Sample Chart
March 2, 2026
As I have started my research on police response time in San Diego, there have been many snippets and data points that have piqued my interest or intrigued me. This story shows that the fine details one might not think of in distress can have the greatest impact. I did not know that there were levels to calls; I thought it was a first come first serve basis. The time-sensitive, largest crisis gets attention first. Discrepancies in time can lead to life or death. If someone can get shot in seconds, then those seconds matter. I learned that many factors add to the response time of a call. Simple things like staffing, time of day, workload, and many more.
What I still need to do for my story is to continue to reach out to more individuals, more people who can help create my story. I want to continue to do more research and gain more background knowledge. A rough draft of my rough draft needs to get started so I can gather and place my puzzle pieces. Because I am dealing with the police, I am fearful of running into issues with accessing information, and if so, how to navigate that. I really hope I can interview an officer who may be frustrated with the issue. Trying to look for formal complaints made to the department about poor response times will be in my best interest.
Screening Circle
The Sweeps Kill screening and the Q&A at the Student Union Theater highlighted a significant disconnect in how laws are applied. What resonated with me most was the discussion regarding crimes committed by officers during sweeps and how those incidents are handled. The Screening Circle materials and the panel emphasized a lack of accountability for those in power, whereas the survival actions of the unhoused are frequently criminalized. This disparity in legal treatment stood out as a core systemic issue that is often overlooked in general discussions about city policy.
In mainstream media, unsheltered people are often portrayed through negative stereotypes, often being labeled as "lazy" or as "drug addicts." These representations shaped my earlier understanding of the community, and I had to unlearn biased lessons. These tropes oversimplify a complex crisis and ignore the economic and systemic factors that lead to displacement. By focusing on labels, the media fails to show the diversity and the reality of the unhoused population.
Using a comic book like Sweeps Kill to address this subject is an effective way. While a policy change might seem like an abstract administrative decision, seeing it play out in an illustrated narrative makes the consequences clear and immediate. A comic can illustrate exactly how a "sweep" disrupts a person's life, making the impact of city ordinances easier for the general public to understand. This medium can bridge the gap between technical legislation and its human results.
Based on the event and the Screening Circle website, it is clear that journalists need to change how they cover the unhoused population. Reporting should be grounded in empathy and provide individuals with the dignity and respect they deserve as human beings. When journalists frame the unhoused as an "enemy" or a "public burden," they contribute to the stigma that justifies the policies. Instead, treating these individuals as primary sources with valuable perspectives can help the public see them as neighbors rather than problems to be solved.