The Pros And Cons Of San Diego’s Gunshot Detection System And More Local News

June 20, 2019 at 2:39 AM PDT

Speaker 1: 00:00 Speaker 2: 00:18 Speaker 1: 00:26 Speaker 3: 00:52 Speaker 4: 01:04 Speaker 3: 01:09 Speaker 4: 01:52 Speaker 3: 02:04 Speaker 1: 02:20 Speaker 2: 02:30 Speaker 1: 03:11 Speaker 2: 03:24 Speaker 5: 03:48 Speaker 2: 04:03 Speaker 1: 04:15 Speaker 6: 04:27 Speaker 1: 05:45 Speaker 7: 06:08 Speaker 1: 06:13 Speaker 7: 06:25 Speaker 1: 06:34 Speaker 7: 06:44 Speaker 1: 06:51 Speaker 7: 07:04 Speaker 1: 07:19 Speaker 2: 07:42 Speaker 8: 08:13 Speaker 2: 08:23 Speaker 1: 08:42 Speaker 9: 08:56 Speaker 10: 09:10 Speaker 9: 09:37 Speaker 10: 09:43 Speaker 9: 10:01 Speaker 10: 10:21 Speaker 9: 10:43 Speaker 10: 10:49 Speaker 9: 11:28 Speaker 10: 11:49 Speaker 1: 12:47 Speaker 11: 13:23 Speaker 12: 14:13 Speaker 11: 14:22 Speaker 12: 14:37 Speaker 11: 14:52 Speaker 13: 15:18 Speaker 14: 15:36 Speaker 11: 15:39 Speaker 14: 15:55 Speaker 11: 16:23 Speaker 14: 16:46 Speaker 11: 16:58 Speaker 1: 17:17 It's Thursday, June 20th I'm Deb Welsh and you're listening to San Diego news matters coming up for two years. San Diego's taken part in a gunshot detection program. Some are now calling a waste and San Diego county's facing one of his biggest challenges. It centers around the future of transportation. Undoubtedly the ultimate plan will involve improvements to roads and freeways as well as to transit that and more right after the break. Thank you for joining us for San Diego News Matters. I'm Deb Welch. In late 2016 San Diego joined about 100 cities nationwide that use a gunshot detection system called ShotSpotter. Two and half years later, KPBS reporter John Carroll looks at how ShotSpotter is working. Before the shot spotter system was launched, the only way police knew to respond to shots fired was if they happen to be in the area or from people calling nine one one San Diego police, Lieutenant Sean Tucker Yuchi. When the community doesn't call us and notify us that there's a situation going on, we won't know about it. With shot spotter, they're notified within a minute of a gun being used. Sensors mounted on light poles triangulate the sound, giving police a precise location of where the gunfire happened, but ShotSpotter is controversial in the neighborhoods where it's deployed. Community activist, Bishop Cornelius Bowser's says the system was installed with no community input. That's not the way you build trust and vows. Her says there's another problem with shot spotter. He says it's been used to monitor conversations in other cities where it's deployed. Takiyuchi says the system does not capture conversations. The city is in the middle of a four year million dollar contract with ShotSpotter. Bowzer says that money would better be spent on programs that prevent violence. Takeuchi disagrees. If gunfire were to erupt and we get to a location where no nine one one calls received and there is an individual that's been shot and we're able to render first aid and were able to save that person's life. I think the system has paid for itself in the area where ShotSpotter is now deployed, there were an average of four murders a year in the years leading up to its installation. Over the last two and a half years. There haven't been any, whether that has anything to do with ShotSpotter is anyone's guess. John Carroll KPBS news prosecutors are moving forward in the case of seal chief Eddie Gallagher, who's charged with war crimes KPB as military reporter Steve Walsh is in the courtroom. CEO Chief Eddie Gallagher is charged with killing your wounded isis fighter in his custody and then posing with the body to seals from Gallagher's team testified on Wednesday seal chief Craig Miller was under Gallagher in Iraq in 2017 he said the prisoner was still alive and alert when Gallagher got there and that he saw Gallagher's stabbed the detainee twice in the neck in the mornings. Former special operator Dylan delay said that Gallagher killed an elderly man with his sniper rifle on father's in 2017 the defense points out that delayed didn't witness Gallagher pulling the trigger. The two were in different positions. More seals that are set to testify on Thursday, Steve Walsh, KPBS news, mts board members last week approved plans for 410 apartments next to the Granville trolleys station. KPBS metro reporter Andrew Ball and says they're geared towards students and low income families. The housing will be built on an under utilized parking lot owned by mts. Exactly the type of place where the transit agency hopes to get more development grant Phil is one trolley stop away from San Diego State, which is why the development team wants to build student oriented housing there. Jonathan Taylor have affirmed housing, which is developing the affordable component says the site is great for low income families. It especially makes sense when you're talking about folks who have limited incomes, so maybe they don't own a car, they don't have the ability to ever own one and it makes sense for them to be near transit and so that's, that's why affordable housing and transit pair so well. Some mts board members were disappointed. The housing wasn't denser, but official said building taller would increase construction costs to the point where the project wouldn't be feasible. Andrew Bowen, k PBS News, the last black man in San Francisco won accolades at Sundance earlier this year. It opens in Select San Diego theaters tomorrow. KPBS film critic Beth like a says, you need to see it. Jimmy fails, can't let go of the Victorian House. His grandfather built in San Francisco's mission district back in the 1940s the family got pushed out when it became too expensive for them to stay, but Jimmy keeps returning, always come back to the old house. He and his friend tend to the garden and paint the trim much to the annoyance of the current owners. The last black man in San Francisco is an achingly beautiful poem about a changing city and how we define home. It's also a meditation on the stories we create in order to define our place