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East County News Service
April 13, 2022 (San Diego) – Recognizing the need for transparent and independent investigations of officer and deputy-involved shootings, members of the San Diego County Chief's and Sheriff's Association have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (which establishes a new countywide protocol for the investigation of officer and deputy-involved shootings.
The top law enforcement officers aim to build public trust by ensuring that no agencies investigate their own shooting incidents.
Today, Undersheriff Kelly Martinez was joined by San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit, Chula Vista Police Department Chief Roxana Kennedy and San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan at a news conference to announce the new agreement. To watch highlights of today's news conference, click here or on the photo below.
The agreement has been signed by the following agencies:
- San Diego County Sheriff's Department
- San Diego Police Department
- San Diego County District Attorney's Office
- Chula Vista Police Department
- El Cajon Police Department
- La Mesa Police Department
- National City Police Department
- San Diego County Probation Department
- Carlsbad Police Department
- San Diego Harbor Police
- San Diego Community College District Police Department
- San Diego Unified Police Department
- Coronado Police Department
- San Diego State University Police Department
- UC San Diego Police Department
- Escondido Police Department
- Oceanside Police Department
"We are proud to be a part of this new agreement with our partner law enforcement agencies and to provide accurate information about these incidents by instilling trust between our agencies and the communities we serve," said Undersheriff Kelly Martinez, who calls the change “an important and fundamental shift” to assure that investigators are “independent and unbiased.”
Some of the new protocols include:
- The San Diego County Sheriff's Department will investigate the San Diego Police Department's officer-involved shootings.
- The San Diego Police Department will investigate the San Diego County Sheriff's Department's deputy-involved shootings, as well as all other local law enforcement agencies involved in a shooting.
- Shootings involving the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and San Diego Police Department will be investigated by the Chula Vista Police Department.
- In-custody deaths involving use of force will also be covered under the new agreement.
- The San Diego County District Attorney's Office will continue to review all shootings once the investigation by the primary investigative agency is completed.
To read the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), click here.
The new protocols take effect on May 1, 2022.
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