Public Safety Group

The Public Safety Group (PSG) strives to ensure San Diego County communities are safe places to live, work and play. Public Safety Group departments work together to provide law enforcement and public safety services while also playing a key role in preparing for and responding to natural disasters and emergencies.

Highlight of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts for fiscal year 2021-2022

San Diego County Office of the Public Defender

In 2019, members of Office of the Public Defender formed a Wellness Committee to address the wellness needs of staff within the office.  In 2020, the Office of the Public Defender formed the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Panel and the Wellness Committee to advance wellness, diversity, and equity in our office.  The Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Panel works directly with management to review existing office policies, climate dynamics, and to make recommendations for change where appropriate. 

In 2021, this led to gains such as establishing vaccine access parity across job classifications, adopting an Office Statement on Diversity and Racial Justice, and amending our policy and procedure manuals to better support our Transgender and Non-binary staff.  The Wellness Committee believes that there is an overlap between DEI initiatives and the wellness of those supporting those efforts. The Wellness Committee regularly hosts “Diversity Panels” made up of diverse staff members across job classifications sharing their stories and experiences with the office at-large to foster a more equitable and inclusive environment for all staff.  Additionally, both the D&I Advisory Panel and the Wellness Committee collaborated with the office’s existing Outreach Committee to conduct an office-wide training on microaggressions.  The Office of the Public Defender looks forward to continuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in 2022 by increasing our capacity to hire and retain diverse employees and by offering diversity and equity-related training for supervisors and management.

San Diego County Office of Emergency Services (OES)

County OES incorporated the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Whole Community Approach principles into the Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan and the Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which support inclusive emergency management practices and help guide the County of San Diego’s Community Outreach Strategy.

Additionally, County OES conducted a Community Engagement Survey which was translated into six threshold languages and resulted in 500 responses from the public. The survey was open to responses for over a month and included outreach via the County OES website; social media sites; County News Center; Partner Relay; Diversity & Inclusion Champions; Employee Resource Groups; Human Relations Commission; regional planning partners; Unified Disaster Council; Emergency Managers; and the County’s Committee for Persons with Disabilities. A Community Forum was held (with interpretation services offered), and all survey respondents were provided key survey results and methods to receive hazard preparedness and mitigation resources; ask more hazard mitigation questions; and/or provide additional feedback.

Overall, the survey and forum feedback were used to help identify the top community hazards and was incorporated into both the Operational Area Emergency Operations Plan and Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. Community feedback advised identification of potential future community projects, and helped support region-wide resilience and personal disaster preparedness. 

San Diego County Fire Protection District

This year, San Diego County Fire, which includes the San Diego County Fire Protection District and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Office, continued its focus on fire protection and emergency medical services. This includes engaging rural communities and health system partners to prevent fires and promote an emergency medical system that is prepared to deliver life-saving services to our residents. Working together with the community and with fire agency partners, in Fiscal Year 2021-22, County Fire took steps to move the needle on equal access to fire prevention and other emergency preparedness and response resources. Some examples include the following program activities:

• County Fire enhanced responsiveness to the changing environment and community needs by providing COVID‐19 and flu vaccinations to rural areas of the region through close collaboration with HHSA.  County Fire EMS Bureau (County Funded through CAL FIRE) staffed Community Health and Injury Prevention (CHIP) team administered more than 5,900 COVID-19 tests, 448 flu vaccinations and 730 COVID-19 vaccinations, in addition to providing COVID-19 testing for 300 first responders.
• County Fire’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) continued to set the bar and serve as a model for other agencies by prioritizing actions that are inclusive, equitable and integrate the full diversity of our population. This volunteer program offers emergency outreach and training at no cost across our communities. This includes continuing to offer training in Spanish and expanding outreach to access and functional needs individuals. This year, San Diego County Fire CERT rolled out a new customer experience survey to help guide its focus and outreach. The program also hosted Spanish language Listos Aware & Prepare trainings and is a key player in the SDG&E’s Public Safety Power Shutoff Team that works specifically with those who have access and functional needs.
• In FY 22-23, County Fire will launch a first of its kind, $25 million grant program that is specifically designed to benefit at-risk, low income and socially vulnerable homeowners, by funding critical updates on properties that will increase resilience to fire, and decrease the likelihood of entrapment, loss of life, and loss of property. Known as the Home Hardening Program, this grant will provide direct financial assistance, up to $40,000 dollars per home, to complete defensible space and home hardening retrofit measures, helping about 500 homeowners over the three-year pilot. The communities of Dulzura, Potrero, and Campo were selected based on the number of socially vulnerable and low and moderate-income homeowners, as well as a history of multiple destructive wildfires throughout the years. This program is a proud partnership with the California Office of Emergency Services (CAL OES) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). Construction is expected to begin in the Winter of 2022.

San Diego County Probation Department

During Fiscal Year 2021-2022, the Probation department’s goal was to develop a culture of belonging.

The Probation Department celebrated the opening of a new Community Support Office in North Park. Chief Probation Officer Tamika Nelson said the new facility aligns with Probation’s mission: protecting public safety by coaching clients to restore their lives, families, and the communities they live in. The Probation department provides services to clients while balancing support and accountability. The new office on Ohio Street was built with input from the community and support from neighbors. The building includes rehabilitative services, a space for community meetings, a demonstration kitchen to teach cooking skills, and a food pantry. The two art pieces visible from the entrance, “Sunflower” and “Moonflower” are paintings that reflect the values fundamental to restorative justice: community, positive reinforcement, empowerment, and inclusivity.

On August 3, 2022, the Probation department shared a best practice at the County’s D&I Virtual Showcase. One of the actions highlighted was the development of guidelines for reviewing internal policies through an equitable lens. This supports the development of inclusionary practices, allows for a better support system, and helps the department prevent unfair practices.

Additionally, all Probation Staff will attend Blue Courage Inclusive Leadership Training. The training enhances the capacity of individuals to maximize their potential and to align their purpose with the mission of the organization — all while charting a path for peak performance, leadership development, and improved well-being. The class teaches participants about leadership and high-performance teams through the lens of 21st century diversity and inclusion. Through this training, staff will learn skills empowering them to:

• Understand and embrace diversity and inclusiveness, organizationally and in our communities
• Experience and develop high performing teams
• Develop and amplify both personal and organizational leadership capacity
• Support a safe and productive environment for respectful dialogue that will encourage acceptance and understanding