San Diego officers among hundreds decertified under recent CA law
Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Monday, March 17th
Hundreds of California police officers have been stripped of their badges. But many cases are still backlogged. More on that next. But first... the headlines….
San Diego County’s unemployment rate increased in January, according to the latest figures from the state Employment Development Department or EDD.
It was 4.5 percent in January … that’s up from 4.2 percent in December. The estimate a year ago was 4.3 percent.
The EDD found that trade, transportation and utilities sectors saw the largest decreases in employment within California. Leisure and hospitality saw the second largest cutback to month-over-month employment.
A controversial mining project is the subject of a planning group’s meeting tomorrow night.
The Cottonwood Sand Mine project is drawing ire from some El Cajon residents. An opposition group said the project will impact health, air quality, natural habitats and more in the surrounding community. They plan to voice their opposition during the meeting.
Sand is mined for various uses — it’s an ingredient in concrete, glass and other building materials. The Valle de Oro Community Planning Group will meet tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Rancho San Diego Library.
The San Diego County Fair is bringing back its season pass.
This time, there’s two types — a standard season pass and the brand new “Fair Fanatic Season Pass.”
Fair-goers get extra perks with the Fair Fanatic pass — free parking for the first visit, discounts on rides and drink refills and more.
A standard pass will set you back 65-dollars. The Fair Fanatic is 160-dollars.
The last time the Fair had a season pass was in 2019. The Fair runs June 11th through July 6th.
From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.
HUNDREDS OF OFFICERS IN CALIFORNIA HAVE BEEN STRIPPED OF THEIR BADGES IN THE LAST FEW YEARS FOR SERIOUS MISCONDUCT. THE OFFENSES RANGE FROM SEXUAL ASSAULT TO EXCESSIVE FORCE TO RACIAL BIAS. INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER SCOTT RODD SAYS THERE ARE STILL THOUSANDS OF CASES THAT NEED TO BE REVIEWED.
23-year-old Amaurie Johnson was waiting for some friends outside of an apartment building in La Mesa when officer Matthew Dages [“day-guess”] started questioning him. This was in May of 2020…just two days after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And what happened next would become a local flashpoint in the broader reckoning over racial justice. Johnson, who is Black, answered the officer’s questions. That’s when Dages, who is white, grabbed Johnson’s shirt. The exchange was captured on the officer’s body camera. “You look goofy as hell bro. Stop touching me…” Dages then pushed Johnson onto a concrete bench multiple times before arresting him. “I have no reason to be detained by you” — “SIT DOWN, SIT DOWN” Bystander video of the incident went viral. Days later, the city of La Mesa was engulfed in protests that turned into riots. Johnson was never charged. Dages meanwhile was fired after an internal investigation found he made false statements in his arrest report. Then last year, he lost his statewide peace officer certification — for good. That means he can no longer be a cop anywhere in California. Dages did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Johnson recently told KPBS he was relieved that Dages had lost his badge. “Knowing my experience with him, he was just going to go ahead and do the same thing to somebody else in a different area.” Several years ago, state lawmakers created a system for decertifying officers who commit acts of serious misconduct or are convicted of certain crimes. The law aimed to address the so-called “wandering officer” problem…where some cops would bounce from one department to another…leaving behind a trail of bad behavior. “We were hoping to bring forth a fair and equitable and transparent way of removing officers who have…broken public trust.” Steven Bradford is the former state senator who authored the legislation. California at the time was one of few states without a decertification process. Bradford says the state needed to catch up. “There's good bad doctors, there's bad teachers, there's bad elected officials, we have to accept the fact that there are bad police officers.” The decertification system launched in 2023. From the start, it was inundated with misconduct reports and complaints. Some incidents went back decades. So far the state has decertified nearly 300 officers. Many others have had their certifications suspended while being investigated. So, accountability under the law is happening…albeit, slowly. There are still over 18,000 open cases. “And so that's just a massive number of reports to sift through.” Annemarie Del Mugnaio is with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, or POST. The commission is in charge of both certifying and decertifying officers. But POST has struggled to hire investigators. That’s created a backlog of cases. The result could mean justice delayed…or justice expired. “The concern with that is that we have a statute we have a statute of limitations…We have three years within which we have to complete our review and make a determination.” If that statute of limitations expires…bad cops might remain on the force. Del Mugnaio says POST is working to make the process more efficient. But police accountability advocates are worried. Mitchelle Woodson is the legal director for the San Diego-based organization Pillars of the Community. “Any step towards holding those bad actors accountable is progress…But I do know that there is so much more that needs to be done.” Woodson says any delay in punishing bad officers could further erode trust with communities that already distrust the system. Scott Rodd, KPBS News.
If you have a tip for KPBS’ Investigations Team, you can send an email to Investigations at KPBS dot org…Or message them on our secure Signal line at 619-594-8177.
THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS HAS FROZEN MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GRANTS FOR SAN DIEGO ORGANIZATIONS. REPORTER KATERINA PORTELA SAYS THAT UNCERTAINTY HAS PUT THE LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY IN LIMBO.
