Steve Smith
Blog
Crime in Oakland – More Mass Victimization
Criminals in Alameda County just caught a break. Newly elected District Attorney Pamela Price has issued a draft memorandum to her staff requiring them to seek probation in nearly all felony cases with the exception of murder and some sex crimes involving children. Further, it requires that more severe ...
California
Fallen Selma officer is California’s criminal justice reform’s latest victim
On the morning of Jan. 31, Officer Gonzalo Carrasco of the Selma Police Department was flagged down by a homeowner reporting a trespasser on her property. Carrasco stopped and approached the suspect, who fired several shots, striking Carrasco and allegedly killing him. Responding to the tragedy, Fresno County District Attorney ...
California
Steve Smith talks California’s decade of decriminalization and his new study on the Sunrise FM Podcast
The sudden reemergence of widespread crime – from petty to violent – has Californians of all stripes worried. For Steve Smith of the Pacific Research Institute, the genesis of this slide into crime begin with a trio of policies aimed at early release of prisoners and decriminalization of key laws. ...
California
Steve Smith – Paradise Lost: Crime in the Golden State, 2011–2021
Our guest this week is PRI senior fellow in urban studies Steve Smith. Steve is a former police officer, has helped organize peacekeeping forces abroad, and is a retired professor of justice administration.
California
New PRI Report Shows State Experiencing ‘Mass Victimization’ After Decade of Sweeping Criminal Justice Policy Changes
In Wake of Selma Tragedy, New PRI Report Shows State Experiencing ‘Mass Victimization’ After Decade of Sweeping Criminal Justice Policy Changes
Blog
Juvenile Justice in California – Nowhere to go
On January 4th 2023, Gavin Boston was shot and killed while working as a security guard at the Japan Center Mall in San Francisco’s Japan Town neighborhood. Shortly after, San Francisco police department arrested two juveniles aged 14 and 15 as the suspects. The 15 year-old was identified ...
Blog
Police Reform – San Jose Police – A Case Study
Last fall, the City of San Jose’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) Shivaun Nurre issued her 2021 annual report on police oversight of the San Jose Police Department. It provides a detailed analysis of allegations of police misconduct in San Jose. Techies would call it “granular” data. On September 13, 2022, ...
Blog
California’s Soft on Crime Policies Claim Another Victim
McKay was a three striker with multiple convictions and two prison sentences for violent offenses dating back to 1999. His last ten-year stint ended in 2019. When he was stopped by deputy Cordero, he had already been convicted of his third strike. However, he was free on reduced bail pending ...
Blog
Gaslighting California’s Crime Victims
“Gaslighting” is Merriam Webster’s Word of the Year for 2022. It is defined by Webster’s as the: “Psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to ...
Blog
The Night Westwood Died and Crime in Cities
On January 31, 1988, 27 year-old Karen Toshima was enjoying an evening with her boyfriend in Westwood Village. She had just gotten a promotion at work and like thousands of other Angelenos did almost every weekend decided that Westwood was the place to be. After dinner, Karen and ...
Crime in Oakland – More Mass Victimization
Criminals in Alameda County just caught a break. Newly elected District Attorney Pamela Price has issued a draft memorandum to her staff requiring them to seek probation in nearly all felony cases with the exception of murder and some sex crimes involving children. Further, it requires that more severe ...
Fallen Selma officer is California’s criminal justice reform’s latest victim
On the morning of Jan. 31, Officer Gonzalo Carrasco of the Selma Police Department was flagged down by a homeowner reporting a trespasser on her property. Carrasco stopped and approached the suspect, who fired several shots, striking Carrasco and allegedly killing him. Responding to the tragedy, Fresno County District Attorney ...
Steve Smith talks California’s decade of decriminalization and his new study on the Sunrise FM Podcast
The sudden reemergence of widespread crime – from petty to violent – has Californians of all stripes worried. For Steve Smith of the Pacific Research Institute, the genesis of this slide into crime begin with a trio of policies aimed at early release of prisoners and decriminalization of key laws. ...
Steve Smith – Paradise Lost: Crime in the Golden State, 2011–2021
Our guest this week is PRI senior fellow in urban studies Steve Smith. Steve is a former police officer, has helped organize peacekeeping forces abroad, and is a retired professor of justice administration.
New PRI Report Shows State Experiencing ‘Mass Victimization’ After Decade of Sweeping Criminal Justice Policy Changes
In Wake of Selma Tragedy, New PRI Report Shows State Experiencing ‘Mass Victimization’ After Decade of Sweeping Criminal Justice Policy Changes
Juvenile Justice in California – Nowhere to go
On January 4th 2023, Gavin Boston was shot and killed while working as a security guard at the Japan Center Mall in San Francisco’s Japan Town neighborhood. Shortly after, San Francisco police department arrested two juveniles aged 14 and 15 as the suspects. The 15 year-old was identified ...
Police Reform – San Jose Police – A Case Study
Last fall, the City of San Jose’s Independent Police Auditor (IPA) Shivaun Nurre issued her 2021 annual report on police oversight of the San Jose Police Department. It provides a detailed analysis of allegations of police misconduct in San Jose. Techies would call it “granular” data. On September 13, 2022, ...
California’s Soft on Crime Policies Claim Another Victim
McKay was a three striker with multiple convictions and two prison sentences for violent offenses dating back to 1999. His last ten-year stint ended in 2019. When he was stopped by deputy Cordero, he had already been convicted of his third strike. However, he was free on reduced bail pending ...
Gaslighting California’s Crime Victims
“Gaslighting” is Merriam Webster’s Word of the Year for 2022. It is defined by Webster’s as the: “Psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to ...
The Night Westwood Died and Crime in Cities
On January 31, 1988, 27 year-old Karen Toshima was enjoying an evening with her boyfriend in Westwood Village. She had just gotten a promotion at work and like thousands of other Angelenos did almost every weekend decided that Westwood was the place to be. After dinner, Karen and ...
