Category: Public Safety

  • Does San Diego’s Police Force Mirror the Community?

    By Lisa Halverstadt San Diego’s police force mirrors some parts of the community better than others. Demographic data released by the San Diego Police Department earlier this year showed the agency had about 8 percent fewer Asian American officers and 9 percent fewer Hispanic officers than the percentages reflected in the 2010 U.S. Census for…

  • Killing of Missouri Teen Reminds Locals of Tensions Between Minorities and Police

    Lei-Chala Wilson, president of the San Diego chapter of the NAACP, and Benjamin Kelso, president of the local Black Police Officers Association, join KPBS Evening Edition to discuss what San Diego’s black community is saying about the police killing of Missouri teen Michael Brown and about local police officers’ relationship with minorities. | Video Credit:…

  • Local Report on Suspensions Echoes ‘Vergara’ Findings

    Photo Credit: Shutterstock By Mario Koran Seniority-based hiring policies in San Diego Unified mean the poorest schools usually end up with the least experienced teachers. Black and Latino students who attend poor schools are disproportionately suspended and expelled. And one paragraph buried deep within a 63-page report from the school district shows that the two…

  • Zimmerman: ‘I Will Not Tolerate Any Instances of Racial Profiling’

    In partnership with the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association and the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman released this public service announcement stating that police racial profiling will not be tolerated and offering ways to report profiling incidents. | Video Credit: Verdict Videos for San Diego La Raza Lawyers…

  • Victims of Police Violence Honored at City Heights Vigil

    Jack Cairncross ties a strip of red fabric on the arm of a vigil attendee. | Photo Credit: Tarryn Mento, KPBS By Tarryn Mento At 20 minutes after 4 p.m., more than 100 San Diegans in City Heights — and in cities across the country — held a national moment of silence Thursday for victims…