Behind the Badge: Chief Christie Calderwood Talks Leadership, Challenges, and Carlsbad Pride

Intro
Carlsbad People, Purpose, and Impact. An essential podcast for those who live, work, visit, and play in Carlsbad.
Bret: Good morning and welcome, everyone. My name is Bret Schanzenbach, president and CEO of the Carlsbad Chamber, and I’m your host. I’m super excited today to be joined by Chief Christie Calderwood, the Chief of Police for the Carlsbad Police Department.
Chief Calderwood: Good morning, Bret. It’s good to see you. Thanks for having me—happy to be here.

Local Roots and Early Career
Bret: You’ve been with the Carlsbad Police Department for quite a while, but you’re also a local, right? You went to La Costa Canyon High School?
Chief Calderwood: That’s right. I graduated in the very first full graduating class, the class of 2000. I was there from the day it opened through all four years.
Bret: That’s cool—you were there at the beginning. Then you stayed local for college too, right?
Chief Calderwood: Yes. I went to Cal State San Marcos and earned my B.A. in Literature and Writing. My original dream was to become a high school English teacher. I was all set on that path—majored in writing, planning to get my teaching credential. But life took a detour. Instead of teaching, I found myself in the police academy.
Bret: That’s a pretty big jump! How did you go from English lit to law enforcement?
Chief Calderwood: Honestly, it wasn’t planned. While I was in college, I worked at Home Depot and later at Home Depot Expo. They had a great tuition reimbursement program and solid benefits. By 21, I was an operations manager at the Huntington Beach Expo store—making good money, but I knew it wasn’t my forever career.
One day I googled “police agencies hiring in San Diego County,” and Carlsbad came up. Since I’d grown up between Encinitas and Carlsbad, it felt like home. I applied, got hired, went through the academy, and here I am—almost 20 years later—as Chief.

Education and Climbing the Ranks
Bret: That’s an incredible journey. But you didn’t stop with just the academy—you went back for your master’s degree, right?
Chief Calderwood: Yes. I earned a Master’s in Administrative Leadership from Central Michigan University. They had a satellite campus on Camp Pendleton. At the time, there weren’t as many local leadership programs at USD or SDSU. I was working nights and spent my weekends in class for three years to finish the program.
Bret: That’s dedication. And career-wise, you moved quickly: officer in 2006, sergeant in 2013, lieutenant in 2017, captain in 2021, assistant chief in 2022, and chief in 2024.
Chief Calderwood: That’s right. Though I’ll admit, I didn’t get to experience every role in the department before promoting. That’s the trade-off—you sometimes miss opportunities when you pursue leadership early. I always tell younger officers: you can’t control timing. If you think you’re ready, go for it. Growth often comes once you’re in the position.

Events and Community Safety
Bret: I first met you through Chamber events. You were leading the police support at the Carlsbad Village Street Fair.
Chief Calderwood: Yes, I was the traffic lieutenant at the time, overseeing special events. That role is huge for community safety. Large events bring both opportunities and risks, so our approach has always been proactive.
Bret: I’ve always admired how Carlsbad PD plans ahead to avoid becoming the “bad headline” after a big event.
Chief Calderwood: Exactly. We want people to enjoy themselves without ever realizing the level of security planning behind the scenes. That includes vehicle barriers, perimeter protection, and ongoing coordination with city departments. In fact, back in 2019, I helped bring in portable vehicle barriers—32 of them. Other agencies later came to us asking how we did it.

Specialized Roles
Bret: You’ve also served in some fascinating roles—like crisis negotiator.
Chief Calderwood: Yes, I was part of our crisis negotiation team. Thankfully, Carlsbad doesn’t see many hostage or barricade incidents, but we train constantly. I recall one case—a 17-hour standoff with a man in crisis who only spoke Russian. Luckily, one of our officers spoke Russian and worked alongside us until we resolved it peacefully.
Bret: And you also worked on the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team?
Chief Calderwood: Yes. That team pairs officers with mental health clinicians to respond to crises. We go through specialized training, even sitting in classes with people living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who share what it’s like to interact with law enforcement. It shaped how I communicate, not just in policing but in life. At five-foot-two, I’ve had to rely heavily on communication skills—and training like this has been invaluable.

Policing Philosophy: De-Escalation and Trust
Bret: After George Floyd, de-escalation training became even more emphasized. How has Carlsbad PD approached that?
Chief Calderwood: We led the county in adopting a de-escalation protocol, thanks in large part to Assistant Chief Red Shipley. It’s now a countywide standard. Our philosophy is “communication first.” We want peaceful resolutions, but we also train our officers to be tactically proficient if force becomes unavoidable.
Bret: And the community’s support for your department seems strong.
Chief Calderwood: Incredibly strong. Even during 2020, people would buy our officers coffee just to show support. That’s something I’ll never forget.

Challenges and Current Issues
Homelessness
Bret: Homelessness has been a tough issue. How has the landscape shifted recently?
Chief Calderwood: The Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision and Governor’s executive order have allowed us to re-engage with enforcement while still focusing on services. Carlsbad invests millions into outreach and housing. Our new municipal code bans camping in vehicles and public spaces. First, we educated. Now we enforce—but always paired with resources. The goal isn’t to criminalize homelessness; it’s to protect vulnerable people and maintain community quality of life.
Retail Theft and Prop 36
Bret: Retail theft has made national headlines. How’s it looking here?
Chief Calderwood: We saw a big spike in smash-and-grab cases, but Prop 36—passed by voters in 2024—has been a game-changer. It allows aggregation of thefts, reclassifies certain drug crimes like fentanyl as felonies, and provides both accountability and treatment opportunities. We’ve already seen a decline in retail theft this year.
Bret: District Attorney Summer Stephan came to one of our meetings and explained how immediate implementation surprised some criminals who thought they had a grace period.
Chief Calderwood: (laughs) Yes, and some of them even admitted on camera that they were arrested “because of Prop 36.” When criminals know there are consequences, that changes behavior.
Recruitment
Bret: Let’s talk about recruitment. How is it different today versus when you started?
Chief Calderwood: It’s night and day. When I applied, there were hundreds of candidates for just a couple of spots. Today, we might get 40–50 applicants for three to five vacancies. Younger generations often view it as a short-term job, not a 30-year career. That means more “agency hopping.”
We’re addressing it through transparency, social media outreach, and especially our Explorer Program for youth ages 14–21. They ride along with officers, train, and volunteer at events. It’s a great way to cultivate future recruits from within the community.

Closing
Bret: Chief, thank you for your service, your leadership, and for taking the time to share with us today. We are fortunate to have such a strong, proactive police department here in Carlsbad.
Chief Calderwood: Thank you, Bret. I really value the long-standing relationship between the Police Department and the Chamber of Commerce.
Outro
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