Port of San Diego Harbor Police Chief Magda Fernandez Named Latino Leader of Influence

Port of San Diego Harbor Police Chief Magda Fernandez has been named one of the Top 50 Latino Leaders of Influence in 2024 by the San Diego Business Journal and the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Chief Fernandez will be honored during a ceremony at The University Club in San Diego on October 7, 2024.

Chief Fernandez is the first Latina police chief for the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department and the first Latina top cop in all of San Diego County. She joined Harbor Police as a recruit in 2001, rose through the ranks to captain in February 2021, and was appointed to chief/vice president of public safety in May 2022.

Since her appointment to chief, Fernandez has developed a five-year strategic plan for Harbor Police focusing on four main areas: maximizing workforce potential, ensuring financial stability, engage with community stakeholders, and protecting those the department serves. Along with the focus areas, a new mission statement highlights the department's daily objectives of proactive policing, community engagement, and serving with honor, professionalism, and dedication.

Over the years, Chief Fernandez has led various department units including investigations and intelligence, professional standards, and training, as well as the patrol operations and administrative sections. She has also represented Harbor Police as a detective on the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force and helped establish the department's Terrorism Liaison Officer program, which focuses on educating officers and members of the Port community on being aware of potential terrorism and criminal activities. Additionally, from 1994 to 2018, she served in the U.S. Coast Guard in various roles including as a criminal investigator and as an environmental and marine casualty investigator.

Earlier in her career, Fernandez was an emergency medical technician, and then a rescue diver with the Santa Cruz Search and Rescue Team. Serving her community has always been at the cornerstone of everything she does. She is often heard reminding people to be kind to one another and saying one of her favorite phrases, "Words matter. How you make people feel matters."

"Being recognized as a Latino Leader of Influence is a true honor," said Chief Fernandez. "I am one of many Latinas in the region making an impact in our community and I hope the recognition of our contributions empowers others to make a mark of their own. Thank you to the San Diego Business Journal and the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for this recognition."

A dedicated leader in building communities, Chief Fernandez and her department have an ongoing relationship with Perkins Elementary in Barrio Logan, which involves taking kids, many of whom are unsheltered, to fun activities like Fish with a Cop, Jiu Jitsu with a Cop, and Shop with a Cop. Her goal is to expose children and others in the community to law enforcement in a way that builds trust. As a proponent of mental health, Chief Fernandez was also instrumental in implementing a culture of officer wellness within the department, at one point being the lieutenant in charge of the Peer Support Program.

Outside of the Port, Fernandez currently serves on several boards and committees. She is on the board of the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation, is treasurer for the San Diego Chiefs' and Sheriff's Association, is co-chair for the Area Maritime Security Committee, is a committee member for the Coast Guard City Committee, is a member of the California Maritime Security Council, and is a member of MANA. Fernandez is an alumna of the MANA Latina Success Leadership Program, Command Leadership Program, LEAD Influence, and National Command and Staff College.

The Port of San Diego congratulates Chief Magda Fernandez on being named a Latino Leader of Influence 2024.