Law Enforcement

Very quietly, California's Department of Justice released its annual report on crime, revealing that violent and property crimes spiked in 2022.

The number of reported hate crimes increased 22% in California in 2021. Following a model from Los Angeles County, state leaders launched a statewide hotline and resources.

From Wendy Fry of CalMatters’ California Divide team and CalMatters politics intern Rya Jetha: Next Thursday, California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations plans to hand over to the state Legislature its extensive report and recommendations for how to compensate eligible Black Californians for the enduring harms of slavery.  As historic a moment it may be, […]

The California Justice Department is struggling to complete dozens of investigations into police shootings required under a 2020 law. A mother of one victim questions the intent of the law and what Bonta's handling of it means for his rumored aspirations for higher office.

On an average day in California, about 18 people die due to overdoses from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. That works out to nearly four people every five hours. In that same five-hour period, legislators on Wednesday heard the sad account of a grieving mother, analyses from local officials and researchers and even one admission […]

A 2021 state law took investigations into California police shootings out of the hands of local cops. Now, some families say the new system is agonizing in its own way.

California law requires law enforcement agencies to release body cam footage of police shootings. Many departments shape those images into stories they want to tell.

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would reform how disclosure disputes under the Public Records Act are settled. Attorneys who work with public agencies say reforms should consider how the law can sometimes be misused.

The recent reappointment of Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore focused the attention on his work as a reformer rather than a crime-fighter. As L.A. history shows, law enforcement can do both. The more recent stumbles are less about the false choice between the two approaches, and more about the effectiveness of management.

Incarceration shortens the life expectancy of inmates and correctional officers alike. Many California leaders view prison closures as a cost-saving measure, but the health benefits may be more impactful for the people who live or work inside.