Oakland's Citizens Police Academy Aims to Strengthen Community Relations
Oakland's police department is trying to strengthen community relations, something that's taken on more urgency given the recent high-profile shootings of black men in various American cities. One thing it's been trying for years is a Citizens Police Academy. There's now a waiting list of people who want to learn the nuts and bolts of policing. The academy covers topics ranging from dispatch and patrol to policies around use of force. Oakland's police department hopes it will help build some badly needed bridges to the community.
LAPD's Mental Health Policing Program Praised as Model for Nation
Police interactions with people who have mental illness hit the news regularly, including a recent death on Los Angeles's Skid Row. KPCC reporter Stephanie O'Neill paid a visit to the LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit. It's the largest mental health policing program of its kind in the nation, with 61 sworn officers and 28 clinicians from the L.A. County Department of Mental Health. The unit works to defuse thousands of situations involving mental health crises each year.
Is Desalination the Answer to California's Drought Woes?
In this fourth year of drought, Californians are thirsty for new ways to get water -- and one idea is desalination. Even critics of turning ocean water to tap water grant that it has some merit. So why aren't we doing more of it? We take a look at desalination's potential role in the state's water portfolio.
Mapping What California Sounds Like
You know what the Golden Gate Bridge looks like, but what about how it sounds? Sound artist Jodi Rose recorded the bridge with contact microphones, then uploaded the audio to a website called Aporee. It's a crowd-sourced audio archive with recordings from around the world. We dive in to hear what other sounds are there from across the Golden State.
My Spot: Walking the Labyrinth of Grace
Our occasional series "My Spot" celebrates personal experiences with special places in California. Today, we hear from a Lake County resident who has a unique connection with San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. She's not Christian, but she often finds a moment to walk the labyrinth.