Blog — Court Reporter
Extracting Data From the District Attorney
Stop Crime SF spent six months pursuing a public records request to get case outcome data from District Attorney Chesa Boudin. After facing refusals and resistance every step of the way, we finally prevailed. Here’s what we found.
Will We Hold Deadly Fentanyl Dealers Accountable in San Francisco?
Will we hold deadly fentanyl dealers accountable in San Francisco? The human cost is a record number of overdose deaths. Yet police arrest the same dealers repeatedly while time in custody has plummeted under District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Read the data memo on drug dealer arrests released by SFPD.
Why Won’t Chesa Boudin Make All His Crime Data Public?
San Francisco’s district attorney publishes a data dashboard called DA Stat. But there’s a problem. It doesn’t say what happens to cases beyond the filing of charges. This makes it difficult to measure Chesa Boudin’s effectiveness because the outcomes of cases — not mere charges — are what matter. And outcomes are a mystery on DA Stat.
How Much Police Does San Francisco Need?
A City Hall-commissioned study says police staffing in San Francisco is “severely inadequate.” Can we replenish the force with a new generation who embrace police reforms, are trained in de-escalation, and are truly committed to serving their communities?
Injustice for a Victim and the Victim’s Advocate
The result of the Kate Slattery case was injustice for both the victim and the victim’s advocate. Just when you think the case couldn't be more shocking or tragic, a longtime victim advocate in the district attorney’s office was fired after speaking his truth in open court.
SF Court Records Mess Is Obstacle to Public Safety
San Francisco’s outdated and inaccessible criminal records request system is an obstacle to public safety. It leaves journalists and crime victims unclear about what is actually happening in our criminal justice system. Our court must provide clear records on demand for everyone — it is essential to hold officials accountable.
We Can’t Fight Crime With Spaghetti Bowl of Data
San Francisco lacks a fully interconnected criminal justice computer database that shares information in real time. Good data that’s easy to access can help residents understand what is really happening in our district attorney’s office, the police department, and the courts.
See Where Burglaries Spiked in SF During Pandemic
An interactive map of all burglaries in San Francisco from 2019 to 2021.
Who Sold the Gun — Ghost or Real?
Ghost guns represented 16 percent of all firearms seized in San Francisco in 2020. Who sold the remaining 84 percent of guns that were used in crimes? That's an important question to answer if we want to address rising gun violence.
A Week That Feels Like the Past Century
Another troubling week for Asian Americans. The discrimination of the past century is a direct line to modern San Francisco, where violence against Asian residents was a problem long before the politics of a pandemic scapegoated Asian Americans. We must prosecute crimes and support victims.