Harbor Police Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $95,368.00 Annually
Location : Port of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: FY 25/26 #HPDOFF 7
Department: Harbor Police & Public Safety Branch
Division: Harbor Police Department
Opening Date: 04/14/2026
Description
(Trainee Hourly Rate $45.85)
GENERAL PURPOSE
Under direction, performs a wide variety of professional law enforcement duties involving the protection of life and property, education and enforcement of laws and ordinances, emergency response, criminal investigation, crime prevention and suppression, case preparation and testimony, and providing information and assistance to the public within the District's jurisdiction, including the San Diego Harbor, San Diego International Airport and the San Diego tidelands area; performs marine fire suppression duties aboard boats and land facilities within the San Diego Harbor, marinas and adjacent facilities; performs a variety of special duty assignments, as required; and performs related duties as assigned.
Members of the Harbor Police Department are committed to employing best practices of contemporary policing. Incumbents of this class must demonstrate a commitment to practicing community policing, collaborative problem-solving, and intelligence-led policing-based solutions.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This is the full, journey-level class in the Harbor Police series. Incumbents rotate areas of assignment and are expected to perform the full range of Harbor Police duties with increasingly less supervision and direction. Incumbents are also expected to become familiar with Department policies, regulations, and operating procedures as well as Port personnel rules and procedures.
Based upon an individual's assignment, duties are carried out on foot, from vehicles or aboard Harbor Police boats. Incumbents of this class are peace officers as defined in California Penal Code Section 830.1, and in these classifications may also perform a variety of specialized law enforcement duties including serving as a K-9 officer, a detective, a MARTAC/SWAT member, dive team member, and other specialized and/or collateral duty teams.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.
1. Performs armed patrol of San Diego Bay and Port tidelands and the San Diego International Airport on foot, bicycle, vessels, and other department vehicles to maintain security and order, enforce criminal laws, traffic and parking regulations, and county ordinance, rules and policies while utilizing sound judgment under adverse and stressful conditions; provides crowd management and control and may direct pedestrian or vehicular traffic as needed.
2. Responds to and investigates calls for Harbor Police service regarding criminal, non-criminal, or emergency related activities such as crimes against persons and property, accidents, and health concerns to make observations and determine actions to be taken; apprehends and initiates arrests of suspects, conducts searches, and advises suspects of their constitutional rights; restrains and subdues individuals by means of baton techniques, locks, grips, holds, or restraining devices as necessary; properly detains, guards, transports, and assists in the booking process for prisoners as needed.
3. Conducts case or incident investigations and related follow-up activities, controls crimes scenes, gathers, photographs, preserves and collects evidence in accordance with laws and regulations; locates, interviews, interrogates, and records statements from witnesses, suspects, and victims; identifies relevant facts and prepares investigative reports on incidents and cases for follow-up and filing with appropriate law enforcement officials; assists with covert and undercover investigations as assigned.
4. Responds to public service calls and complaints of potentially hostile situations, including domestic disturbances, civil complaints, protection of life and property, preservation of peace, robberies, and related misdemeanor and felony incidents; participates and testifies in court hearings and trials as necessary.
5. Serves subpoenas, warrants, summons, complaints, writs of attachment and execution, and eviction notices as necessary; administers physical roadside sobriety and "intoxilyzer" tests when necessary, controls and mitigates people under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol or other potentially hostile situations; issues warnings or citations for law violators, checks for warrants and other legal holds, performs security checks on suspicious persons or vehicles, and requests outside assistance as appropriate.
6. Responds to maritime fires identified or reported. In addition, responds to other fires such as building fires, vehicle fires, dumpster fires, and grass fires and requests assistance as needed; responds to emergency medical needs and performs First Aid and CPR/AED as necessary.
7. Cooperates with local law enforcement and government agencies in the suppression and control of disruptive or illegal activities and responds to requests for assistance from outside agencies for mutual aid in the suppression of civil disturbances, apprehension of criminals, or other related requests.
8. Prepares and maintains written records, notes, logs, correspondence, legal documentation, and other reports as related to police activity.
9. Safely and appropriately stores, maintains, calibrates, inspects, and utilizes police weapons and equipment such as firearms, conducted electrical weapons (Tasers), batons, non-lethal weapons, alcohol screening devices, bicycles, and police vehicles.
10. Performs crime prevention activities to include surveillance patrols and participating in community outreach programs that may include speaking and presenting to citizen and school groups, and other public service efforts.
11. Stays current with knowledge related to public safety by attending professional conferences and in-service education programs, as well as by reviewing information obtained from Department memoranda, staff meetings and professional publications to attain and maintain public safety-related knowledge and skills and determine the impact of developments and change on providing service excellence.
12. Demonstrates sensitivity to and understanding of historically minoritized groups and participates in professional development activities to increase cultural competency to enhance equity-minded practices within the Port of San Diego and Harbor Police.
13. Prepares daily performance evaluations when assigned a Harbor Police Trainee.
14. Identifies performance deficiencies in Harbor Police Officers assigned as trainees and implements methods to strengthen those deficiencies.
