During a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week, Mayor Todd Gloria, Police Chief Scott Wahl, and the San Diego Police Foundation celebrated long-overdue upgrades to Police Plaza, the former Chargers training facility on Murphy Canyon Road. 

Since San Diego Police Department (SDPD) assumed control of the facility in late 2018, much of the building has remained untouched. Today, the space has been transformed to house more than 200 personnel working directly from the building.

"If we expect excellence of our officers, we must provide them with excellent environments from which to do their work,” Mayor Gloria said. “This building now reflects the professionalism, the pride, and the caliber of the men and women who walk through these doors every day to keep our city safe. This renovation is a step in the right direction to ensure our department has the facilities they deserve. Thank you to the San Diego Police Foundation and their generous donors for supporting SDPD and its facilities.”

The building has become a central hub for SDPD training, recruiting, and community events – supporting officers' physical well-being, training and leadership development, welcoming new recruits and community members. 

"There is a tremendous amount of pride in this moment. When we first took over this facility, it was a far cry from what you see today,” Chief Wahl said. “Through the vision and hard work of our team and the incredible support of the San Diego Police Foundation, we have turned it into the premier hub for our department’s training and operations. Seeing our officers walk through these halls and feel that sense of pride and belonging is exactly what we set out to achieve."

This project was not funded by the City of San Diego, but through the San Diego Police Foundation and a state grant. 

With support from the San Diego Police Foundation, the department focused on making Police Plaza a welcoming space for all, while preserving and celebrating the department’s legacy.

The facility now features:

• Two custom, hand-painted murals, one depicting the iconic downtown San Diego skyline and the other a 23-foot mural honoring the history of SDPD.
• A redesigned lobby with wider seating to accommodate duty belts, new tables and charging stations.
• A Hall of Honor with handcrafted American flags and tributes to every fallen SDPD officer.
• And three handcrafted wooden SDPD badges (the original, current, and 9/11 commemorative badge designs), among other decorative SDPD items.

In the last year, SDPD also completed renovations to the fitness center at Police Plaza, featuring new flooring, paint, lighting, state-of-the-art weight equipment and several custom-built pieces. An additional outdoor CrossFit training space expands training capacity and allows officers to participate in functional fitness programming year-round.

In 2023, SDPD received a wellness grant from the Board of State and Community Corrections, funding directed specifically toward officer wellness and mental health. Through the grant, SDPD upgraded the gym at Police Plaza and across its 9 police stations, expanded mental health services, and launched new physical wellness programming, such as kettlebell and jiu-jitsu classes.