in the world and our sense of belonging. The film's about race and Gentrification, but also about friendship, community and artistic expression. It defies description but holds you wrapped from first frame to last with its gorgeous visuals, haunting score and deeply felt performances. Star in co-writer fails along with director and Co writer Joe Talbot have created a breathtakingly original film. The two have been friends since childhood and have long contemplated making a film about their beloved city. The title is not meant literally, but it endows the film with a sense of weight as if carrying the burden of a history about to be lost. The last black man in San Francisco is my favorite film so far this year. Beth like Amando KPBS news. For decades, charity groups have been giving free cannabis to low income veterans, sick kids, and other patients under the radar. Now that pot's legal in California, they're having to pay taxes on these donations. Capitol public radio, Sammy Kay Ola has the latest on a bill addressing this issue. Ed Gallagher only smokes pot when he's at home. He's blind and a little deaf, so he feels safer that way. Harry, this function or the walking around, I have to have all my wits talking has been hard for him since he had cancer removal surgery on his tongue. He's 68 and also has aids. He gets by on social security and disability income for 10 years. He's been getting free marijuana at a San Francisco nonprofit. Hey, Yo Richard, tell me. Sure. I'll have food money. Um, hold pain motion. A new bill could give groups like this, a break from state marijuana taxes. Jerry Brown vetoed it last year, but it's back. Josh Drayton is with the California Cannabis Industry Association. We have a legacy medical cannabis industry in California that needs to be honored and giving them some relief. That's our goal. The California Narcotics Officers Association says this could open the door to illegal transactions and the legislative analysis shows a tax break could cost the state $10 million a year. Gallagher is worried about his free pots or striking up do. I'll try. You should go to Rio for monitors the black market and by that could have a potential health concerns. Those are the toxins Yo Eagle guys were using. Some groups say they've stopped donating weed or have had to fundraise to pay the taxes in Sacramento. I'm Sammy Kay Yola or rainbow flags celebrating Lgbtq pride is flying above California's capital. All this month. Governor Gavin Newsom said this week it was raised for the first time in our state's history. Capitol public is politifact reporter Chris Nichols checked out that claim. We found this was not the first time a pride flag has flown atop the Capitol back in 1990 LGBT staffers in the state Senate one approval from a joint rules committee to raise a pride flag, but it was only flown for a few hours before then. Governor George Deukmejian ordered it taken down our front page photo in the bay area. Reporter newspaper documented this episode. Former Senate staffer Michael Bowser work to raise the flag three decades ago and was upset by nuisance claim by not acknowledging the role of LGBT people in our own community's history. The governor kind of a racist. What we have tried to accomplish and what we have fought for it in her written statement, Newsome said he was not initially aware of the 1990 flag raising, but he added that this piece of our state's history deserves to be called out and recognized. In the end, we rated Newsome's earlier claim false in Sacramento. I'm Chris Nichols. One of the biggest challenges facing San Diego county's politicians in the next few years will be agreeing on a plan for the future of transportation. Catherine Blake. Sbir is the mayor of Encinitas and device of Sandag, the agency responsible for regional transportation, Blake spirit, joy at midday additions. Alison Saint John to discuss the development of the plan. Blake's bear was asked whether the plan will focus on building transit or on road improvements. Well, I don't think we should see this in terms of either or. I think what we really need to do is to look forward 50 years, this is what the agency is actually doing. Looking forward 50 years and saying what type of transportation network do we want to see in this county? Undoubtedly the ultimate plan will involve improvements to roads and freeways as well as to transit trains, bus lines and active transportation like biking and walking. Do you think it's going to be possible to keep politics out of it in order to focus on what's best for the, for the county? No. I think politics will definitely be part of it. You already see that happening and I think what really, what we need to do is to let the SANDAG agency come up with a plan that meets state law and then discuss the different options that we have within that plan. We've already seen some fairly harsh words being exchanged between longtime county supervisor and Jacob and the new director of Sandag Hassana Krauter Jacob wants road improvements in the back country. Acredo was hired to craft this whole New Vision. Do you think that it crowd is somewhat brash? Style could be a liability for Sandag and the coming debate? You know, I think very highly of our executive director who we've only recently hired and he comes with a wealth of experience. I think that he's a straight shooter. I in some ways I think that he's unapologetic and just saying it as it is. I don't think he's engaging in an emotionally heated type of discussion. I think he's just saying it straight. Yeah. Well, let me just ask you, what would you like to see? People who have disagreements or concerns with the crowd has vision? Do the most important thing would be to have a straight dialogue, one to one with any board member who has concerns, needs to spend some serious time working through what those are so that it's really clear. Ultimately solutions and compromises will need to be made. And then I think the other thing is just to really understand what drives a regional plan. Because we do work within a system, so