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AG Bonta Releases Racial Data Critical for Policymakers, Law Enforcement

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said crime rates remain below historical highs, but property and violent crimes continue to have terrible effects on California communities. “Gun violence, in particular, remains a consistent and growing threat. In fact, in 2021, nearly three-fourths of all homicides in California involved a firearm,” he said. “As we confront these ongoing challenges, we must have accountability and appropriate consequences for those who break the law.”

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The other reports released by the DOJ include Homicide in California, Crime in California, and Juvenile Justice in California.
The other reports released by the DOJ include Homicide in California, Crime in California, and Juvenile Justice in California.

By McKenzie Jackson | California Black Media

One hundred and ten African Americans died or suffered serious bodily injury during encounters with law enforcement officers in the Golden State over the course of the last year.

Blacks made up 16.7% of the civilians that were killed or suffered severe injuries during incidents involving the discharge of a firearm or the use of force by police officers in 2021. Of the 660 civilians, who died or were injured, 50.6% were Hispanic and 25.5% were white.

The report, however, does not indicate how many of the 149 individuals that died during the 628 incidents were Black or of any other race.

The stats were gleaned from the Use of Force Incident Report released by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) late last month.

The report was one of four annual criminal justice statistical breakdowns released to give the public, policymakers, researchers, and law enforcement statistics to support informed policy choices based on data and analysis and to help protect the safety and well-being of all Californians, according to an Aug. 25 press release from California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

“Good data,” Bonta said, “is key to good public policy.” He urged people to read the documents.

“Accurate statistics and the data in the annual crime reports are a critical part of calibrating our response, ensuring policymakers and law enforcement are able to make informed decisions,” Bonta stated.

The other reports released by the DOJ include Homicide in California, Crime in California, and Juvenile Justice in California.

The quartet of documents are available online and offer an analytical breakdown of criminal activity and related statistics such as the number of homicides reported last year, how much violent crime has increased in the state and the specificity of those crimes, a breakdown of age, race, sex of crime victims and offenders, and the various types of force used by law enforcement during encounters when an individual died or was injured badly.

The information found in the Use of Force report reveals that the types of force used by law enforcement officers against the 660 individuals included blunt impact weapons, chemical sprays, firearms, impact projectiles, vehicles, electronic control devices and their hands, feet, fists, or other body parts.

According to the DOJ, officers employing a firearm hit 233 people and missed 58 others. They used K-9 dogs on 77 people and controlled holds or takedowns on 121 others. While officers perceived that 383 civilians were armed during the incidents, 341 or 89% of them were confirmed to have been carrying weapons.

1,462 officers were reported to be involved in employing a firearm or using excessive force during incidents that resulted in death or serious injury. Fifty-eight of the officers were Black.

The Crime in California report presents an overview of the criminal justice system in California. It revealed that the violent crime rate rose 6.7%, from 437 crimes per 100,000 people to 466.2 last year. The property crime rate increased 3% and the homicide rate jumped up 9.1% while the rape incidence rate increased 8.6%. The motor vehicle theft rate rose 8.2%. The state’s burglary and arson rates dropped.

There were 153,546 violent crimes in the state in 2021. All the data are based on the number of known victims and incidents.

Bonta said crime rates remain below historical highs, but property and violent crimes continue to have terrible effects on California communities.

“Gun violence, in particular, remains a consistent and growing threat. In fact, in 2021, nearly three-fourths of all homicides in California involved a firearm,” he said. “As we confront these ongoing challenges, we must have accountability and appropriate consequences for those who break the law.”

The total number of reported civilian complaints against peace officers increased from 16,547 in 2020 to 28,617 last year. The number of complaints from civilians accusing officers of crimes — 683 — was the lowest since 1983.

There were 2,361 homicides reported in 2021, according to the Homicide Crime in California report. Of the homicides where the victim’s race or ethnicity was identified, 29.5% or 690 were Black, second only to the 47.1% or 1,102 victims who were Hispanic. The largest segment of Black victims — 38.4% or 264 — were aged 18-29. Three hundred and twenty-five of the Black victims were killed on a street or sidewalk. None were killed on school grounds.

Blacks are 5.5% of the total California population.

The Juvenile Justice in California report detailed the 19,355 juvenile arrests in California reported by law enforcement last year.

Felony arrests made up 47.2% or 9,132 of the apprehensions, with Black juveniles being 60.3%. Black juveniles were arrested for 49.0% of the felony violent offenses.

Over 70% of all juveniles, including 77.3% of the Black juveniles arrested were referred to probation departments by law enforcement.

Bonta said the DOJ is using every tool it has to prevent violence and combat crime.

“Whether it’s successfully securing federal certification of our data systems or taking guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals,” he said, “my office remains committed to doing our part to support safety and security for all Californians.”

Antonio Thomas Stiles

Mothers in Mourning: Moms, Allies Protest Gun Violence in California

On Sept. 9, elected officials, community leaders and concerned citizens took to the streets of Watts in South Los Angeles to march against gun violence in California. Dubbed the “Mothers in Mourning March,” the women-led event was organized by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) featured guest speakers and over 34 participating organizations.

