People’s City Council - San Diego

>$600 million per year is too damn much. #DefundThePolice

As deputy leaves jail for sexual assaults, taxpayers have now paid nearly $10 million to his victims Sexual misconduct by Richard Fischer, who was released from jail last week, continues to take a toll on the public treasury and his victims

San Diego Deputy Richard Fisher has now cost taxpayers nearly $10 million as the County has paid out settlements in at least 21 separate civil lawsuits filed by women who say they were assaulted and abused while he was in uniform and on duty.

#CopWatchSD

For subscribers: Change cities? Enter rehab? San Diego's new homeless camping ban leaves many facing... Leaders of one Chula Vista nonprofit said they were seeing a surge of people fleeing San Diego for South Bay

Sweeps are not a solution! They just move people from one area to another.

“In the last three weeks we’ve seen more people than in the last five years,” said Sebastian Martinez, executive director of the Chula Vista-based nonprofit Community Through Hope.

There has been a years long campaign to demonize and criminalize the unhoused by our mayor and council. I don’t know what people expected really, but this is almost unfathomably horrible

San Diego teens charged in killing of unhoused woman known as ‘Granny Annie’ Annette Pershal, 68, who was shot multiple times with a pellet gun, was ‘full of love’, said daughter Brandy Nazworth

2 men arrested for killing an unhoused woman known as ‘Granny Annie' in San Diego.

"Pershal had long been waiting to get placed into housing and was working with case workers, but she was unable to secure a spot in the area that could accommodate her."

Ramona man in sheriff's custody dies in hospital after being found unresponsive in cell July 19 Jonathan McDowell's death will be investigated by the county Medical Examiner’s Office; the 47-year-old died Saturday at Scripps Mercy Hospital

47-year-old Jonathan McDowell died on Saturday, 10 days after being found unresponsive in his cell at the George Bailey Detection Facility in Otay Mesa.

He is San Diego Sheriff’s Department’s 11th(‼️) in-custody death this year.

#CopWatchSD

San Diego Police Have Already Cleared Large Homeless Encampments Downtown San Diego police have cleared multiple blocks of homeless encampments - that included dozens of tents and individuals - on the edge of downtown.

“Street by street, they just wiped these places out,” Brown said. “I’ve seen lots of crying and screaming. The cops come out of nowhere and then people have nowhere to go now.”

He watched many old and sick people be evicted, he said, with nowhere to go.

San Diego police union launches misleading attack ads ahead of special election Law enforcement groups are spending more than $160,000 against Monica Montgomery Steppe, a candidate in the special election to replace Nathan Fletcher on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

Law enforcement groups are funneling loads of cash into the upcoming special election, propagating misleading advertisements against @Monica4SanDiego.

💰 @SDPOA: $76,000
💰 San Diegans Against Crime (Deputy DA Assoc.): $90,000

#CopWatchSD

Mayor Todd Gloria has now said he will NOT take SB 10 to the City Council in September as previously planned.

The San Diego Planning Commission has voted unanimously to recommend the housing action plan to City Council WITHOUT #SB10 included.

They have instead recommended workshops focusing on missing middle housing. 🙄

This city is deeply unserious about tackling our housing shortage.

Say NO to mass surveillance in San Diego! Check out how this technology is being used elsewhere:

"Sacramento Sheriff is sharing license plate reader data with anti-abortion states, records show"

Can't attend? Submit your public comment now via the city's webform noting Agenda Item 333:

Zoom: sandiego.zoomgov.com/j/1601143486

CALL TO ACTION PUBLIC COMMENT TO STOP SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL FROM ADVANCING MAYOR GLORIA & SDPD'S $4 MILLION PROPOSAL FOR AI-POWERED, STREAMING-CAPABLE SURVEILLANCE STREETLIGHTS AND LICENCE PLATE READERS SAN DIEGO CITY COUNCIL 2 PM TUESDAY - AUGUST 1 202 C STREET 12th FLOOR

📢 CALL TO ACTION 📢

Attend public comment in-person or online TOMORROW at 2 PM to tell San Diego City Council to REJECT @MayorToddGloria and SDPD's proposal for a $4 million mass surveillance system.

Family of man with mental illness who died of malnutrition, dehydration in downtown jail files lawsu... When Lonnie Rupard was found dead, feces coated his cell floor and food was smeared on the walls; his family's lawsuit claims the county, the sheriff and others were negligent in his care, leading to ...

“Rupard’s family filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Diego against the county, Sheriff Kelly Martinez and others over his death,”

Rupard was one of 19 people who died in San Diego jails last year.

Headline from The San Diego Union-Tribune: Family of man with mental illness who died of malnutrition, dehydration in downtown jail files lawsuit Image: Justino Rupard, son of Lonnie Rupard, hugs his grandmother, Terri Lopez, at a rally in front of the San Diego Central Jail on Mar. 4, 2023. (Denis Poroy/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)

47-year-old Lonnie Rupard “died of pneumonia, malnutrition and dehydration, conditions that took hold while the [downtown San Diego] jail neglected to treat his schizophrenia.”

