California: Golden State or Gilded Cage for Women?

In California, the shortage of police officers and newly proposed heavy-handed gun laws render the state a hellscape for victims of assault and abuse. Among its enchanting coastline, towering mountains, and delicious Mexican food, California holds a disturbing pattern—a failure from the top down to protect its most vulnerable populations.

Whether it be due to budget cuts, the public attitude towards police after summer 2020, or other states incentivizing police to join their forces, California’s struggle to retain police officers is catastrophic.

Towns in rural California are having to cancel daytime patrols, and townspeople are sometimes met with a dead end when calling 911. The San Francisco Police Department is 541 officers short of the staffing analysis recommended level. In Los Angeles, specialized units such as fugitive warrants and cold cases face being slashed. In San Diego, the department’s response time for high priority 911 calls is 14 minutes. However, it hangs around 36 minutes.

With such a grim state of the police force, surely Californians are granted every liberty to protect themselves, families, and communities, right? Think again. California is home to the nation’s strictest gun laws. Last month, a new gun control law was deemed so restrictive that it infringed on the Second Amendment. Laws regarding knives, pepper spray, and mace are also significantly tighter than other states.

California: Not so golden

As a San Diego native, the state’s beauty, history, and culture will always have a place in my heart. However, I would be lying if I said that I feel safe living here as a young woman. California is home to hundreds of colleges. College-aged women (18-24) are three times more likely than the average woman to experience sexual violence. I was one of these women. Additionally, the Golden State holds the highest instance of human trafficking in the nation.

These shortcomings have devastating consequences. In previous years, domestic abuse and sexual violence rates have skyrocketed. Between 2021 and 2022, an estimated 1.5 million Californians were perpetrators of such crimes. In 2021, the rape rate increased by 8.6%. Last week, two San Diego women, myself included, were let down by the pitifully understaffed and poorly managed San Diego Police. I was contacted out of the blue by my attacker. Promptly, I reported this to the North County San Diego Sheriff, as this was where the original police report was made. Because I no longer live in North County, I was advised to go to the SDPD station and given a specific address.

Closed police station in San Diego, California. (Photo by Jill Butler)

Upon arrival, I was met with a neglected-looking building with a sign on the door saying the station was closed due to COVID-19. While trying to open the door, I encountered a distressed-looking young woman. She said that she was being followed by a strange man making aggressive remarks, and the 911 dispatcher told her to go to this station. Yes, you read that correctly. A 911 dispatcher led a young woman being followed by a man escalating in aggression to an abandoned building.

Appalled, I contacted the mayor’s office. A representative reached out on 4/7, stating that she “is not aware of any (police stations) in San Diego that are not open…” I sent her a photo of the sign on the door and the address of the station.

Given that California fully reopened on June 15th, 2021, COVID seems like a mealy-mouthed excuse for leaders who either don’t know how to, or choose not to prioritize the safety of tax-paying citizens.

She later responded, saying she will have the sign taken down, but that the office is still closed. When I asked what the mayor plans on doing to help the lack of cohesiveness and functionality of the department, she assured me that 911 still works if I’m in an emergency. In a state where there is nobody to “protect and serve”, yet it is against the law to protect ourselves, what’s a California girl to do?