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"For our children we lost, we are their voices, and their voices will continue to be heard here and everywhere around this nation,” Mattie Scott, the California chapter leader of the advocacy organization Mothers in Charge, said. “We will stop the killing and start the healing because this is for all of us or none of us.”
"For our children we lost, we are their voices, and their voices will continue to be heard here and everywhere around this nation,” Mattie Scott, the California chapter leader of the advocacy organization Mothers in Charge, said. “We will stop the killing and start the healing because this is for all of us or none of us.”

Aldon Thomas Stiles | Califoria Black Media

On Sept. 9, elected officials, community leaders and concerned citizens took to the streets of Watts in South Los Angeles to march against gun violence in California.

Dubbed the “Mothers in Mourning March,” the women-led event was organized by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson) featured guest speakers and over 34 participating organizations.

Participants marched from Jordan High School to Edwin Markham Middle School and walked back to Jordan in temperatures that hovered up to the high 80s, shouting impassioned chants like “put those guns down,” “stop the killing,” and “start the healing.”

“We are proud to be here at Jordan, and from the housing complexes to the highways we are making our voices known: Let our babies live,” Gipson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

At a post-march rally, speakers shared personal accounts, some tearful, about their experiences with gun violence.

“For our children we lost, we are their voices, and their voices will continue to be heard here and everywhere around this nation,” Mattie Scott, the California chapter leader of the advocacy organization Mothers in Charge, said. “We will stop the killing and start the healing because this is for all of us or none of us.”

Scott reminded voters that they have power to push anti-Gun policies against the forces across the country that fiercely oppose them — from “our house, to the courthouse, to your house, to the White House.”

As of last year, firearms are the leading cause of death among children in the United States.

While the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that California has the 8th lowest death rate by guns and Los Angeles has seen a decrease between 2021 and 2022, Los Angeles County accounts for a majority of California’s gun related deaths, according to Hope and Heal Fund.

African Americans between the ages of 15 and 34 experience gun-related deaths more than any other group in the United States, according to the Center for American Progress.

Overall, Everytown Research & Policy reports, that Black Americans “experience 12 times the gun homicides, 18 times the gun assault injuries, and nearly 3 times the fatal police shootings” as compared to White Americans.

Karren Lane, the Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles, stressed the importance of all Californians getting involved in the legislative process to help stem gun violence.

“Our commitment is to prevent that violence,” she said. “We cannot do that as a city without the organized political power of everyday people.”

She went on to speak about how the march might have an impact on those who have a vested interest in the prevention of gun violence.

“This event is so significant because one mother suffering alone feels isolated and silenced,” she said. “But when we come together and organize our voices, we are political power. We are organized power.”

Speakers also focused on explaining anti-gun violence bills that Gov. Newsom has signed and others the Legislature has approved.

Assembly Bill (AB) 28, for example, which has been approved by the Legislature, would impose an 11% tax for sales for firearms and firearm related items like ammunition and other “precursor parts.”

Gov. Newsom signed AB 1621, authored by Gipson, last year. It bans ghost guns, which are “unserialized and untraceable firearm” parts that can be assembled without any form of regulation or oversight.

LA Unified School District board member Tanya Ortiz Franklin, one of the speakers, encouraged Californians to vote to protect their children.

“We have the power to change the world with the kids in our district. We have future presidents, we have future engineers, we have future public safety officers, we have future changemakers right here in our district. But they need to have a future and they have to live into their potential and it’s going to take all of us demanding that,” she said.

Franklin’s voice echoed that of many of the women and allies attending the march who chanted at intervals, “No more silence, end gun violence!”

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California Black Media

Elected Officials, Faith Leaders Join State Ed Chief Thurmond to Discuss Antisemitism Solutions

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond organized a virtual roundtable discussion titled “Education to End Hate: Countering Antisemitism” that brought together about 350 attendees, including elected officials and faith leaders, according to the Department of Education (CDE).

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State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
State Supt. of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr.
California Black Media

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond organized a virtual roundtable discussion titled “Education to End Hate: Countering Antisemitism” that brought together about 350 attendees, including elected officials and faith leaders, according to the Department of Education (CDE).

The aim of the discussion, which was held Aug. 23, was to address the role of education in combating the recent increase in antisemitism.

Steve Zimmer, deputy superintendent of public instruction, moderated the discussion and cited statistics on the increase of antisemitism and hate crimes in California.

Antisemitism and other hate crimes have surged in California, rising by more than 20% last year. The main targets were Black, LGBTQ+ and Jewish people.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported that antisemitic hate crimes had increased by over 40% between 2021 and 2022, especially in Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Kern counties.

Thurmond is involved in initiatives related to Holocaust and genocide education, and he aims to utilize education to reduce acts of hate. He is co-chair of the Governor’s Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education along with Dr. Anita Friedman, executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties; Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), and Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Thurmond has also partnered with the National Equity Project to help implement the $20 million Antibias Education Grant Program to empower educators and students in addressing hate, bigotry, and racism.

