Posted inCalifornia, Government & Politics, Public Safety

Domestic Violence Abusers May No Longer Be Able to Track Their Partners With Their Apps

Advanced computers in modern cars are enabling domestic abusers to track where their partners go, and even control parts of the vehicles remotely.

If Gov. Gavin Newsom signs it into law this month, Senate Bill 1394 would establish a legal process for terminating abusers’ access to vehicle computers.

Posted inHealth, Law & Justice, Overdose Crisis, Public Safety, Social Services

Proveedores de Servicios Exigen Acceso a Reclusos Latinos

La falta de programación en español es un problema crecientemente grave ya que el encarcelamiento de latinos ha aumentado desde el lanzamiento el junio pasado de una ofensiva policial contra las drogas en los vecindarios de Tenderloin y sur de Market. • Read in English: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/service-providers-demand-access-to-latinx-jail-inmates

Posted inHealth, Law & Justice, Overdose Crisis, Public Safety, Social Services

Service Providers Demand Access to Latinx Jail Inmates

Spanish-language programming at San Francisco’s County Jail has since become virtually non-existent as routine lockdowns caused by staff shortages have made it practically impossible to hold classes. Even while deputies work mandatory 16-hour shifts, there aren’t enough of them to escort people who administer rehabilitation sessions and other training programs into the jails.

On Feb. 2, numerous social service providers for the Latinx incarcerated population implored the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board during its monthly meeting to help them gain access to the jail.

Posted inCity Hall, Elections, Public Safety

Proposition E — Police Department Policies and Procedures

Proposition E is a package of policy changes that would allow the San Francisco Police Department to engage in more high-speed chases, permit drone use in pursuits and grant the department the ability to install new security cameras in public spaces and test new surveillance technology on the public with less oversight from independent bodies.

Posted inLaw & Justice, Public Safety

Anonymous Posters Singling Out Judges for Leniency in Drug Cases Earn Condemnation From Defense Lawyers

An anonymous poster campaign calling out judges who dropped charges against people accused of selling fentanyl is getting strong pushback from San Francisco legal professionals. 

“This is just wildly inappropriate,” said Kirk Jenkins, Senior Counsel at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer. “You could cause violence against judges.”

Posted inBay Area, Homelessness, Housing, Neighborhoods, Public Safety, Social Services

Berkeley Says It Was Aggressive in Homeless Encampment Sweeps, Promises Reforms

Berkeley is accelerating plans to more humanely deal with homelessness in the wake of a San Francisco Public Press report on a chaotic encampment raid in October, and city staffers say they will start collaborating with unhoused people and homeless advocates when planning to clean or clear large encampments.

Several city departments are changing procedures in response to complaints from those living in encampments and their advocates, and from residential and commercial neighbors.

Posted inCity Hall, Health, Law & Justice, Overdose Crisis, Public Safety

Military-Style Drug War in Tenderloin Sparks Fears That More Drug Users Could Overdose

Last week’s deployment of the National Guard and California Highway Patrol onto San Francisco’s streets to crack down on drugs comes amid intense public pressure to address open air drug use and sales.

But the emphasis on law enforcement for addressing the city’s drug crisis has distressed public defense attorneys and harm reduction advocates who fear the move may worsen the rate of fatal overdoses.

Posted inNews, Public Safety, Ride-Hailing’s Dark Data, Transportation, Utilities

Local Planners Say State Failed to Track Safety Incidents on Uber and Lyft

The state agency responsible for ensuring Uber and Lyft rides are safe failed to consistently track the number of accidents, assaults and drunk driving complaints that occur on them, according to a new study by San Francisco traffic planners.

The California Public Utilities Commission did not even consistently collect the most basic industry information, such as ride requests and miles driven, the report from the San Francisco County Transportation Authority shows.

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