SD Slackers

07/07/2025

https://sdslackers.com/2025/07/06/sedan-spins-into-storm-drain-off-i-5/

Driver swerved to avoid slow car, landed on his side — uninjured and not impaired

07/07/2025

https://sdslackers.com/2025/07/06/spring-valley-driver-shears-pole-in-solo-crash/

BMW crashes off curve on Campo Rd, smashing mailboxes and snapping a utility pole

06/24/2025

It’s been 3 weeks since San Diego Police encrypted their radio traffic — and the silence is louder than ever.

We’re not just talking about lost scanner chatter.
We’re talking about a blackout in public awareness:
🔇 No alerts
🔍 No real-time info
🗺️ Even apps like Citizen are nearly useless now

We spoke to SDPD’s new PIO, pulled public crime data, and compared San Diego’s situation with Los Angeles — and the results are eye-opening.

📲 Read the full investigation now at sdslackers.com
(Or use the link in our bio)

06/24/2025

SDPD’s Radio Silence: Three Weeks of Encryption and a Vanishing Public Safety Net

📝 Synopsis:
It’s been three weeks since San Diego Police encrypted their dispatch radios—and the impact is bigger than you might think. From missing crime alerts to a crippled Citizen app, the public is more in the dark than ever. We spoke with SDPD’s new PIO, analyzed public data, and compared real-time awareness in San Diego vs. Los Angeles.
This isn’t just about radio traffic. It’s about trust, transparency, and access to vital safety information.
📊 Read the full story, see the data, and judge for yourself:
https://sdslackers.com/2025/06/24/three-weeks-into-encryption-sdpd-begins-to-acknowledge-the-information-gap/

06/15/2025

Sixty thousand marched through downtown San Diego for the annual No Kings Day protest — and it remained entirely peaceful. 🚫👑

No clashes. No counter-protesters. No arrests. Just crowds with signs, chants, and messages of resistance marching down Harbor Drive and Pacific Highway.

Visit us on our discord server where we monitor live scanners and discuss incidents like these. Use the link in bio or this – https://discord.gg/U8WFuxAnUU

06/09/2025

** One Week In: SDPD’s Encryption Experiment Leaves Public in the Dark **

Monday, June 9, 2025 marks one week since the San Diego Police Department’s switch to fully encrypted radio traffic—an abrupt move that has left journalists and the public straining for even the most basic facts about what’s happening in their neighborhoods.

From the outset, confusion was obvious. Early days of encryption saw officers fumbling with new radios, RSVP volunteers still checking in on old channels, and lifeguards reaching out on unencrypted frequencies for assistance they couldn’t get. Technical analysis even showed higher data error rates on these new channels, compounding concerns that police themselves might struggle to hear one another.

By Day Three, we found ourselves already losing crucial context for public safety incidents. On Day Five, the consequences of that lost access turned tragic: a fatal crash on Mission Bay Drive was downplayed by a Watch Commander who explicitly denied there was a pursuit. Yet a witness later described a 100 mph chase moments before the collision—details we only learned about the next day through social media, far too late for real-time reporting or public scrutiny.

Now, one week later, the damage to public awareness is clearer than ever. When police call in fire or medic support for incidents, those radio channels remain open and transparent in the rest of the county. But in San Diego, encryption of police radio traffic means that even these mutual aid calls are cloaked in near-total silence. Residents are more in the dark here than anywhere else in the county.

The timing couldn’t be worse. With national tensions over ICE deportations and a high-profile disturbance at Buono Forchetta in South Park, San Diegans are especially on edge. Flyers hint at protests, but so far they’ve mostly fizzled—still, the public is thirsty for accurate information to gauge whether real unrest might emerge here. The Watch Commander’s reports have been sporadic at best, and official press releases even rarer, despite department policy that expects more.

Meanwhile, basic miscommunication issues persist. Officers have been heard transmitting on old, unencrypted channels by accident, only to be told to switch back to the encrypted system—an echo of rumors that communication failures contributed to a delay in the Mission Bay crash response.

At its core, the encryption has upended the balance of trust and accountability. Before, journalists could hear the radio traffic in real time and decide for themselves what was newsworthy—what mattered to the community. Now, we’re forced to rely 100% on what SDPD chooses to share in delayed Watch Commander reports or occasional webpage updates—leaving the public in the dark about everything from violent assaults to major pursuits.

