Harbor Patrol Officers Will No Longer Carry Weapons; Duties Remain the Same

Santa Barbara Harbor Patrol will no longer be carrying service weapons on duty, as the department and city policymakers adjust to new state regulations regarding law enforcement weapons certification.

The decision was sparked by Senate Bill 2, which took effect in 2022 and marked a change in training guidelines by establishing statewide oversight for law enforcement and requiring all officers to meet minimum standards through the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) program.

This particularly affects the Harbor Patrol, because in order to meet the new standards, the city would be forced to spend a significant amount of time and money to get the officers certified to keep their weapons on their duty belts. And since the Harbor Patrol would still be able to enforce harbor and city code without weapons — and since Santa Barbara Police already responds to any calls for penal code violations or arrests — the Harbor Patrol duties would remain largely the same without guns.

The city Harbor Commission held several public hearings on this change, most recently at the September 19 meeting, where Harbor Operations Manager Nathan Alldredge explained the city’s thinking behind the decision, and how the changes would manifest in the Harbor Patrol duties and uniform. He said that it was not an easy decision, and there were some concerns over the safety of the officers, who traditionally carried a service weapon on duty.

“Initially, there was a bit of shock and disbelief that this would trickle down to us,” Alldredge said. “We take great pride in being able to be first in no matter what it is.”

But after meeting with all departments and stakeholders — including the city attorney, city administrator, waterfront staff, and Santa Barbara Police Chief Kelly Gordon (who sits on the POST Commission) — Alldredge said that it was clear that the only way for Harbor Patrol to keep their weapons would be to transition to a “mini police department,” something that wouldn’t make sense, given that only a handful of harbor calls are serious enough to end with a penal code violation or arrest (in the last two years, these represent less than one percent of calls).

“Our bread and butter is marine safety,” Alldredge said. “That’s why we are out there. That’s why our boats are out, and that’s why the community depends on us and needs us.”

The Harbor Patrol’s 10 officers will now wear a new uniform, with a navy-blue shirt instead of the old tan color, to reflect their new duties. Officers will also have a new duty belt with a radio and pepper spray, while all other “impact weapons,” including firearms, tasers, batons, and handcuffs, will no longer be worn by the officers, Alldredge said.

Other than the color of uniform and lack of weapons, Harbor Patrol duties will remain the same, with officers providing emergency medical care, boating safety enforcement, and ocean response and rescue. Police will continue to respond to any calls that rise to a penal code violation or a call or may lead to an arrest. There will be no loss of coverage, Alldredge said, and Harbor Patrol will continue to respond “to enforce all marine law enforcement and other municipal code violations” in the harbor district, including all boating safety violations, infractions, and other violations around the marinas.

He said that, despite the adjustment to the new weapon-free duties, morale is still high among Harbor Patrol officers. “I’m proud to report that,” he said. “We’ve involved our officers and their safety concerns at every step of the way through this process, first and foremost.”

City Council unanimously approved the change without discussion as part of its consent calendar on October 8.