we're not just operating out here on our own. We do need to comply with the state's requirements when it comes to greenhouse gas reduction requirements. So it's not optional for us as a county to say, we don't care about climate change. Well, just for the average person in the street who's trying to get to work on time, you know, um, I encourage people to look up the five big moves, which is the outline of, of the vision. It includes complete corridors that will connect to a mobility hubs. This is a, a huge shift from how we get around now. Do you blame people for having a hard time accepting that this is really possible? The people who prioritize roads and the people who prioritize transit all agree that we need complete corridors because complete corridors essentially means that the modes work together because a lot of people do use multiple types of ways to get around. So we need to have the road network be as efficient as possible and also we need to do what we can to reduce congestion. And every person who moves onto the train from the freeway is no longer clogging up the freeway. So it does actually reduce congestion to have more people taking transit. So when we're moving forward with a plan, the plan has to include all the different modes of transportation. And I think fundamentally all of the Sandag board agrees with that as as mostly, I mean does the public. So it's really about being able to see what that plan looks like. In many ways, a lot of the controversy seems premature to me because we haven't actually seen a plan, so we don't have anything that we can respond to yet. Memorable experience. Thanks so much for joining us. Well, thank you very much for having me. Congress is considering legislation to encourage outdoor therapy for veterans with injuries or post traumatic stress. The bipartisan bill would require the VA to coordinate with the interior department and other agencies to establish recreation and treatment programs on public lands. Volunteer groups are already running similar programs in national parks and researchers are trying to measure their medical impact from Miami. Maria Bucka La Pula reports for the American Home Front project. On a clear sunny day, we take a boat ride with a group of veterans and their family members to dock at Buka Cheetah key part of the Biscayne National Park. They will spend the afternoon doing maintenance and cleanup work. Alright, you guys, all the kids. You guys are on the trash detail, right? Leading today's efforts is Joshua Moreno and archeologists with the park and a veteran himself only take 40 folks or able bodied and willing and excited to help. They have an outlet for that energy that whatever they may be dealing with. This provides a positive outlet. Jacqueline crew set is the associate director of the National Parks Conservation Association, a citizen Advocacy Group. She helped organize the outing, not just to fix up the park but also to help these veterans. There is therapeutic value. We feel it in ourselves as human beings. Our veterans talk about it, you know, walking the trail, walking off the war is a common phrase. Cruise set is among a group of advocates around the country who want nature activities like this recognized as part of therapy for PTSD and other issues veterans face so far it has been a hard sell. It's always easier to have a pill be paid for through insurance, VA or otherwise. Then to have a park prescription, uh, recognized, valued as therapy, but a growing number of scientists are trying to quantify that value. Greg Brian with the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah is doing research where he takes a veterans and active duty service members out into nature for two week retreats. They were fitbit's into other monitors and Brian says, therapist talk with them every day about how they're feeling. There's still a large knowledge gap related to non medical based, uh, interventions. And so that's an important next step to increase the quality of that scientific research so that we can better understand the ways in which, uh, outdoor activities it can be helpful. Veteran said the excursion at Biscayne National Park was helpful to them. The veterans demolish a 30 foot wooden bridge damaged by Hurricane Irma. There is laughter, enthusiasm, sweat and camaraderie. Be Helpful. And I went off. Yeah. Yeah, put off there is, that's one way of doing it. My name is Derek East. Did one combat tour to Iraq, a humanitarian tour to Haiti after the earthquake. Yeah. My wife saw me as this hard charger soldier took on anything to Nan being somebody's spending days on my couch was not working. Oh geese had a hard time getting past his army memories, especially from Haiti where he saw the earthquakes. Immediate aftermath. He's now a platoon leader with the mission continues a nonprofit that helps veterans adjust to life at home. Ogee son Donovan, a mature 13 year old is by his dad's side helping carry planks of wood away. How's my father, and he feels free to do what he wants because in the military you had to do what your general did. He's game more with veterans, just is helping our communities. This idea of nature as part of therapy for veterans is gaining a lot of momentum. In November, the University of Utah will hold a symposium to build on the research and encourage more funding to go into it. I'm Maria Buck a lot below in Miami. The story was produced by the American Home Front project, a public media collaboration that reports on American military life and veteran's funding comes from the corporation for public broadcasting. Thanks for listening to San Diego News matters. For more KPBS podcasts, go to k pbs.org/podcasts.

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In late 2016, San Diego joined about 100 cities nationwide that use a gunshot detection system called “ShotSpotter.” Two-and-a-half years later, some say it's a waste of money. Plus, MTS has cleared an affordable and student oriented-housing project on a trolley parking lot in Grantville and more San Diego and California news.