On Thursday, Mayor Todd Gloria delivered a speech about what’s next for the city.
We tried to predict on the podcast what he would say during the State of the City address. After listening to his speech, it seems we got a few things right.
They mayor focused on housing and doubled down on getting the Sports Arena redevelopment across the finished line. (We still don’t know how.)
He also announced an effort to redevelop Golden Hall and his plans to move forward with modernizing the San Diego Convention Center. We summarized the rest of the speech here.
Chisme: We wondered why the first row in the audience was empty. Councilmember Vivian Moreno told our City Hall reporter that the seats were reserved for councilmembers, but after she learned that only 15 members of the public would be allowed inside, she gave up her seat. The other councilmembers followed.
More chisme: Moreno also told us that the mayor told her to smile when he shook her hand. “He told me that I could smile, which I found to be a very sexist comment,” she told Voice. “How many women of power have been told to smile more?”
More, more chisme: Our reporter Will Huntsberry took a look at Gloria’s time in office. He spoke to the mayor and dozens of sources inside City Hall and learned that many of the mayor’s supporters are disappointed in how he’s running the city.
The story is really good. If you need a weekend read, that’s it. Read it here.
Cops Statement War
San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl recently weighed in on how officers responded to an incident during an interview with Leland Conway and Mark Larson on KOGO.
Wahl was talking about the arrest of a man in Southcrest that’s now under investigation by the department. NBC has a video of the arrest that shows an officer punching the man in the face several times.
On the show, Wahl and the hosts discussed what led to the incident. Wahl explained that context is important and while some people jump to conclusions, “These things are complicated.” However, it’s his job to make sure officers are training for the outcomes that they are looking for, he said.
“In this particular case, I think there are things we could have done better,” he said.
While he added that the incident is under investigation, he weighed in on the moment when the officer punches the man. He said, “We do have options that we could, and should be using at that point other than what was used.”
The chief’s comment’s rubbed the police union the wrong way.
In a statement, Jeremy Huff, SDPOA’s new president, said the chief’s words could harm officers and create a divide. He also said officers only use force in reaction to someone’s actions.
“Chief Wahl’s statements cast doubt on the ability of our members to conduct themselves as professionals during law enforcement contacts,” the statement reads.
The chief clapped back.
“Responding to a use of force incident by reaffirming my commitment to give officers the training, resources, and support they need to consistently meet the highest standard is not placing blame. It is part of being a leader,” he said.
Then added, “It is disappointing that the new POA president chose to spend his first few days in office misconstruing my intent instead of working with me to better support our officers.”
The chair of the city’s Commission on Police Practices also chimed in. She said it was appropriate for the chief to acknowledge the video.
“Admitting that the video warrants scrutiny and committing to a proper investigation is not only appropriate, but also a fundamental part of the Chief’s responsibility to the public and to the department,” wrote Ada Rodriguez.