtime limits for San Diego police, mandatory breaks between shifts

Published

2 years ago

February 29, 2024

Audit recommends overtime limits for San Diego police, mandatory breaks between shifts

By David Garrick
The San Diego Union-Tribune

SAN DIEGO — San Diego should set limits on how many overtime hours police officers can work and begin requiring officers to take breaks of at least eight hours between shifts, a new city audit says.

The Police Department’s lack of overtime limits and mandatory breaks between shifts raise the risks of officer fatigue, which can cause car crashes, injuries and reduced cognition in life-or-death situations, the audit says.

The roughly $50 million per year San Diego spends on police overtime is below average relative to comparable large cities in California, the audit says.

But the city could get more for its money by creating a centralized overtime system instead of letting each of the department’s nine geographic divisions handle its own overtime assignments.

The 41-page audit says this change would allow the department to prioritize more important overtime shifts, which vary from court appearances to SWAT incidents to backfilling vacant shifts caused by staffing shortages.

“The Police Department does not prioritize overtime shifts based on need, creating the risk that more critical assignments go unfilled while officers sign up for less critical shifts,” the audit says.

Typical officers only work about three and a half hours of overtime per week, but there are some outlier officers who work extreme amounts, the audit says.

The audit found that some officers work days of 16 hours or longer for multiple days in a row and that they typically don’t take eight hours off between shifts. A San Diego police officer’s normal work week is four 10-hour shifts.

Setting limits, either daily or weekly, on overtime hours would curb those outliers and reduce the fatigue risk they create, the audit says.

San Jose, Sacramento, San Francisco and Oakland limit how many overtime hours an officer can work in a single week, but Los Angeles and Long Beach don’t.

Locally, police departments in Carlsbad, National City and Coronado have weekly overtime limits for officers.

San Diego already recommends officers take an eight-hour break between shifts, but it’s not mandated.

“The Police Department encourages officers to take an eight-hour break between shifts, but it is an informal policy that is not enforced,” the audit says.

The audit made some additional recommendations related to the eight-hour break proposal.

“The Police Department should clearly define what constitutes a ‘shift’ and should clarify the specific situations that would merit an officer not taking an eight-hour break between shifts, such as officers approved to extend their current shift, a necessary court appearance, a call-back that has been approved by policy, or an emergency,” the audit says.

The audit was prompted by City Council members expressing frustration that police overtime expenses continue to rise and that the city spends more than expected on police overtime nearly every year.

San Diego has spent more than was budgeted for police overtime during 10 of the last 11 fiscal years — including fiscal 2023, when the city budgeted $40.2 million but spent $50.8 million.

Police officials said this week that they expect to spend $57.1 million during the ongoing fiscal year, $7.8 million more than the $49.3 million in the city’s budget.

The audit says San Diego’s spending is mostly in line with comparable cities in California.

In fiscal year 2022, San Diego spent 6.8 percent of its total police budget on overtime, which is less than the average of 8.6 percent spent by comparable police departments.

Los Angeles spent 10.8 percent of its police budget on overtime, while Oakland spent 10.2 percent, Anaheim spent 9.6 percent, San Jose spent 9.3 percent and San Francisco spent 8.2 percent.

Only Bakersfield, at 4.3 percent, was below San Diego among larger California cities.

But San Diego’s spending on overtime jumped to 8.6 percent in fiscal year 2023 — $50.8 million of a $594 million police budget.

Police Chief David Nisleit agreed Tuesday to analyze and possibly implement each of the audit’s recommendations, but he noted that many of the changes would require negotiations with labor unions representing the affected workers.

But the changes aren’t likely to come quickly. Nisleit committed to having the department’s Research, Analysis and Planning Unit complete analysis of the proposed changes by December 2025.

The audit’s final recommendation was for the department to revive a plan to reduce officer overtime by hiring more civilian workers and police investigative service officers, who do lower-level work than police officers.

Last year, Nisleit said a rash of vacancies in civilian jobs was reducing parking citation revenue and swelling overtime costs by forcing higher-paid uniformed officers to perform lower-level administrative work.

Nisleit agreed Tuesday to study the issue again, but noted that he asked for 20 investigative service officers two years ago after a similar analysis and was not given money to hire them.

But the budget for the ongoing fiscal year includes $780,000 for 10 investigative service officers. Police officials said Monday that they haven’t yet hired those workers.

This story originally appeared in San Diego Union-Tribune.

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San Diego, CA

Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records

Published

7 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Here are the 9 San Diego County communities that set or tied heat records

San Diego County is known for having wet, cold weather in February. But it had numerous hot spells this year. And when the month ended on Saturday a high pressure system produced heat that broke or tied temperature records in nine communities from the desert to the sea, the National Weather Service said.

The most notable temperature occurred in Borrego Springs, which reached 99, five degrees higher than the previous record for Feb. 28, set in 1986. The 99 reading is also the highest temperature ever recorded in Borrego in February.

