SDPD Northern Division’s new captain is all about community connections

San Diego Police Department’s new Northeastern Division captain said he wants those under his command to be “competent, happy and very focused on customer service.”

This is the first time Capt. Judson Campbell has been assigned to Northeastern, which covers Rancho Bernardo and spans from Miramar and Scripps Ranch to the south up to San Pasqual in the north. The headquarters is in Rancho Peñasquitos.

“We are very unique in that our geography is the biggest, at 104 square miles,” Campbell said of SDPD’s nine divisions. “But these are really supportive communities, tight-knit with their own personalities.”

Campbell joined SDPD in 2007. The Georgia native graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and a law degree from Pepperdine University. He chose law enforcement because “I was looking for an exciting, team-oriented job.

“I did not grow up wanting to be a police officer, I fell into it. But it is a very good fit for me and my personality,” Campbell said. “I enjoy the team aspect of always working together, the total variety of the job and I like talking with people.

“There is a lot of humanity to this job and I meet interesting people,” he added.

This is Campbell’s first time of being a captain, after holding the acting captain rank for six months while assigned to the Investigations II unit.

He began his career as a patrol officer in Southern and Northern divisions. At Northern he was part of the patrol/beach team. As a detective, he worked in child abuse, vice and Northern Division. His sergeant assignments included Central patrol, Central investigations and homicide. He was a lieutenant at Mid City patrol, the professional standards unit, criminal intelligence unit and homicide.

Working homicide for five years — one as a sergeant and four as a lieutenant — has been his favorite so far.

“I learned something everywhere, but the most impactful was in homicide. … It was fascinating, challenging, rewarding and interesting,” Campbell said. “It exposed me to everything, because we use resources all over the department, District Attorney’s Office, etc.”

He said interacting with victim’s loved ones as the face of the department is a “tremendous responsibility. We must be doing it right by them and being transparent. It exposes you to everything, the good, bad and ugly of law enforcement.”

Campbell said his time in the child abuse unit was also very tough because of the type of cases police encounter.

“Every command takes on the direct personality of its leadership,” he said, describing himself as a competent and happy person who enjoys community interactions.

While his first official day at Northeastern was on July 7, Campbell said he participated in the Fourth of July parades in Rancho Bernardo and Scripps Ranch so he could get an early start on meeting residents in person.

Building strong community connections and trust is essential for a good police relationship, so that people feel like they can tell officers what issues are important to them and what is happening in their neighborhoods, he said.

“Law enforcement can almost be like its own club, removed. That is why I get out to community events (such as the Rancho Bernardo Safety Fair). This is how I operate and it is amazing to see the community support.

“The officers here are really happy to see the community cares about how things are. That is fantastic,” Campbell said.

Regarding issues in Northeastern, Campbell said they are primarily residential in nature — house burglaries, cars broken into, speeding drivers and e-bike riders being reckless and not following traffic laws.

Campbell said he oversees a staff of 75, almost all are sworn officers.

“(Sufficient) staffing is a problem department-wide, so the chief is all about efficiency,” he said. “We find creative ways to handle the work and are a tight-knit division that takes care of the community and itself.”

He said SDPD is recruiting and he encourages anyone open to a career in law enforcement to learn more and consider it.

He also praised the camaraderie the division has, especially with its neighboring divisions of Eastern and Northwestern, in addition to its relationship with the sheriff’s department since Northern is adjacent to the Poway Station on its east border and the 4S Ranch Substation on its west border. All are quick to send resources to one another, he said.

“We have a very good working relationship with Poway, such as during the recent fire in Rancho Bernardo when we all worked together with the fire department to keep people safe,” Campbell said.

While he does not have much free time, Campbell said he enjoys spending time with his wife, Lindsay Herrell — whom he met while they were both in law school — and their three children, who range in age from elementary to high school, along with their dogs and cats. He also plays the guitar and ukulele and likes to go snowboarding.