Like many cities in the United States, National City is experiencing an increase in its homeless population. Around the city, homeless encampments have been built in areas near shopping centers, by local waterways, and in neighborhoods. This increase has prompted the city to work at addressing the issue of homelessness as both a public safety […]
University Department: Political Science
Public Records Best Practices: Police Departments
National City established a goal to better support the implementation of the Califor-nia Public Records Act (PRA). The objective of this project is to organize the various resources that guide police PRA response by creating a user–friendly outline/flow chart. The students addressed the city’s goals by (1) determining how other cities manage and process Public […]
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The California Public Records Act: National City and Best Practices for Improvement
The California Public Records Act (CPRA) applies to all local or municipal governments by allowing the public the right to request and inspect any document or piece of information unless exempted by law. Some documents may be redacted for either privacy issues or legalities, but overall, most documents within the government are subject to the […]
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Urban Edible Landscapes in Lemon Grove: City Park Orchards, Community Gardens, and School Gardens
In partnership with the City of Lemon Grove and the Sage Project at San Diego State University, this study analyzed the feasibility and popularity of building various urban agriculture programs in Lemon Grove. City park fruit orchards, local community gardens, and after-school garden programs were found to be the most feasible urban greening methods for […]
Safety, Visual Appeal, Way–finding, and Parking Observations
n October 2015, Dr. Kristen Hill Maher’s class conducted a project designed by redevelopment director, Brad Raulston, to observe elements of safety, visual appeal, and way–finding in particular areas of the city, as well as parking usage surrounding Southwestern Community College. We collected a total of 305 unique observational records. Each section in this report […]
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The Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Serial Inebriate Program
The Serial Inebriate Program (SIP) was created 16 years ago as a new and forward thinking pilot program for the City of San Diego. Its purpose has always been to help the population of homeless who are so often incapable of finding help for themselves—chronic homeless individuals who are serial inebriates. This report provides a […]
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Lemon Grove: Parks & Perceptions
In partnership with the City of Lemon Grove and the Sage Project at San Diego State University, students in Honors 113, under the guidance of Dr. Kristen Maher, collected, organized, and analyzed data pertaining to park usage in Lemon Grove. Data collected for this project included a survey of students’ initial impressions of Lemon Grove […]
Lemon Grove: Municipal Strategies to Address Homelessness
A 2016 report by the San Diego County Grand Jury found that the East County cities of El Cajon, La Mesa, Santee, and Lemon Grove lacked an adequate response to addressing homelessness (San Diego County Grand Jury, 2016). Lemon Grove had the smallest overall population among the four cities referenced in the report, as well […]
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Growing Community: Bringing Green Spaces and a Community Garden to Lemon Grove
This study was conducted through San Diego State University’s (SDSUs) Department of Political Science, the Sage Project and The City of Lemon Grove in order to investigate the potential benefits, challenges, and overall feasibility of implementing green spaces and a community garden in Lemon Grove. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community […]
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Exploring the Local Regulation of Homeshare Rentals
Undergraduate political science students will help public officials in Watertown address policy questions related to regulating homesharing services, such as Airbnb. The students will assist the Town with background research and policy analysis to help the Planning Commission make an informed public policy decision. Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner. […]
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