SAN DIEGO, CA — The number of San Diego Police Department (SDPD) officers requiring remedial firearms training after repeatedly failing their annual handgun qualification has nearly doubled in 2026, according to an investigation by NBC 7 San Diego.
An analysis of department firearms qualification records found that 25 officers failed all five permitted qualification attempts in 2026, compared with 13 officers in 2025. The increase has prompted questions about firearms proficiency, access to training facilities, and whether the department’s current shooting range arrangements adequately support its officers.
Although the officers identified in the investigation represent approximately 1% of the department’s force, the San Diego Police Officers Association has expressed concern about the increase.
Department officials have not identified a definitive cause. Union leadership, however, maintains that the closure of the department’s former firearms range in 2022 has created logistical obstacles to additional training.
The findings were originally reported by NBC 7 Investigates journalists Alexis Rivas and Mike Dorfman on November 10, 2026.
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Public Records Reveal Increase in Qualification Failures
NBC 7 Investigates obtained nearly 500 pages of SDPD firearms qualification logs through a public records request. Reporters organized and analyzed the records to identify officers who had failed all five available attempts to pass the department’s handgun qualification.
The investigation identified the following figures:
Qualification results Officers
2025 13
2026 25
Increase 12
Percentage increase 92.3%
Officers Failing All Five Qualification Attempts
2025 compared with 2026
According to NBC 7, the department typically recorded approximately 13 officers annually requiring remedial training under this process, based on records dating back to 2018.
The 2026 figure therefore represents a notable departure from the historical pattern described in the investigation. However, a single-year increase does not establish that qualification failures will continue rising in future years.
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SDPD Firearms Qualification Requirements
Under the department’s annual qualification system, officers must demonstrate handgun proficiency by completing a standardized shooting course.
The department’s January 16, 2026, order governing mandatory handgun qualification establishes a minimum passing score of 170 out of 200 points.
Officers who do not achieve a passing score are permitted additional attempts, up to a total of five. Personnel who fail all five are removed from field assignments and required to undergo remedial firearms training.
NBC 7 also reported that officers attend two mandatory firearms training sessions annually.
The policy is intended to prevent personnel who have not demonstrated the required level of handgun proficiency from continuing normal field duties until the qualification issue has been addressed.
Failure to qualify does not, by itself, establish that an officer has engaged in misconduct or improperly used a firearm.
The qualification requirements are documented in SDPD Order OR 26-02: Mandatory Handgun Qualification Shoot 2026
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Police Department Acknowledges Increase but Has Not Identified a Cause
SDPD Captain Michael Ramsay, who oversees the department’s Training Division, acknowledged the increase in qualification failures during an interview with NBC 7 Investigates.
Ramsay described the results as concerning but cautioned against interpreting a single year’s increase as an established trend.
He also stated that the department’s firearms training procedures have remained consistent and that he could not identify a definitive explanation for the higher number of failures.
Ramsay said department leadership would continue monitoring the qualification results.
The department has not publicly established whether the increase is attributable to reduced practice opportunities, individual officer performance, changes in the workforce, or other factors.
Police Union Connects Training Concerns to 2022 Gun Range Closure
San Diego Police Officers Association President Jared Wilson has attributed the rise in failures to barriers affecting officers’ opportunities to practice.
Wilson specifically identified the closure of SDPD’s former outdoor shooting range, which had operated for decades near Federal Boulevard and Home Avenue.
The facility closed in 2022 following concerns about lead exposure.
According to previous NBC 7 Investigates reporting, at least a dozen officers filed workers’ compensation claims involving elevated blood lead levels.
NBC 7 also reported that a city engineer had recommended equipment designed to collect hazardous lead dust during renovations. The city did not purchase that equipment, reportedly considering it optional.
The range has remained closed since 2022.
Wilson maintains that firearms proficiency requires consistent practice beyond mandatory qualification exercises.
However, the union’s explanation has not been independently established as the cause of the 2026 increase.
Relocation to Poway Creates Additional Training Challenges
Following the closure of its department-operated range, SDPD began using a privately operated facility in Poway for firearms training and qualification.
The relocation introduced several operational differences.
According to NBC 7’s reporting, the former department facility offered four shooting ranges. Under the current arrangement, SDPD personnel share a single range.
The Poway location also requires additional travel for officers assigned to many San Diego police stations.
Ramsay acknowledged the limitations associated with the reduced number of available ranges.
The department also requires officers seeking additional practice to coordinate with their commands.
Staffing requirements and operational responsibilities can affect whether officers are available to attend optional training.
Despite those obstacles, Ramsay told NBC 7 that approximately 60 hours of additional practice time remain available each month.
That figure describes scheduled availability, not necessarily the number of hours officers actually use.
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Retired FBI Firearms Instructor Addresses Training Frequency
Retired FBI firearms instructor Eric Robinson told NBC 7 Investigates that scheduling difficulties, travel requirements, and competing work assignments could discourage officers from participating in additional firearms training.
Robinson also distinguished between passing a qualification course and developing proficiency through regular practice.
His assessment supports the possibility that limited access to practice could affect shooting performance.
However, the available reporting does not include an analysis establishing a direct causal relationship between reduced firearms practice and the department’s 2026 qualification failures.
Private Gun Range Contract Could Reach $4.1 Million
The department’s reliance on a private firearms range has also raised questions about long-term costs.
On April 7, 2026, the San Diego City Council voted to modify the city’s existing contract with a Poway firearms facility.
According to NBC 7 Investigates, the amended agreement permits total expenditures of up to $4.1 million under a five-year contract dating back to 2022 and scheduled to continue through late 2027.
The contract originally carried a maximum cost of approximately $1.755 million.
The revised $4.1 million figure represents the maximum authorized expenditure, not an amount confirmed to have already been spent.
Wilson has called for a permanent, department-operated range rather than continued reliance on the privately leased facility.
Ramsay confirmed that he has been pursuing other potential firearms training locations through city and department channels.
No confirmed construction timeline or approved replacement facility was identified in the reporting reviewed for this article.
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Current Status — November 12, 2026
As of November 12, 2026, the following developments have been verified through NBC 7 Investigates reporting and publicly available department documents:
The available reporting does not establish how many of the 25 officers subsequently completed remedial training, passed another qualification, and returned to field duty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many San Diego police officers failed their firearms qualification in 2026?
NBC 7 Investigates identified 25 officers who failed all five permitted handgun qualification attempts, compared with 13 officers in 2025. These figures do not represent everyone who failed an initial attempt but subsequently passed.
What happens when an SDPD officer fails firearms qualification?
Under the department’s 2026 qualification order, an officer who fails all five attempts is removed from field duty and required to receive remedial firearms training.
What score is required to pass?
The department’s published 2026 order requires a minimum score of 170 points out of 200.
Why did San Diego close its police firearms range?
The city closed the facility in 2022 following concerns about lead contamination and reports of elevated blood lead levels among personnel.
Has the police department determined why failures increased?
No. Department leadership has acknowledged the increase but has not identified a confirmed explanation.
Is San Diego building a replacement shooting range?
Department officials have reported exploring potential alternatives. The available reporting does not confirm an approved construction project or completion date.
Sources and Documentation
This article is based on original investigative reporting by NBC 7 San Diego and publicly available San Diego Police Department documentation.
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