SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria’s 2026 budget proposal is set to be discussed by a City Council committee this week, and included in the plan is the potential closure of the San Diego Police Department’s Northwestern Division substation.
On Sunday, a group of Carmel Valley residents hit the streets and marched for what they believe sets the foundation in their community.
Under the mayor’s proposal, SDPD officers at the Northwestern Division would be reassigned to the Rancho Peñasquitos station.
Carmel Valley residents like Joann Welch said that station is too far away for her family if an emergency does happen.
"Because my grandkids go to school here, so I was wanting to protect them as much as possible, of course," said Welch. "So, the first thing is to protect them against anything that might happen in these schools, and the police are the nearest thing to protecting them."
Thirteen-year-old Jose Sarabia said a police presence is essential for students like himself.
"A lot of teenagers do dumb things, like ride things that are not legal, and with the police that is close by, they can help us stay away from danger," said Jose.
In the Fiscal Year 2026 Draft Budget, the City of San Diego acknowledges the closure of the substation could "impact patrol response times and could weaken collaboration between police and residents in surrounding communities."
Organizers hope Sunday’s march will shed light on how the issue touches every part of the area.
"Really grassroots," said Michelle Strauss, the chair of the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board. "Neighbor to neighbor reaching out to sports teams to schools to businesses. It's really just kind of been a domino effect."
Marcher Andrew Harris has this word for Mayor Gloria: "Try to figure out how to better organize the budget cuts and look for funding elsewhere. I mean, we really look for our elected officials to help with that."
Right now, the Northwestern Division serves Carmel Valley, Pacific Highlands Ranch, Torrey Hills, Del Mar Mesa, and Del Mar Heights.
ABC 10News reached out to the City of San Diego Sunday night, but they did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