“I have pledged that the CDE will intervene whenever we learn about an antisemitic act or other forms of hate at a California public school,” said Thurmond.

He said he would work side-by-side with school and district leaders to ensure that teachers have the resources and partnerships needed to address both the immediate crisis and the long-term educational implications.

“My priority is to empower educators and students to confront the hate, bigotry, and racism rising against several communities in the state and nation,” said Thurmond.

Thurmond initiated the “Education to End Hate” series to tackle hate and racism through education. The next event in the series occurred on Sept. 12.

Several members of the Jewish Legislative Caucus, Senators Stern, Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), and Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) and Assemblymembers Laura Friedman (D-Burbank) and Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), gave opening remarks for the roundtable.

The caucus members urged schools to adopt the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum, which includes a unit on Jewish American studies, to foster understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures and identities.

“It is no secret if you are Jewish or if you have Jewish friends or interact with Jewish students or folks in the community, the tremendous levels of anxiety that our community is feeling at this moment [is] really unprecedented for my lifetime,” caucus co-chair Gabriel said.

Following the remarks from the Jewish legislators, a panel of Jewish community leaders presented different perspectives on the issue of antisemitism.

On the panel were Rabbi Meyer May, executive director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museums of Tolerance; Dr. Friedman; and Sarah Levin, executive director of Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa.

The panel members discussed the rich history and multifaceted elements of Jewish identity, the rise in antisemitism across the political spectrum, the intersectionality of antisemitism with other forms of oppression, and the specific ways that education can play a role in countering antisemitism throughout the state.

They also identified important resources that teachers can use to address antisemitism and all forms of hate.

Rabbi May said that being Jewish means caring for the community and treating others with dignity: “Judaism for me is an all-encompassing experience … I have an equal responsibility every day to treat my fellow persons with human dignity. That should be the core value for every human being: that we treat others with human dignity and understand that everyone has the same basic needs, that they want to support their families, have joy, and pride in their families and perpetuate their culture.”

Friedman said that antisemitism affects not only Jews but American society, more broadly. She warned that it is a sign of something wrong that needs to be fixed.

“It’s a signal, like the canary in the coal mine, that something is not right and needs to be fixed,” Friedman said.

The state’s ethnic studies curriculum, which faced strong backlash when it was first released in 2019, was a recurring topic during the discussion.

Wiener said the first draft of the state’s ethnic studies curriculum, had “despicable” and “straight-up antisemitic” language.

He said Jewish groups lobbied to change the final version, but some districts are being pressed to use the old draft, which is illegal. He also said some authors responsible for antisemitic language in the curriculum are shopping their services as “liberated ethnic studies.”

In response to Wiener’s concern, Thurmond said he had sent many letters to districts reminding them of the legal limits of ethnic studies, which should not be antisemitic or use any unapproved version of the curriculum. He also urged anyone who witnessed antisemitism in schools to contact his office.

“We’d like to get that phone call,” Thurmond said.

A full recording of the webinar can be viewed on the CDE Facebook page.

This article was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library.

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California Black Media

Crackdown: Gov. Newsom Adds Muscle to Fentanyl Fight by Increasing National Guard Presence at Border by 50%

Building on California’s $1 billion investment to tackle the fentanyl and opioid crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Sept. 7, that he is increasing the deployment of California National Guard (CalGuard) service members by approximately 50% (from 40 to 60 soldiers) at the four U.S. ports of entry along the state’s U.S.-Mexico border.

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“Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart,” Newsom said in his announcement. “California is cracking down — and today we’re going further by deploying more CalGuard service members to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe.”
“Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart,” Newsom said in his announcement. “California is cracking down — and today we’re going further by deploying more CalGuard service members to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe.”

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and
Edward Henderson
California Black Media

Building on California’s $1 billion investment to tackle the fentanyl and opioid crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Sept. 7, that he is increasing the deployment of California National Guard (CalGuard) service members by approximately 50% (from 40 to 60 soldiers) at the four U.S. ports of entry along the state’s U.S.-Mexico border.

This expansion enables CalGuard to further support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) narcotic search operations, including through the operation of a vehicle X-ray system used for detecting the transportation and concealment of narcotics.

This increased deployment builds on Newsom’s prior expansion of CalGuard-supported operations that contributed to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl in the state last year.

“Fentanyl is a deadly poison ripping families and communities apart,” Newsom said in his announcement. “California is cracking down — and today we’re going further by deploying more CalGuard service members to combat this crisis and keep our communities safe.”

Last year, CalGuard’s efforts helped law enforcement seize 28,765 lbs. of fentanyl, an amount with an estimated street value of more than $230 million.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, a majority of the fentanyl entering the U.S. is smuggled through ports of entry by U.S. citizens, not by migrants seeking asylum.

Over 150 Americans die every day from overdoses and poisonings related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

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