Security: San Diego

Members of the Port of San Diego Harbor Police dive team have recently returned from a training mission to Anilao Batangas, Philippines where they shared their expertise in underwater crime scene investigations with federal and local maritime law enforcement agencies. The training mission, from January 12-27, 2018, was made possible through a partnership established by Harbor Police in 2015 with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).

During the assignment, Harbor Police officers led underwater exercises involving skills such as how to tag and recover evidence and victim recovery. This was the Harbor Police dive team’s second visit to the Philippines. In July 2017, they led a workshop to develop the curriculum for this training effort.

"The Port of San Diego has proven to be a key partner for us at the U.S. Department of State by helping develop and implement underwater crime scene investigation curriculum and training for Philippine maritime law enforcement," said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State James Walsh, the senior official leading INL. "An effective fight against transnational crime requires exactly this sort of international cooperation. The Port of San Diego and Philippines cross-Pacific partnership demonstrates the value to our local U.S. communities of fostering international links with America’s key partners."

February 2016 – A team of Harbor Police officers deployed to Jamaica where they provided mentoring and assessment training to maritime police from several Jamaican port towns.
November 2015 – Harbor Police, along with the Port of Long Beach Harbor Patrol, hosted and conducted a week-long study tour program at the Port of San Diego and Port of Long Beach to show Pakistani counterparts U.S. port and maritime security operations. The program focused on interagency cooperation in which both ports demonstrated integrated, layered approaches to port security that incorporates multiple agencies.