His death was ruled a homicide. #CopWatchSD

Why does San Diego struggle to fill city jobs? Blame bureaucratic, inefficient hiring processes, aud... The city's average time to fill vacancies is nine months, and the process requires 60 steps and more than 90 documents

“Other reasons cited for the city’s vacancy problem have been lower pay than other gov’t agencies and the city’s nearly decade-long lack of pensions for new hires after a 2012 ballot measure eliminated pensions for all new workers except police officers.”

Headline from The San Diego Union-Tribune: Why does San Diego struggle to fill city jobs? Blame bureaucratic, inefficient hiring processes, audit says BY DAVID GARRICK JULY 22, 2023 5 AM PT

“Key reasons why more than 1,000 of the city’s roughly 12,000 jobs are typically vacant include a 60-step hiring process that takes an average of nine months,”

“The audit says San Diego’s hiring process takes 42 percent longer than the average for government organizations,”

SANDAG database puts immigrants at risk, advocates say Advocates say SANDAG's decision to sell access to ARJIS data to federal immigration authorities violates the spirit of California’s sanctuary state laws.

Tues 2pm, City Council votes on Gloria+SDPD proposal to flood SD w/spy streetlights and license plate readers (ALPR). This endangers immigrant communities!

Read KPBS drop today on how SANDAG sells SDPD and other data to ICE!

Call and email your Councilmember now! https://bit.ly/nospystreetlights

Woman found unresponsive in San Diego County jail died of septic shock, sheriff’s officials say Vianna Granillo, 25, died last year from septic shock less than a week after she had been arrested on a court order violation and booked into Las Colinas women’s jail in Santee, sheriff's officials ...

“She was released from sheriff’s custody just before she died… Formally releasing people from custody ahead of a serious illness or pending death has become a common Sheriff’s Department practice in recent years.”

Headline from The San Diego Union-Tribune: Woman found unresponsive in San Diego County jail died of septic shock, sheriff’s officials say Vianna Granillo, 25, died last year from septic shock less than a week after she had been arrested on a court order violation and booked into Las Colinas women’s jail in Santee, sheriff’s officials said. BY CALEB LUNETTA, TERI FIGUEROA JULY 19, 2023 6:09 PM PT

Autopsy results find 25-year-old Vianna Granillo died of septic shock less than a week after being booked into Las Colinas women’s jail in Santee.

#CopWatchSD

San Diego granted dozens of short-term rental licenses it shouldn’t have New problem impacts city’s efforts to regulate vacation-rental industry

San Diego granted dozens of short-term rental licenses it shouldn't have

Anonymous message: A Black unhoused man was ticketed for grilling on a park grill in the park during open park hours. Wtf He’s connected to services waiting for a housing match

Unhoused San Diegans are being harassed and ticketed by SDPD while doing their best to navigate a broken housing system.

San Diego has to do better. #HousingNotHandcuffs

Man in sheriff's custody died of fentanyl overdose in February, Sheriff's Dept. says Sheriff’s officials said Ryan Thuresson died of “combined fentanyl and flouorofentanyl toxicity"

“According to a state audit released last year, 185 people died in San Diego County jails between 2006 and 2020.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune headline: Man in sheriff’s custody died of fentanyl overdose in February, Sheriff’s Dept. says Sheriff’s officials said Ryan Thuresson died of “combined fentanyl and flouorofentanyl toxicity” BY CALEB LUNETTA JULY 19, 2023 10:17 AM PT

Earlier this year, 33-year-old Ryan Thuresson died from a fentanyl overdose while in custody of San Diego Sheriff’s Department at the jail in Vista.

Sheriff Kelly Martinez still refuses to have deputies scanned for drugs when entering jails.

#CopWatchSD

We lived in San Diego for two years while I did a postdoc. The wealth disparity in that city was unreal.

So many $75k & up cars but I regularly saw people driving cars that cost 6 figures. People that had money that could help refused to even look at homeless/houseless people. So screwed up.

For the 15th month in a row, more people have fallen into homelessness than the number that have been housed in San Diego.

The latest count finds 884 people were housed in the month of June, while another 1,141 people entered homelessness for the first time.

#HousingNotHandcuffs

Safe Camp - Beat The Heat!, organized by John Brady Today the asphalt temp is 150 degrees, and we know temperatures are running high at the city… John Brady needs your support for Safe Camp - Beat The Heat!

The encampment is set up on unshaded asphalt and residents aren’t allowed to bring their own shade structures.

You can help by donating for cooling fans 👇

“Each $50 fan has a large battery for up to 90 hours on each charge and comes with a light.”

Homeless people find room for improvement at San Diego's new safe sleeping site Advocates say city rushed to open site to begin enforcement of unsafe camping ordinance

“There’s no running water,” said William Mulligan, who has been at the site since its opening. “They have running water at refugee camps in Sudan.”

San Diego Union-Tribune headline: Homeless people find room for improvement at San Diego’s new safe sleeping site Image: A parking lot with several camping tents set up. The lot is surrounded by a green privacy fence. One of two parking lots that recently opened in the city for those experiencing homelessness on in San Diego. (Ana Ramirez / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Advocates say city rushed to open site to begin enforcement of unsafe camping ordinance BY GARY WARTH JULY 10, 2023 10:02 PM PT

“The new [sanctioned encampment] is filling much slower, with a goal of allowing just three people in each day.”

“It also does not yet have showers, and some clients said they were confused”