As we head into a second week of this new status quo, we plan to formally ask for more frequent Watch Commander reports and for SDPD to honor its own policies. This is about more than just lost scanner chatter—it’s about ensuring that critical information about public safety is shared openly, so the community can stay informed and engaged.

11/24/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQjvmcf7mQU
Livestream Tonight 9:11 pm !!

10/26/2024

Around 9:30pm, SDPD Eastern division had a failure to yield along Camino Del Rio South. It was brief but the driver went to pretty high speeds quickly, and lost control of his ‘90 Lexus LS400. The car wiped out a hydrant, a fence, a SDG&E transformer box, and a tree.
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These are a few of the stills from the scene. A full video of all the action will be coming soon, so make sure and follow, and see our bio for a link to more pictures and video from this incident. Live chat and live scanners.
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Sparks were flying and water was everywhere, so PD could not approach the car. It took a while to get SDGE to cut the power to the whole area, and then Water dept to shut off the water. Once PD determined the driver was not a threat, Fire and Rescue had to do a very technical extrication from the car. However by then, the driver was lifeless. He was transported to a hospital but did not survive.

09/02/2024

Carmel Mountain Ranch, In-N-Out.

This call was a report of over 40 juveniles, one allegedly w/a weapon, and banging on the windows.
The employees locked the doors, but the drive-thru was still open.
ABLE flew over a few time and confirmed all this, but the kids quickly dispersed, no one was detained and a few cops are remaining on scene

Use this link to find us on IG and join us on Discord in our chat. https://linktr.ee/sdslackers

08/28/2024

Use this link to find us on IG and join us on Discord in our chat. https://linktr.ee/sdslackers

8.26.24 San Diego CA. A high speed pursuit down Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Monday night ended in disaster with 1 SDPD officer killed, the suspect dead, and another officer clinging to life.
This video recreates the timeline of events with the radio calls in real-time. CHP was also called to assist, and SD Fore & Rescue responded as well. Their radio calls happen simultaneously, but I have attempted to separate them by channel so you can hear everything as it happened.
The SD Slackers family and fans all offer our deepest condolences to the families of all the victims of this tragic day for San Diego.

Below is SD County's press release with further details:
San Diego – Late Monday night, two San Diego Police Officers responding to a vehicle pursuit were involved in a collision near the 5200 block of Clairemont Mesa Blvd. in San Diego.
Tragically, San Diego Police Officer Austin Machitar lost his life in the incident. Officer Machitar joined the department in 2019 and was assigned to patrol at SDPD’s Northern Division. During his time with SDPD, Officer Machitar served as a Field Training Officer and took an active role in recruiting new officers by participating in recruiting videos and photoshoots for the department. Officer Machitar was 30 years old.
Officer Zach Martinez, who was also involved in the collision, is in critical but stable condition at a local hospital. Officer Martinez has been with SDPD for 1.5 years and is assigned to patrol at SDPD’s Northern Division. Officer Martinez was a former trainee of Officer Machitar in December 2023, and occasionally the two would ride together on patrol shifts. Officer Martinez is 27 years old.
The suspect in the incident died at the scene.
Due to the enormity of the situation, the San Diego Police Department requested the California Highway Patrol conduct an independent investigation of the collision. This is an ongoing investigation.
SDPD extends our heartfelt thanks to the San Diego community and the many law enforcement agencies that have reached out with their support.
Anyone wishing to assist the officers or their families, please visit sdpoa.org for more information.

08/23/2024

This guy rolled his jeep traveling north 5 on the 8 W. exit. SDSlackers were first on the scene before police or fire and found the driver standing on the side of the road. He was delirious and bleeding from his head. I can’t say for sure but I believe I smelled alcohol so this is possibly a DUI.

08/22/2024

A white Tesla hit the Volkswagen right on the side at an intersection, but I’m kind of surprised how little damage there was. The Tesla drove away under its own power just with a messed up bumper. The Volkswagen had a broken axle and was immobilized, but otherwise didn’t look too bad. There were no injuries here.

Hey, we were at the scene of this incident earlier. Use this link to find us on IG and join us on Discord in our chat where we listen to various scanners: https://linktr.ee/sdslackers