In San Diego, art is everywhere. Plays, orchestras, dance classes, and cultural festivals shape the city’s creative landscape. Many of the organizations behind these events rely on federal grants. Now, that funding is at risk. Last month, The National Endowment for the Arts canceled upcoming grant applications just a week before the deadline. They have been rescheduled with new rules, including a ban on DEI programs. Then, grants set to be released this year were put on hold. Diana Dumelle is the director of the local organization Bodhi Tree Concerts. “This was actually our third NEA grant. So it’s a really big deal for a small organization to get that grant.”Dumelle’s program was set to receive funding for an opera co-written with children, offering students a behind the scenes look at playwriting. “Unfortunately, I think arts funding overall is on the chopping block throughout history.” Without these grants, organizations must turn to other sources, like philanthropy or city funding. And with San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announcing a budget deficit and potential cuts to city programs, arts funding could take another hit. Even if we lose our federal funding, we need to find ways to keep telling the stories of all of us. Arts leaders remain hopeful their programs will survive with donations and smaller grants. But this year, San Diego’s arts scene will feel the strain. Katerina Portela, KPBS News
THE POWAY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD VOTED TO ELIMINATE DOZENS OF STAFF POSITIONS LAST WEEK. EDUCATION REPORTER KATIE ANASTAS SAYS BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF AGREE, THE NEED FOR MORE STUDENT SUPPORT, REMAINS…AS ONE-TIME FUNDING RUNS OUT.
The list includes counselors, special education staff and those who work with English language learners. Beth Wells-Whitwam is a student services assistant. She says she helps students resolve conflicts and cope with their emotions. In all my years, and especially after COVID, I see the students needing even more support in their days at school. The district is facing a $10 million deficit. Along with the loss of COVID funding, enrollment and birth rates are declining. Board member David Cheng says district leaders are still exploring other ways to cut spending, but they have to warn staff of potential cuts by March 15. My hope and my sincere desire is that they will find enough non personnel cuts that, you know, we will have to make very limited personnel cuts. The board will approve a final budget in June. Katie Anastas, KPBS News.
FORMER U-S SURGEON GENERAL VIVEK MURTHY CALLED LONELINESS AN EPIDEMIC IN THIS COUNTRY… A CONDITION THAT COULD LEAD TO ALL SORTS OF HEALTH PROBLEMS. REPORTER JOHN CARROLL TALKED TO ONE SAN DIEGAN WHO CREATED AN APP TO DEAL WITH HER OWN LONELINESS.
“I was really lonely and I tried to make friends in multiple different ways. It was hard putting myself out there and not knowing what to expect.” WE MET 24-YEAR OLD MADDIE REESE ON A RAINY DAY IN BALBOA PARK TO TALK ABOUT HER JOURNEY OUT OF CRIPPLING LONELINESS. OTHER APPS DESIGNED TO CONNECT PEOPLE DIDN’T DO IT FOR HER, SO SHE DECIDED TO CREATE ONE… WITH THE GOAL OF HELPING OTHERS STRUGGLING WITH LONELINESS. THE APP IS CALLED FLARED. IT’S FREE AND THERE’S NO ADVERTISING ON IT. REESE DESCRIBES IT AS A TRADITIONAL MATCHMAKING SERVICE FOR THE MODERN ERA. “It's about shooting off a flare into the sky. Like, if you're lost and you want to be found. And the flares each post on the app, we call a flare. So it's like shooting off into the universe, what you would like to do, and hopefully people will respond to your flare.” FLARED IS ONLY AVAILABLE ON APPLE’S APP STORE FOR NOW. JOHN CARROLL, KPBS NEWS.
Can light waves be bent to make something invisible? Sci-tech reporter Thomas Fudge talks about the science and this year’s Kyoto Prize Symposium in San Diego.
The lecture hall at UC San Diego was full for a speech by physicist John Pendry. a Kyoto Prize Laureate. And he spoke about creating devices that can bend waves of light and sound to change what we can see and hear. The Kyoto Prize was founded by Japanese scientist and businessman Kazuo Inamori. Dean Nelson is a professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, which co-hosts the symposium. He says the prizes honor achievement and commitment to humanity. “So Dr. Inamori had this very spiritual side to him as well as being a scientist, that said anything we do, any new discovery needs to actually elevate the human soul.” Gravitational forces bend light waves in space. On earth, Pendry says doing that requires a device they call a cloak that can make light rays circumvent an object, which would, theoretically, make it invisible. “And then you’ve got to send the light in the same direction it was going before. So it’s like a skier going around a tree. Do you ski?” I don’t ski. Other scientists have proven Pendry’s concept by bending some non-visible waves of light. But Pendry says making something invisible would be very difficult. Thomas Fudge, KPBS News.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! There’s many events happening all over the county to celebrate Irish heritage. Irish bars like The Ould Sod, The Field and Poway’s Irish Pub have celebrations planned today.
If you’d rather make your own drink, the Seasons restaurant has a St. Patrick’s-themed cocktail class tonight (Monday) at 4 p.m.
And … Celtic band Highland Way will play the California Center for the Arts. The band is known for playing across San Diego county and has roots in both Southern California and Scotland. Here’s a little sample of one of their songs.
Find more events at KPBS dot org slash events.
That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great day.
