SAN DIEGO — New numbers show gun threats against San Diego police officers have hit a five-year high.
The department says its officers have been threatened with a gun or shot at eight times this year, more than the last two years combined.
One recent example happened on August 28.
A San Diego police officer was shot at while responding to a separate shooting outside an Encanto home. It happened as he tried tending to the victim in the driveway. He ran for cover and returned fire.
During a swat standoff, the suspect was eventually shot and killed by law enforcement. Later, it was revealed he was a convicted felon who once served time for second-degree murder.
“It just seems more and more we're coming across people willing to turn and fire at police,” said Chief David Nisleit.
According to new numbers released by the department, so far this year, San Diego officers have either been threatened with guns, shot at, or shot eight times.
In two cases officers were hit. In another, a police canine was fatally shot. It's the highest number of incidents recorded in five years, and there are still more than three months left in 2023.
Nisleit says the numbers don’t surprise him. He believes there are several contributing factors to this alarming trend. For starters, there's been a consistent rise in illegal ghost guns on our streets.
But, more than that, Nisleit blames laws that don't go far enough in dealing with violent criminals.
"I'm not blaming the district attorney. We have an outstanding DA. I'm talking about state legislation, federal legislation, sentencing guidelines that are being sent down that really impact the person committing crimes, taking away the authority from law enforcement, and taking away the victims' voice of violent crime, which to me makes zero sense," said Nisleit.
The San Diego Police Officer's Association, which often disagrees with department practices, agrees with Nisleit.
“I think criminals need to be held accountable for their actions,” said SDPOA President Jared Wilson.
Wilson recalled a recent case he was involved with as an example.
“A suspect who was out on bond, a known gang member was carrying an illegal ghost gun. The offense resulted in a guilty plea and an $800 fine,” said Wilson.
As for what can be done to solve the problem, Wilson says with hundreds of openings, they need more people willing to join the force to help crack down on crime.
Meanwhile, Chief Nisleit is speaking with state legislators hoping they'll vote against any bill which he says favors criminals over police.
“I'll continue to push for our officers, and for our officers for better safety measures for holding people accountable," he said.
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