Beginning in October last year, as part of a statewide effort to reduce prison overcrowding, San Diego County took responsibility for incarcerating more low-level inmates and monitoring some parolees.
County law enforcement officials welcomed the shift, saying they could manage the population more efficiently than the state had, but they also spread a word of caution. They warned inadequate funding and poor oversight of parolees might lead to more crime.
Then, at county board meeting last month, Supervisor Bill Horn boldly claimed that the dire prediction had come true. In a jab to state lawmakers, he said theft had risen in San Diego County by 16 percent since the prison shift.
“You can’t blame that on our budget. But it’s Sacramento’s budget that has presented us with this dilemma,” Horn said.
In this edition of Fact Check TV, Andrew Donohue and Scott Lewis examine whether local law enforcement statistics back the trend that Horn described. To read our full analysis, click here.
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New episodes of Fact Check TV appear on NBC 7 San Diego every Friday during the 6 p.m. newscast and our website the following Monday. If you want us to Fact Check a claim, just send me an email explaining the statement and why it merits review.
Keegan Kyle is a news reporter for Voice of San Diego. He writes about local government, creates infographics and handles the Fact Check Blog. What should he write about next?
Please contact him directly at keegan.kyle@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.550.5668. You can also find him on Twitter (@keegankyle) and Facebook.
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