Tent city jails, sonic weapons, border crimes, Las Colinas prison expansion, and cuts in deputy staffing among hottest issues
 
By Miriam Raftery
Photos by Leon Thompson
 
September 15, 2009 (El Cajon) – Four candidates vying to be the top lawman in San Diego County faced off outside El Cajon's civic center on Sept. 12, dueling verbally over who is the strongest leader to protect our region from crime. The candidates also differed sharply on issues isuch as immigration enforcement, budget priorities,  prison overcrowding, concealed weapons, use of sonic weapons, and deputy staffing cuts.
 
East County Magazine Editor Miriam Raftery and KCBQ radio host Rick Amato co-moderated the debate, which drew raucous responses from the crowd.

July 12, 2009 (Santee) – A small brush fire that started around 4 p.m. this afternoon at 9255 Magnolia, near the Las Colinas Women’s facility in Santee, has been extinguished. The blaze burned less than three acres. No structures were damaged. Sheriff’s deputies alerted mobile home park residents in the vicinity of the fire, but no evacuations were ordered.

June 26, 2009 (Santee, California) – On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a plan to replace and expand the Las Colinas Detention Facility from 15 acres to 45 acres and certified the final environmental impact report (EIR) for the facility. The vote was 4-1 with Supervisor Dianne Jacob opposing the expansion. On Wednesday night, Santee's City Council voted in closed session to file a new lawsuit challenging the County's environmental impact report. The City of Santee lost a prior lawsuitwhich questioned the County's handling of a $100 million state grant for the project, but has pledged to appeal that decision.

June 18, 2009 (Santee, California) – On Wednesday, June 24, 2009, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will consider whether to approve the revised draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the expansion of Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee. Santee Mayor Randy Voepel opposes the expansion, arguing that it is unnecessary and that the jail sits on land that is commercially more valuable for other uses.

May 13, 2009 (Santee)-– Taking a page from the Barack Obama for President Campaign playbook, the City of Santee has launched a web site, a Facebook page and a Twitter micro blog to rally support for the city’s position against an expansion of the Las Colinas Detention Facility in the heart of Santee’s town center.