San Diego County’s two largest inland cities – El Cajon and Escondido – are making the most vigorous use of a recently adopted state ballot initiative that stiffens penalties for certain drug and theft crimes, according to a Voice of San Diego analysis.

Both cities arrested far more suspects per capita on charges related to Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime ballot initiative approved by voters last year, than any other city in the county.

Since the new law took effect in December, police in El Cajon have arrested 16 suspects on Prop. 36-related charges per 10,000 residents. Escondido arrested 12 suspects per 10,000 residents.

The equivalent figure in San Diego was just two suspects per 10,000 residents.

El Cajon police told Voice contributor Tessa Balc the city’s high arrest rate larg

See Full Page