KALW News - Cops and Courts

A week of protests and raids at UC Berkeley

KALW News — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:22:44 +0000

Early this morning at UC Berkeley, police clearned an Occupy Cal encampment which had been set up for a second time Tuesday night on Sproul Plaza. Almost all campers left voluntarily, except for two who were arrested.

This the latest in a lot of action that has taken place at the campus this week: a university-wide strike, arrests, and police raids. All in the same plaza where more than forty years ago, the Free Speech Movement was born:

Cops and Courts

"Cyber-Banging": When Gangs Take It From the Street to the Web

KALW News — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 20:05:30 +0000

This report is part of a two-part series produced by Richmond Pulse, Richmond Confidential, and New America Media. Read part two here. This report was written under a pseudonym for the author's protection.

Cops and Courts

Why some young men in Richmond are laying down their guns

KALW News — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:39:23 +0000

While Oakland stands in a tenuous state of peace, violence in nearby Richmond regularly grabs headlines – even within the walls of City Hall.

KTVU ANCHOR: A bloody brawl that broke out inside Richmond City Hall has generated even more controversy tonight. So far, no witnesses not even city workers will talk to police about what happened.

Cops and Courts

California invests millions in new jails to deal with overcrowding

KALW News — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:35:40 +0000

On October 1, 2011, California experienced a major change to its criminal justice system. After the Supreme Court ordered the state to drastically reduce its prison population, the Legislature decided to shift responsibility for a wide variety of offenders to the local level. KALW’s criminal justice editor, Rina Palta has been following the developments. She joined Holly Kernan in the studio.

Cops and Courts

Web exclusive: Retired prisons official Scott Kernan on growing up at San Quentin

KALW News — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 17:11:01 +0000

Last week, we ran an interview with Scott Kernan, who was until recently, second in command at the California Department of Correcitons and Rehabilitation. Kernan has been at the center of some of the biggest developments in the prison system over the past few years: he was central to the controversy over obtaining lethal injection drugs from Arizona; he was the prison official who negotiated an end to the recent hunger strikes originating in Pelican Bay State Prison; and he has a singularly unique perspective on the system in which he's spent almost his entire life.

Cops and Courts

Q&A: District attorney candidate Vu Trinh

KALW News — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:34:34 +0000

One of the more important and most overlooked races going on in San Francisco right now is the campaign to be the city’s next district attorney. When Kamala Harris left the post for state office last year, outgoing Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed then-Police Chief George Gascon to take her place. Now, Gascon is running for a full four-year term, but faces stiff competition from four other candidates.

Cops and Courts

The gospel of Occupy Wall Street

KALW News — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:41:19 +0000

The Bay Area’s Occupy movement continues, today, with tents set up in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Plaza and protesters in Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza. Iraq War veteran Scott Olsen, who became a rallying figure after being critically injured by a projectile Tuesday night in Oakland, has been upgraded to fair condition.

Demonstrations in Oakland were peaceful last night. At a general assembly of more than 1,600 people, nearly 97% voted in favor of a general strike to take place next Wednesday – November 2nd.

Cops and Courts

Meet the candidates for San Francisco District Attorney

KALW News — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 01:20:33 +0000

As you may have noticed from the piles of candidate flyers that arrive in your mailbox every day, or the swarms of politicians hovering around Muni stops and social protests, it’s election season.

SHARMIN BOCK: Hi there, I'm Sharmin Bock, I'm running for DA. Good morning, I'm Sharmin Bock, I'm running for DA...

Cops and Courts

The real story behind the "bloody gang fight" that shut down Richmond City Hall

KALW News — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 20:33:31 +0000

On October 14 young men from rival Richmond neighborhoods showed up unexpectedly at the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) at Richmond City Hall. They got into a fistfight that ended after one young man’s nose was broken.

This past week media coverage of the incident dubbed it a “bloody gang fight“ and focused on the fact that ONS staff weren’t telling the police department who was involved.

Cops and Courts

Q&A: District attorney candidate George Gascon

KALW News — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:11:13 +0000

Cops and Courts