Category: Public Safety

  • Sidewalk Near Dangerous City Heights Intersection Could See Upgrades This Summer

    By Tarryn Mento A dangerous City Heights intersection where a young skateboarder was killed in a hit-and-run accident last fall could see safety upgrades this summer. Activists have lobbied city officials for a new sidewalk along 54th Street near Chollas Parkway since 15-year-old Jonathan Cortez was struck by a car there in October 2015. A…

  • New School Discipline Program Has Fans and Results, But Few Participating Schools

    A few years ago, San Diego Unified launched pilot program aimed at incorporating a new approach to school discipline, called restorative justice, to the district. Restorative justice brings someone who has done something wrong together with their victims — to listen, understand, empathize and heal. When student offenders participate in restorative justice exercises, they may…

  • A Mother’s Plea for Safety Improvements On 54th Street

    Video Credit: Brian Myers, Media Arts Center San Diego By Brian Myers Last October, Veronica Cortez’s son Jonathan was killed on 54th Street near Lea Street. He was skateboarding to his father’s house when he was struck by multiple drivers. None of the drivers stopped. “I hate this street,” Cortez said while visiting the intersection…

  • Youth Reclaim Public Space From Gangs With Mural

    In partnership with the Karen Organization, The AjA Project ran a nine-month program with young Southeast Asian refugee women called Photographers for Change (P4C). During the program, 15 Karen participants, ages 13 to 18 years old,in City Heights and Los Angeles’ historic Filipinotown used photography to reflect on their experiences of migration and resettlement, explore…

  • San Diego Leaders, Nonprofits And Schools Meeting This Week On Restorative Justice

    By Megan Burke and Tom Fudge San Diego County government agencies, non-profits and schools are coming together on Feb. 26 for a summit on restorative justice, an alternative to traditional law enforcement practices. “Everyone who gets handcuffed does not necessarily belong in prison,” said Rev. Rickey Laster, executive director of the City of San Diego…