Crime
Blog
Read latest on corruption in local government
Corruption, crime, and cover-ups
The March 27 sentencing of Sam Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison for his role in a multi-billion-dollar fraud scheme brings closure to years of high living off the backs of his investors in his online crypto trading platform FTX. Fraudsters like Bankman-Fried, Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos, Bernie Madoff, Jeff ...
Blog
Read latest on efforts to reform or repeal Prop. 47
Proposed Reforms Aim to Ensure Crime Doesn’t Pay on Retail Theft
California is in its tenth year of a noble but failed idea – Prop 47. Despite the well-meaning and overwhelming number of voters who supported Prop 47 when it was passed in 2014 and who have twice resisted ballot initiatives to amend it, Prop 47 has not lived up ...
Blog
What do the California primary results mean?
Wake Us When It’s Over – A Few Takeaways from the California Primary
Legendary journalists Jules Witcover and the late Jack Germond, famous political columnists from an era past, wrote several terrific books chronicling presidential campaigns. I was reminded of one of the titles of their books when thinking about this year’s California primary – wake us when it’s over! Despite hundreds of ...
Blog
Hamburger Politics
Making headlines around the country, California’s iconic In-N-Out recently announced closure of its Oakland California location due to high levels of crime in Oakland’s “crime triangle.” This marks the first ever closure of an In-N-Out location in the company’s 75-year history, which is being celebrated this year. But In-N-Out isn’t ...
Blog
When it Comes to Crime Statistics it’s Important to “Mind the Gap”
The Atlantic Monthly, using the work of crime statistician Jeff Asher, have been publishing articles recently putting forth the idea that 2023 homicide statistics indicate that the United States is experiencing the lowest crime rates in “50 years.” On January 19th, Rogé Karma boldly wrote in an article entitled “The ...
Blog
Is Prop. 47 reform in sight?
Prop. 47 Reforms Gain Traction
It doesn’t take a deep understanding of crime statistics to understand that theft is on the increase. The media and social media provide almost daily examples of brazen shoplifting and car burglaries. The San Francisco Chronicle’s auto burglary “tracker” shows hundreds of thefts from vehicles every month and KRON 4 ...
Blog
High Crime in Oakland Claims In-N-Out
Why is In-N-Out Closing in Oakland? Out of Control Crime in the “Crime Triangle”
Last month, In-N-Out, California’s iconic purveyor of burgers and fresh cut fries, opened one of its newest locations in Boise, Idaho. Eager Idahoans waited in eight-hour long lines for what for many was their first Double-Double with fries “animal” style, proving perhaps that not everything from California is bad in ...
Blog
Newsom public safety budget shortchanges crime victims
For California’s Crime Victims – Budget Dust
Despite his protestations to the opposite in the recent debate with Governor DeSantis, California’s violent crimes are up 6.1 percent and property crimes are up 6.2 percent over their 2021 levels, making California a crime outlier compared to national crime statistics which have dropped. The Governor’s “Real Public Safety Plan” ...
Blog
Despite obvious signs, liberals continue to defend Prop. 47
The Coming 2024 Crime Policy Lollapalooza
One of the best words in the English language is “lollapalooza”. It’s so unique and mellifluous that it could almost be an example of onomatopoeia like clap, boom, bark, or bang. It’s also a popular musical festival and honestly, it’s just fun to say. The word nerd in me was ...
Blog
Prop 47 Never Stood a Chance
Nine years ago, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 47 – The “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act” – and in so doing affirmed and then reaffirmed in later elections their desire that California both reduce crime and rates of incarceration. This is a tall order for any bureaucracy – and one ...
Read latest on corruption in local government
Corruption, crime, and cover-ups
The March 27 sentencing of Sam Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison for his role in a multi-billion-dollar fraud scheme brings closure to years of high living off the backs of his investors in his online crypto trading platform FTX. Fraudsters like Bankman-Fried, Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos, Bernie Madoff, Jeff ...
Read latest on efforts to reform or repeal Prop. 47
Proposed Reforms Aim to Ensure Crime Doesn’t Pay on Retail Theft
California is in its tenth year of a noble but failed idea – Prop 47. Despite the well-meaning and overwhelming number of voters who supported Prop 47 when it was passed in 2014 and who have twice resisted ballot initiatives to amend it, Prop 47 has not lived up ...
What do the California primary results mean?
Wake Us When It’s Over – A Few Takeaways from the California Primary
Legendary journalists Jules Witcover and the late Jack Germond, famous political columnists from an era past, wrote several terrific books chronicling presidential campaigns. I was reminded of one of the titles of their books when thinking about this year’s California primary – wake us when it’s over! Despite hundreds of ...
Hamburger Politics
Making headlines around the country, California’s iconic In-N-Out recently announced closure of its Oakland California location due to high levels of crime in Oakland’s “crime triangle.” This marks the first ever closure of an In-N-Out location in the company’s 75-year history, which is being celebrated this year. But In-N-Out isn’t ...
When it Comes to Crime Statistics it’s Important to “Mind the Gap”
The Atlantic Monthly, using the work of crime statistician Jeff Asher, have been publishing articles recently putting forth the idea that 2023 homicide statistics indicate that the United States is experiencing the lowest crime rates in “50 years.” On January 19th, Rogé Karma boldly wrote in an article entitled “The ...
Is Prop. 47 reform in sight?
Prop. 47 Reforms Gain Traction
It doesn’t take a deep understanding of crime statistics to understand that theft is on the increase. The media and social media provide almost daily examples of brazen shoplifting and car burglaries. The San Francisco Chronicle’s auto burglary “tracker” shows hundreds of thefts from vehicles every month and KRON 4 ...
High Crime in Oakland Claims In-N-Out
Why is In-N-Out Closing in Oakland? Out of Control Crime in the “Crime Triangle”
Last month, In-N-Out, California’s iconic purveyor of burgers and fresh cut fries, opened one of its newest locations in Boise, Idaho. Eager Idahoans waited in eight-hour long lines for what for many was their first Double-Double with fries “animal” style, proving perhaps that not everything from California is bad in ...
Newsom public safety budget shortchanges crime victims
For California’s Crime Victims – Budget Dust
Despite his protestations to the opposite in the recent debate with Governor DeSantis, California’s violent crimes are up 6.1 percent and property crimes are up 6.2 percent over their 2021 levels, making California a crime outlier compared to national crime statistics which have dropped. The Governor’s “Real Public Safety Plan” ...
Despite obvious signs, liberals continue to defend Prop. 47
The Coming 2024 Crime Policy Lollapalooza
One of the best words in the English language is “lollapalooza”. It’s so unique and mellifluous that it could almost be an example of onomatopoeia like clap, boom, bark, or bang. It’s also a popular musical festival and honestly, it’s just fun to say. The word nerd in me was ...
Prop 47 Never Stood a Chance
Nine years ago, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 47 – The “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act” – and in so doing affirmed and then reaffirmed in later elections their desire that California both reduce crime and rates of incarceration. This is a tall order for any bureaucracy – and one ...
