police

Escondido, Homelessness March 12, 2023

Most Escondido homelessness funds went to police, not homelessness programs, according to city staff report

Some $1.4 million of $2 million targeted to address homelessness in Escondido went to the city’s police department rather than homelessness services, according to a city staff report released last month. The money that specifically comes from the city’s general fund came under fire from some residents at a February 15, 2023 city council meeting, according to the Voice of San Diego. “We keep seeing…

Fire, Homelessness, San Diego January 14, 2020

Homeless folks tied to nearly 13% of fire calls

Fire incident calls tied to homelessness are on the rise in San Diego. Last year, they made up nearly 13% of all fire-related calls. “We’re addressing it as best we can,” said Assistant Fire Chief Chris Webber, who added that the growing homeless problem is “no secret.” While the number of all fire calls has fluctuated over the past five years, fire calls that mentioned…

Courts/Law, Health & Fitness, Lifestyle, Lifestyle/Society, Police, Police/Fire December 25, 2018

No-go on Cal drunken driving starting Jan. 1

California, and other states deploy breathalyzers in cars to limit road deaths ’Tis the season to be a little too merry, and law enforcement officials across the country are once again reminding revelers not to drive if they’ve been drinking. Along with those warnings comes a bit of good news: Deaths involving drunken driving are only about half of what they were in the early…

Featured, Immigration December 12, 2017

Anti-wall protestors blast police inaction

(Editor’s Note: Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-50th congressional District) and other far right-wing Trump Border Wall adherents held a rally Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Otay Mesa site of wall prototypes. At the event, right-wing activists attacked the protestors. Here is an account from protestors about the violence and police actions there. During his speech, Hunter repeated discredited claims he has made in the past that…

Arts, Politics April 23, 2017

Capitol painting won’t prevail on appeal

A controversial painting that made headlines earlier this year is now the subject of a lawsuit in a federal court in Washington, D.C., but constitutional experts predict the plaintiff’s free speech arguments are doomed. The case hinges on whether an art competition held by members of Congress qualifies as “government speech,” which has less protection under the First Amendment. The legal feud has roiled emotions in Washington…

Police, Police/Fire March 10, 2017

Police dragnet for gang members who shot woman headed home from church

No news was bad news as Escondido police renewed its call for somebody, anybody to come forward with information related to the slaying of a 55-year-old Escondido woman on her way home from church Tuesday night.   A beloved wife and church worker, Catherine Kennedy was struck in the head by gunfire when she passed near some kind of crossfire between rival gangs in the 1800 block…

Courts/Law, Politics March 6, 2017

Legal analysis of Hunter art take-down

For several weeks earlier this year, an odd battle was waged in the halls of the U.S. Capitol over a controversial work of art by a high school student placed there after an art competition in St. Louis. At issue is whether the Architect of the Capitol had the right to direct the permanent removal of the painting, or whether doing so violated the student’s…

Escondido, Police, Police/Fire August 25, 2016

Escondido rejects county Grand Jury call for citizen’s police review board

Think Escondido should have a citizen’s review board for its police department. Think again. Escondido officials this week rejected the recommendation of the San Diego Grand Jury to establish a citizen’s police review board. Following investigation into “several citizen complaints regarding police behavior in local jurisdictions,” the Grand Jury called on Escondido along with El Cajon, La Mesa, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Chula Vista and Coronado to…

Police, Police/Fire, San Marcos August 17, 2016

San Marcos joins DUI checkpoint craze

Shhh…Spoiler alert. Not really, The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department wants everyone to know something is happening there, but the location shall remain hush-hush undisclosed. Joining a countywide trend, Sheriff’s deputies will conduct the following: “On Friday, August 19, 2016 from 7:30 p.m., to Saturday, August 20, 2016 at 2:30 a.m., deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department’s San Marcos Station will be conducting a…