Escondido reached 95, tying a record set in 1901.

El Cajon reached 92, three degrees higher than the record set in 2009.

Ramona topped out at 88, five degrees higher than the record set in 2009.

Alpine hit 88, four degrees higher the record set in 1986.

Campo reached 87, four degrees higher than the record set in 1999.

Vista hit 86, four degrees higher than the record set in 2020.

Chula Vista reached 84, one degree higher than the record set in 2020.

Lake Cuyamaca rose to 76, four degrees higher than the record set in 1986.

Forecasters say the weather is not likely to broadly produce new highs on Sunday. Cooler air is moving to the coast, and on Monday, San Diego’s high will only reach 67, a degree above normal.

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San Diego, CA

Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title

Published

19 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Francis Parker captures Open Division girls basketball title

OCEANSIDE — The Frontwave Arena scoreboard showed 23 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Up 16, Francis Parker’s win over Westview High School for the CIF San Diego Section Open Division girls basketball championship was secure.

“No, no, no!” Parker head coach Courtney Clements screamed to freshman guard Jordan Brown, telling her there was no need to score.

So Brown walked the ball up the floor, from the backcourt, across midcourt, a 1,000-watt smile etched across her face.

With no Wolverines defending her, Brown dribbled from side to side across the logo. Then, a fraction of a moment before the final buzzer sounded, Brown flung the basketball high toward the rafters, then was engulfed by teammates.

The job was complete. Parker’s first Open Division title in program history was secure, the final reading 66-50 on Saturday night.

Of those final seconds, said Brown, who scored 23 points. “It was a surreal moment, knowing we worked for this all year long. It’s amazing.”

One reason it was amazing was because the top-seeded Lancers (21-7) were a decided favorite, but were stressed by the sixth-seeded Wolverines (20-9). Led by UC Santa Barbara-bound senior guard Sarah Heyn (18 points in the first half), Westview led 35-28 early in the third quarter.

“I just knew I had to do whatever it took to win,” said Brown. “Whether that was defense or offense. I just wanted to win, period.”

Sparked by its defense, Parker closed the quarter on a 14-0 run. Westview’s final 11 possessions of the quarter ended with five missed shots and six turnovers.

Still, the game wasn’t over. Heyn cut the deficit to 48-44 with just over six minutes to play on a bucket. But with 5:47 to play, Heyn was whistled for her fifth foul on a reach-in.

“Knowing their best player fouled out, we sealed the win,” said Brown.

As for Heyn, who finished with 23 points, she sat on the bench and pulled her jersey over her eyes, hiding tears.

Clements’ thoughts when Heyn fouled out? “I hope we can put this game away now.”

Francis Parker High’s Jordan Brown shoots against Westview High during the CIF Open Division championship at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Francis Parker defeated Westview 66-50. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

That the Lancers did, outscoring Westview 18-6 down the stretch.

The Lancers’ players and coach were effusive in their praise for Heyn, a four-year starter.

“She’s a great player,” said Brown.

“She played phenomenally,” said Clements. “She played the way you would think a senior would play in a championship game. She played desperately. She played every possession like it was the last 20 seconds of the game. She was extremely impressive. (Heyn buried five 3s, missing only once from deep.) She should be proud of herself.”

Clements was proud of her team for another reason. After blowing out two-time reigning Open Division champion Mission Hills by 26 in the semis, some thought Parker might cruise in the title game.

“I figured it was going to be a fight, and it was,” said Clements. “It was good that our girls had to come together, had to stick together. That’s what this is all about, developing character via the sport of basketball. When the kids face adversity, they have to make a decision. Who do they want to be? They showed the best version of themselves. That’s what I want to remember from a game like this.”

Francis Parker’s primary color is brown, which is fitting for the girls basketball team. They are led not only by the freshman Jordan Brown, but also junior Brieana Brown, a strong, aggressive and athletic 5-foot-11 wing.

Brieana Brown scored 25 points and yanked down a team-best eight rebounds.

About the team in brown being led by the Browns (who are not related), Jordan Brown said: “It’s super cool. I love Bri and our story. So many people think we’re related, that we’re siblings. In reality, we’re not, but we play like it.”

Francis Parker High's Brieana Brown shoots against Westview during the CIF Open Division championship at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Francis Parker defeated Westview 66-50. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune) — Francis Parker High’s Brieana Brown shoots against Westview during the CIF Open Division championship at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. Francis Parker defeated Westview 66-50. (Kristian Carreon / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Francis Parker and Westview both will advance to the Southern California Regionals.

Earlier in the season, Clements — who was dressed in all black for the championship game — confessed she wasn’t crazy about Parker’s primary color. Her mood shifted Saturday night.

“Brown’s doing well for me now,” she said.

Asked if Lancers’ Brown squared tandem represents the best one-two girls basketball punch in the San Diego Section, Clements gave the questioner a “What do you think?” smirk.

“That,” said the coach of the Open Division champions, “is a no-brainer.”

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