The 263-year prison sentence received by Oklahoma City police officer Daniel Holtzclaw last week for raping vulnerable women was a national wakeup call. At a time when police departments are already under intense scrutiny for violent conduct, it cast a light on another problem: police sexual abuse.

San Diego, however, was already supposed to have gotten that message.

In 2011, 10 San Diego police officers were investigated and six arrested on charges of criminal misconduct, most of them sexual offenses. One of the officers was charged with sexually assaulting eight women. 

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Investigations were made and reforms were promised, but in 2014, two more San Diego officers faced similar allegations.

Taken together, the Oklahoma City and San Diego cases show the scope of the problem of police sex abuse and the challenges inherent in trying to fix it.

San Diego stands as a test case. It is a prime example of how a police department with a strong reputation for progressive policies can still have sexual predators hiding behind the badge.

But women’s rights advocates are concerned that the Holtzclaw case will not be the alarm bell it should be for other departments nationwide. Activists say progress toward changing traditional male-dominated police culture has been slow – and may be going in reverse. 

There are examples of police chiefs trying to make a difference after rapes by officers come to light. Yet there remains the tendency among many police leaders to “just try to ignore the whole thing and hope it goes away,” says Penny Harrington