San Diego police have vowed to re-up their commitment to collecting data on who gets pulled over in the city. Even if they collected the data diligently at every stop, the numbers might have some limitations as far as what they could tell us.
Problem is – they don’t collect the numbers diligently, which means even fewer figures to work with. Liam Dillon breaks down all the ways this kind of data is useful for holding police accountable, and where it falls short.
The Rising Cost of Local Elections
Lisa Halverstadt crunched the numbers and found the three special elections held in the city last year came with a much higher per-voter price tag than other elections the city’s held in the past decade.
What gives?
For one, when elections are confined within the city, it means no splitting the tab with other jurisdictions. Then there’s the fact that the city has to cover the costs associated with mail-ballot voters and in-person voters.
Viva La Cross-Border Economy
The big bill to find the government that passed Congress this week is being hailed as a big win for San Diego and Tijuana – the measure includes money for upgrades at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
Reps. Juan Vargas and Scott Peters, who pushed to get the funding included, explain why that’s a big deal in a new op-ed: “Mexico stepped up and completed its part of the San Ysidro crossing two years ago. The funding in this week’s package will increase the number of lanes on the U.S. side while also making the connection to the El Chapparal section of Mexico’s lanes.”
What We Learned This Week
• We’re hiring an investigative reporter.
• Todd Gloria wants to raise the minimum wage – by a lot.
• School board members are re-thinking their approach to charter schools.
• 2016 is shaping up to be the year of the megabond.
• Cops like investigatory traffic stops.
• Nailing down which members of the Jobs Coalition support which tax hikes is no easy feat.
• Federal investigators will take a close look at the actions of the secretive Wildlife Services agency.
Quick News Hits
• Gov. Jerry Brown officially declared a statewide drought emergency Friday, and asked Californians to cut back on water consumption by 20 percent. (San Jose Mercury News) NBC San Diego has a handy guide to some easy ways to conserve.
• Todd Gloria has endorsed David Alvarez for mayor. (U-T)
• John Gennaro floats the idea of renaming Petco Park’s “Park at the Park” in honor of Jerry Coleman in this week’s Sports Report.
Quote of the Week
“As a Native American-Filipino-Puerto Rican-Dutch gay guy, and the son of a hotel maid and a gardener, it is fair to say this was not an expected experience,” interim mayor Todd Gloria, during his State of the City address.