Jaxon Van Derbeken is an award-winning reporter for NBC Bay Area, with a focus on public safety and enterprise reporting. He joined NBC Bay Area in March of 2016.
Prior to joining NBC Bay Area, he reported for the San Francisco Chronicle for nearly 20 years, leading the paper’s investigative and public safety efforts. Among other high profile stories, he has covered the O.J. Simpson case, the Rodney King beating, the Los Angeles riots, Fajitagate and the dog mauling death of Diane Whipple.
Jaxon also spearheaded the Chronicle’s coverage of the San Bruno Pipeline Explosion, for which he was awarded Journalist of the Year by the Northern California chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Most recently he reported on the ongoing problems with the new span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge uncovering major infrastructure flaws with the bridge’s construction.
Before joining the San Francisco Chronicle, Jaxon reported on law enforcement for the Los Angeles Daily News where his coverage of the LAPD during the Rodney King beating was recognized by the American Civil Liberties Union. He went on to do extensive interviews and research for the book "Official Negligence," by former Washington Post reporter Lou Cannon about the LAPD, the beating and ensuing riots.
Jaxon has been recognized for his work by several news organizations including the Society of Professional Journalists, the National Headliner Awards, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and the Associated Press.
He received his master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley.
Follow Jaxon on social media: on Twitter @jvanderbeken and on Facebook.
The Latest
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Former San Francisco official charged with embezzlement
A former San Francisco public official — already facing public corruption charges from earlier this year — has been hit with 62 new felony counts of allegedly embezzling more than $627,000 from a city workers compensation fund he was supposed to watch over, authorities said Thursday.
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San Francisco's Millennium Tower slow to fix windows
A year after an open window broke in high winds at the troubled Millennium Tower, building officials recently told the city they have installed stronger equipment to better secure windows in, so far, 29 of the high-rise’s 419 units.
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New PG&E rate hike approved by CPUC
The Public Utilities Commission approved a PG&E rate hike Thursday that will add about $5 a month to the average bill – and it could begin as soon as next month.
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PG&E seeks break on part of a $1 billion payment to wildfire bailout fund
Despite profits of more than $2 billion last year, PG&E recently told regulators that it is in such a financial bind that it needs more time to make a $1 billion payment.
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Legal war over at-risk Oakland hillside
An Oakland neighborhood is fighting with the city over who will pay to fix a once innovative, but now failing drainage system built to protect nearly two dozen hillside homes from the risk of landslides.
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SF's Millennium Tower now may be sinking in the center
The engineer of the so-called fix of the troubled Millennium Tower in San Francisco recently acknowledged there’s been less than expected tilt improvement over the first six months of the $120 million project’s completion.
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BART hit with more wet-weather braking headaches
BART’s new Fleet of the Future continues to be hobbled by wet weather braking issues despite this year’s comparatively mild weather conditions, with one recent storm sending five entire trains in for wheel resurfacing due to unexpected braking.
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Third San Francisco arrest in alleged grant money corruption scheme
A San Francisco city human resources manager was arrested Thursday on charges of using city Community Challenge Grant money intended to be used for earthquake outreach for low income neighborhoods, and instead buying high-priced electronic gear and reselling it on the internet.
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PG&E penalized $45 million in Dixie Fire
The state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday signed off on a $45 million penalty against PG&E related to the 2021 Dixie Fire, the largest single fire in state history.
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PG&E becomes California's most expensive power provider
On Jan. 1, PG&E started charging 13% more for power. The rate hike – expected to cost an average family another $33 a month – will pay to bury power lines and other wildfire mitigation efforts. But it is likely to be just the beginning of the pain.