Monday, May 19, 2014
Monday Must Reads: Violent Crime Plummets in Oakland; State Budget Analyst Says Brown Is Underestimating Revenue Surge
Mon, May 19, 2014 at 9:50 AM
Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Violent crime has plummeted in Oakland this year, dropping significantly in every major category, including homicides and robberies, the Chron reports. Homicides are down 18 percent, and robberies have declined 38 percent. Shootings, meanwhile, are down 35 percent, and burglaries have dropped 11 percent. Oakland Police Chief Sean Whent credits the crime drops to the department’s Ceasefire violence prevention program, which targets street gangs, and to an increased emphasis on crime investigations. Decreasing crime also comes as good news for Mayor Jean Quan and her reelection campaign.
3. Governor Brown, meanwhile, is continuing to push forward on his proposal to build the $68 billion high-speed rail project, which would connect the Bay Area to Los Angeles, the Chron reports.
4. Peak-hour toll pricing on the Bay Bridge has failed to dissuade commuters from using the span during rush-hour, the Chron reports.
5. And a statewide measure that would increase the cap on medical malpractice lawsuits from $250,000 to $1.1 million has qualified for the November ballot, the SacBee$ reports.
$ = news stories that may require payment to read.
