Category: Public Safety

  • California Bill Would Restore Mental Health Funding in Elementary Schools

    Cherokee Point Elementary School Principal Godwin Higa talks with a student. | Photo Credit: Jane Stevens By Megan Burks A San Francisco Bay Area lawmaker has introduced a state bill that would restore mental health care funding for young children who experience trauma. San Diego educators have relied on a patchwork of programs since the…

  • Program to Keep Juveniles Out of Prison Could Expand

    By Andrew Bowen The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is set to vote on expanding a restorative justice program to keep juvenile delinquents out of prison. The National Conflict Resolution Center has been operating a pilot program in the City Heights neighborhood called Restorative Community Conferencing, under which mediators set up meetings…

  • UCLA: As Suspensions Dropped, California Students Performed Better

    A study out this week suggests school discipline reform is helping to close the achievement gap in California. Out-of-school suspensions have dropped nearly 30 percent statewide since 2011. And researchers with UCLA’s Center for Civil Rights Remedies found many of those districts also saw gains in their Academic Performance Index scores during the same time.…

  • Prop. 47 A Year Later: 12K Petitions Processed, 24K Pending in San Diego

    By Megan Burks Wednesday marked one year since California voters approved Proposition 47. The measure made some low-level felonies misdemeanors in an effort to reform the criminal justice system. The law’s supporters said it would save the state millions by clearing prison cells, with the savings going toward rehabilitation programs for people caught up in…

  • It’s the Most Dangerous Time of Year for Pedestrians

    Pedestrians cross near the intersection of Friars Road and Frazee Road By Mario Koran Sunday didn’t just bring a time change, it meant more drivers and pedestrians are sharing roadways in the dark. In the past, those circumstances have helped make this the most dangerous time of year to be a pedestrian. San Diegans are…