In addition to the shootings on this side of the Bay last night, three separate shootings in Oakland left one 48-year-old man dead and two others wounded. The fatal incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. Thursday when the identified man was shot and killed while walking down the 800 block of 26th Street in West Oakland. It was the 11th homicide of the year thus far. more ›

Union Square / Stabbing: A man was stabbed and seriously wounded by a 20-year-old Hispanic assailant on Stockton Street yesterday, following the jubilations of the city after the Giants' victory parade. The incident happened at 9:30 p.m. and the victim's identity and current condition is unknown. The suspect is still at large. [Examiner] more ›

The bad news is, the post-Thanksgiving weekend brought Oakland's 2009 homicide count over the 100 mark -- with 52-year-old Enoch Reed shot on Friday in East Oakland, and Jermel Holloway on Sunday night, shot while walking on the street by himself, revisiting his old West Oakland neighborhood to mark the anniversary of the death of a friend. more ›

These smoking bans aren't anything new in California, but the City of Richmond -- which, arguably, has bigger law enforcement fish to fry -- has just joined the ranks of cities that ban smoking in multi-unit housing. The city received an "F" rating from the American Lung Association in January, and apparently at a loss for what to do about gang violence and the highest murder rate in the state, the city council has committed themselves to stopping the spread of second-hand smoke. Richmond previously instituted bans on smoking in public parks and farmers' markets. more ›

This year's murder rate -- which, as SF Appeal notes, the mainstream media cannot agree upon; it's 18 or 19, depending on who you read -- is kind of low. In fact, as SFist commenter redtim deftly pointed out last week, "last year we were at 48 (according to sfcrime) by Memorial Day." And now? We're at 18, 19, or 20. For SFist alone, it's been damn near impossible to find a consistent, traffic-spiking murder story to post on a regular basis. (Step up to the plate, lazy fucking criminals.) So, why is the murder rate so jarringly low? Has the Obama regime ushered in a kinder, gentler vibe throughout SF? Are our murderers getting craftier? Are reports of murders getting lost? In an effort to get elected governor, is Mayor Gavin Newsom hiding the bodies? Is this some sort of gift from the Baby Jesus? Tell us. more ›