“Safety is something so basic to life that every human craves it,” states Sara Napoli, President and CEO of the San Diego Police Foundation. “Yet, our safety is something we often take for granted – until it is threatened. Safe neighborhoods are the underpinning of all that we hold dear: our families and friends, our businesses, and the way we live our lives. This is something we should all care about.”
The San Diego Police Foundation proudly supports America’s finest police department by fostering trust and community engagement and funding vital equipment and specialized training that ensures peace and safety for all.
This past year, the Police Foundation funded several key public safety initiatives for the San Diego Police Department, including a cutting-edge training simulator that immerses officers in lifelike scenarios. Officers gain crucial skills in force options and de-escalation, improving their ability to make split-second decisions that keep our community safe.
The Foundation also provided 25 new police bicycles for Central Division’s Gaslamp Enforcement Team. Equipped with enhanced safety features and superior performance and maneuverability, officers can move swiftly through congested areas, ensuring quick response times and heightened safety for locals and tourists in San Diego’s most vibrant entertainment district.
The SafetyNet: Smart Cyber Choices program empowers students of all ages to identify and properly address cyber threats through school internet safety assemblies and virtual presentations. Studies show that once kids are equipped with the information they need to protect themselves, they actually do. Since its inception, SafetyNet has educated over 316,000 participants, including children, parents, guardians, educators, and community leaders.
The Women in Blue Initiative elevates inclusion, leadership, and the advancement and representation of women in all ranks of policing. By funding training, mentoring, collaboration, and networking opportunities, this initiative supports the growth of female leaders in law enforcement. Fifty scholarships for specialized training were awarded to empower women in blue so that SDPD can continue to lead the nation in the percentage of female officers in its ranks.
For the past 21 years, every police service dog at SDPD has been purchased with funds donated by the community through the Police Foundation. These specialized canines safeguard public events, find missing persons, locate evidence, de-escalate dangerous situations, prevent shootings, and preserve life. Because they can cover up to four times the distance as their human partners, each dog saves SDPD nearly 700 service hours annually.
In addition, the Police Foundation funded the Department’s first child advocate companion canine named Lyle Hope. This canine helps our most vulnerable victims, children of sexual and physical abuse, by delivering therapy services to reduce stress, fear, and anxiety during the investigative and prosecutable process.
A strong police department and a strong community go hand in hand. By providing programs that nurture police-community relationships and supplying vital equipment needed by police officers to do their jobs safely and with excellence, the Police Foundation builds trust, bolsters officer safety, and enhances community well-being.
To support initiatives like these, consider giving today at www.sdpolicefoundation.org or by calling Cathy Abarca at (619) 232-2130 ext. 1010. Every gift, no matter the size, advances our mission of creating a safer San Diego to live, work, and play.
