Two new deputies were hired using new sales tax revenue
Ceremony and ribbon cutting with Sheriff and Lemon Grove mayor at the repaired station. Sheriff’s Lieutenant Joe Barry speaking with Lemon Grove Mayor Allyson Snow to the audience in Lemon Grove on Thursday, Aug.
28, 2025 in San Diego, California. Lemon Grove recently added two new sheriff’s deputies whose sole duties will be community-oriented policing, thanks to a recent voter-approved tax hike.Lemon Grove residents approved the 1-cent sales tax last year, a proposal that was pitched to voters as an opportunity to fund infrastructure repairs and increase public safety. Of the $5.9 million generated by the tax increase during the last fiscal year, $557,000 was put toward spearheading Lemon Grove’s first Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving program. “We’ve been the only Sheriff’s station department that didn’t have a specialized team,” Barry said. “Now we have one. It’s in the pilot phases, but Measure T gave us the ability to give it a try. So far, so good.” Two COPPS-focused deputies were hired at the Sheriff’s Office substation in Lemon Grove in October. Their station is now home to 13 deputies, including the recent hires. In contrast to regular deputies, Barry said their sole responsibility is to patrol the neighborhoods and do “completely proactive police work,” such as investigating theft and helping with homeless outreach. They are not responsible for responding to radio calls, unlike regular deputies. The addition has been transformative for day-to-day operations, he said, by easing the workload for the other deputies while creating bandwidth for preventative investigations. “We try to focus them on crimes within the community that are low-level, whether that be narcotics, gang activity or assisting with the homeless predicament,” Barry said. These deputies have helped with locating new homeless individuals in the area and connecting them with a local nonprofit that provides housing and other services, he added.The Lemon Grove substation has fewer personnel in comparison to other stations in the county. After the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station was opened in 2014, Barry said a “fairly sizable chunk” of the personnel at his substation were transferred, and they have since operated with lower staffing. “When we got these COPPS deputies, that was a huge benefit at the station,” Barry said. “It definitely lightened the workload. Sometimes it is not so noticeable immediately, but it’s very noticeable behind the scenes.”As San Diego cracked down on sprawling ADU projects, a few sneaked in just under the wire Fines, subsidies and recycled bins: How San Diego’s once-chaotic switch to paid trash pickup is goingAfter second trial, jury convicts San Diego County deputy who seriously injured restrained inmateSan Dieguito OKs new deal on school rentals after ‘highly inappropriate’ video eventMore than 3 in 5 San Diego County voters said ‘yes’ on Prop. 50. Explore the results in our maps.
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