Issue 8 of the San Francisco Public Press, a broadsheet full-color local newspaper, is now available FOR SALE AT THESE RETAIL OUTLETS ($1) and through ONLINE MAIL ORDER ($4). HAVE A LOOK AT PAGE 1 (PDF).

Stories from the newspaper will roll out online through October.

The Fall 2012 edition features a special project, "Domestic Violence: a City Responds," which exposes holes in the tracking of criminal cases and the rate of prosecution for abuse within the home.

Fall 2012

Poor Record Keeping Hinders Analysis of Domestic Violence Policing Practices

Kevin Stark, SF Public Press — Sep 26 2012 - 8:01am

As statistics go from tick marks to laptops, police struggle to make sense of trends

The San Francisco Police Department cannot precisely measure the number of domestic violence cases it handled before 2011, because investigators in the Special Victims Unit hand-tallied monthly records, and used changing and inconsistently understood categories of crimes. This story appeared as part of a special report on domestic violence in the Fall 2012 print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.

San Francisco Trails Bay Area in Domestic Violence Prosecutions

Christopher Peak, SF Public Press — Sep 24 2012 - 10:48am

Far fewer charged than across the region, even with strongly worded ‘no-drop’ guidelines

Though San Francisco’s so-called “no-drop” policy requires pressing domestic violence charges when evidence is sufficient to convict, the District Attorney’s Office pursued just 28 percent of cases through to trial or plea bargaining over the last 6 years. This story appeared as part of a special report on domestic violence in the Fall 2012 print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.

Board of Supervisors Candidates on the Issues: San Francisco Fall 2012 Election

Justin Allen, SF Public Press — Oct 24 2012 - 11:23am
Where do they stand? We asked. A nonpartisan guide to the candidates’ political positions

Many observers complain about a lack of attention to the issues in city elections. It can be difficult for journalists, civic organizations and community groups to pin down exactly where the candidates stand on San Francisco policy disputes. Many of the candidate surveys distributed by news organizations and interest groups are limited because the questions permit evasive answers, focus on a narrow range of issues, or the candidates’ responses are not released to the public.

This issue-positions questionnaire for Board of Supervisors candidates in the November 2012 elections is largely based on recent divided votes of the board, covering the full gamut of San Francisco policy disputes, not just issues of concern to one or two groups. 

Q&A: The Role That Culture Plays in the Response to Domestic Violence

Ruth Tam, Public Press — Oct 8 2012 - 12:03pm

Orchid Pusey, interim director of the Asian Women's Shelter in San Francisco, says cultural differences can have a big influence on the attitudes and responses to domestic violence. She talked with San Francisco Public Press reporter Ruth Tam about the challenges facing service providers in the city. This story appeared as part of a special report on domestic violence in the Fall 2012 print edition of the San Francisco Public Press.

Mirkarimi Case Brought Spotlight to Domestic Violence in San Francisco

Christopher Peak, Public Press — Oct 4 2012 - 8:56am

As the city’s Ethics Commission debated whether Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi was fit to hold his elected position this past June, the complex game of personality, politics and procedure eclipsed larger policy questions about the city’s approach to handling thousands of cases of domestic violence each year. But advocates for victims said the hearings generated wider awareness of the problem of domestic violence.

Countdown to accreditation: City College makes changes despite criticism

Ruth Tam, SF Public Press — Oct 1 2012 - 1:01pm

Once lauded for being the largest community college in the nation, City College of San Francisco has recently come under fire in an accreditation crisis that threatens its future. Ever since the commission placed City College on “show cause” status in July — meaning the college might have to close if it does not improve — tensions between the board of trustees and the community have stalled progress on the ongoing crisis. City College submitted its first accreditation report last week, detailing steps it will take to meet the commission’s standards.

Different Person, Different Life: A Survivor’s Account of Domestic Violence in San Francisco

Dan Archer, Public Press — Sep 20 2012 - 12:35pm

An illustrated account of one domestic violence survivor’s story of abuse and rescue in San Francisco, which appears in the Fall 2012 print edition of the San Francisco Public Press. Dan Archer did the illustration and reporting, with reporting and research help by Ruth Tam.

San Francisco’s plastic bag ban expands in October

Haley Zaremba, Public Press — Sep 19 2012 - 3:01pm

San Francisco’s hard-fought ban on plastic bags is scheduled to expand in October, yet despite the political momentum behind the battle against litter and landfill bulk, not all businesses are taking this news well.

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