15. When assigned, performs a variety of special duty assignments, including, dive team, performing underwater search, rescue and recovery; bicycle enforcement; K-9; plain clothes; may also serve as departmental representative for special assignments, public events and other special field assignments.
16. Operates a marine craft to patrol San Diego Harbor, enforcing applicable federal, state and local waterway laws, regulations and rules; assists recreational boaters and makes rescues; patrols San Diego Harbor to provide security and prevent crime; assists Coast Guard and Navy vessels; escorts large vessels through harbor channels.
17. Enforces applicable federal, state and local laws, codes and ordinances at the San Diego Regional Airport; patrols the airport by foot and vehicle; monitors alarm systems at airport security check stations; conducts security checks of airport facilities; responds to security alarms at the airport; secures unattended baggage; confiscate dangerous and prohibited items from individuals.
18. Enforces parking regulations and traffic laws at the airport, harbor facilities and all other tideland areas; issues traffic citations; investigates accidents; administers emergency first-aid; provides traffic control at accident sites or for special events at District facilities.
19. Provides information and assistance to the public.
20. Seeks long-term solutions to criminal activity, including the practice of community policing, intelligence-led policing, and collaborative problem solving.
21. Participates in a variety of community relations and public education and awareness activities.
OTHER RELATED DUTIES
1. May represent the department on task forces, committees, or projects; represents the Harbor Police Department to the public, community organizations, and other government agencies; performs a variety of community outreach activities; may act as a department spokesperson to the media and direct departmental public information efforts.
2. May be assigned disaster service worker responsibilities as directed.
3. Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
RELATED EXPECTATIONS
The Harbor Police Department is centered on the philosophy of Community Policing. Employees are expected to provide high quality service to the public. As with all employees, Harbor Police Officers are expected to make non-enforcement contacts with the public to identify the needs of the community more clearly, and to assist the public in solving community problems.
Qualifications
JOB RELATED AND ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:
1. Operations, functions, services, and activities of a local law enforcement agency.
2. Current local, state, and federal laws, codes, and regulations particularly those related to apprehension, arrest, search and seizure, preliminary crime scene investigation, evidence and records maintenance, patrol, traffic control, maritime firefighting and aviation security.
3. Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), Aviation Transportation Security Act (ATSA), Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) rules and procedures regarding airport and Port security requirements.
4. Current local, state, and federal laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the safety and protection of people, property and grounds associated with the Port of San Diego and San Diego International Airport and its surrounding areas.
5. Harbor Police prisoner processing and temporary housing, transporting, and Intake policies and procedures related to the use of the San Diego County Detention Facilities.
6. Current crime prevention and law enforcement methods and procedures including those used in investigation and identification, patrol, traffic control, records management, and care and custody of persons and property.
7. Law enforcement theory, principles, methods, and practices of community policing and their application to a wide variety of services and programs.
8. Crowd management and control procedures, and special event patrol techniques.
9. Disaster preparedness and terrorism response strategies.
10. Principles of human behavior and behavior modification strategies and techniques for the purpose of identifying at risk people.
11. Emergency communication techniques including equipment and its use.
12. Security, surveillance, and communication systems and codes.
13. The identification, collection, and storage of hazardous, dangerous, and illegal drugs, substances, and other items.
14. Use and care of firearms, offensive and defensive weapons and safety measures and self-defense tactics.
15. Rules of evidence pertaining to search and seizure and the preservation and presentation of evidence in court.
16. Safe driving principles and practices.
17. Safety policies and safe work practices applicable to the work being performed.
18. Local geography of Port, City and County streets, public buildings, and businesses.
19. Principles and practices of sound business communication including proper English usage, grammar, spelling and punctuation.
20. Basic principles and practices of organizational improvement and culture change.
21. Civil Commission Rules, Ordinances, Human Resources procedures and collective bargaining agreements.
22. Record keeping and report preparations techniques to ensure department compliance.
23. Standard office practices and procedures, and the operations of standard office equipment.
Skill to:
1. Use sound judgment and make appropriate decisions in stressful situations and analyze and adapt to new situations quickly.
2. Operate and maintain department issued weapons and qualify periodically as mandated by the Peace Officer Standards and Training Program (POST).
3. Make effective oral presentations to a variety of audiences with differing levels of knowledge regarding a variety of procedures.
4. Utilize law enforcement computer systems, mobile devices and maintain and calibrate specialized equipment.
5. Operate firearms and other modern law enforcement equipment.
6. Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment.
7. Operate a motor vehicle safely.
Ability to:
1. Promote good community relations and build community confidence in the Harbor Police Department.
2. Communicate tactfully, respectfully, and effectively with board members, District Executives, managers, administrators, staff, officials of other government agencies, employees and the public, both orally and in writing, in a manner consistent with the department's policing and customer service policies.
3. Represent the Harbor Police Department effectively in dealings with other law enforcement agencies, community and business organizations, the media, and the public.
4. Effectively engage and support historically minoritized groups by addressing issues of equity and improving culturally responsive service-oriented practices.
5. Develop and maintain an inclusive work environment that fosters diversity, respect, and engagement.
6. Conduct investigations, make arrests, file criminal complaints, patrol effectively, lift ...