City Council Appoints Next Top Cop

San Diego will get a new police chief next month.

On Monday, the City Council voted 9-0 to appoint Assistant Police Chief Scott Wahl to replace longtime Chief David Nisleit when he retires on June 7.

Refresher: Wahl, a 26-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department, now oversees special projects and legislative affairs, and helped create the police division focused on homelessness in 2018. You can read more about his past work here.

Councilmember Henry Foster III, the sole vote against Wahl’s appointment during an earlier committee review, said Wahl won him over after almost immediately reaching out to schedule a meeting after last month’s vote. Foster said he appreciated Wahl’s acknowledgement that there are needs for operational improvements at the San Diego Police Department, commitment to address bias issues during police stops and promise to working with the city’s Commission on Police Practices.

“I must say you did not shy away from the uncomfortable conversations and the issues that I raised, and I do think that speaks to your character,” Foster told Wahl during Monday’s meeting.

“I won’t let you guys down,” Wahl said Monday before the City Council voted to approve his appointment. “I mean that.”

Not an easy gig: Wahl is preparing to take the helm of a department that has struggled with staffing shortages and surging response times. The department has also faced community concerns over racial disparities in police stops, its surveillance tactics and more.

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