SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

It's almost 2021. Can crime data be easier to collect? Data is the lifeblood of a functioning government. Preventing, reducing, and addressing crime is the top priority of any police agency. Any effective and community minded police agency wants to increase the number of stakeholders it collaborates with to prevent, reduce, and respond to crime. Addressing police reform or any government policy requires data. So, why in 2020 is it still hard to collect public crime data (RMS/CAD datasets aka the crime blotter) nationwide? Policing can not move forward until we address the lack of accessibility to the most basic policing datasets.  Right now, it is harder to collect RMS/CAD data from police agencies on a national scale than it is to collect national COVID data. In fact, there are more independent websites collecting COVID data and updating it almost daily than there are independent crime mapping websites like SpotCrime collecting RMS/CAD data.  COVID data, even though it has...

Police policy changes aimed at better community-policing, the ethics of using DNA databases for police work, Biden presidency police reform, police and criminologists worried about FBI crime data loss, violent crime rate, and more... POLICE CONDUCT New Jersey bill would bar agencies from judging officers based on the number of arrests  (The Neighbor) A new bill would make all police misconduct allegations and settlements public  (Vox) North Carolina state task force offers suggestions to improve law enforcement  (The Times News) see also:  Aurora officials believe civilian review board is a major step  (Daily Herald) and also:  Salt Lake Co. Sheriff Rivera takes part in national police reform conversation  (FOX13) How can Long Beach address systemic racism in policing? It’s complicated  (The Press Telegram) What a Biden administration could mean for criminal justice reform  (PBS) Policing for Profit. The abuse of civil asset forfeiture  ...

Police chiefs weigh in on Biden presidency police reforms, militarization does not reduce crime, no-knock warrants banned in Virginia, undocumented immigrants less likely to commit crime than citizens, the dos and don'ts of a police blotter, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Here's what police chiefs think Biden should do to help address issues with law enforcement  (CNN) Knoxville PD: New co-responder program workers respond to dozens of calls in first months  (WBIR) Fort Hood's Inexperienced, Overburdened CID Faces New Scrutiny in Army Investigation  (Military.com) Austin Police Association claims police officers are resigning because of budget cuts. Here's what the data says  (KVUE) The Impact of Terrorism on the Transformation of Law Enforcement in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada Since the 1960s: The Relevance of 9/11 to the Thin Blue Line  (Academia.edu) see also:  New Study Findings: Militarizing Local Police Does Not Reduce Crime  (Louisi...

Preventing, reducing, and addressing crime is the top priority of any police agency. Any effective and community minded police agency wants to increase the number of stakeholders it collaborates with to prevent, reduce, and respond to crime. This has led to crime blotters being one of the most common datasets police agencies make available to the public.  A crime blotter typically includes CAD and/or RMS data. A public crime blotter shows what your local police officers and deputies have to deal with throughout the day. This is great information that not only keeps the public aware and informed, but is also a building block for police transparency. Since there is no kind of federal or state standard behind releasing this information, we’ve put together a list of DOs and DON’Ts to go by if your police agency is releasing a crime blotter. Baltimore City and Baltimore County police both have data dashboards, however, only Baltimore City releases the underlying public data. Baltimore C...

Evidence based policing, changing policing tactics, COVID lockdowns and crime, predictive policing, license plate readers, location tracking on mobile devices, NIBRS five fast facts, bail reform shows no effect on crime rate, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Inside the Reimagine Public Safety Task Force report: 'Policing has got to change'  (News6 Richmond) Coronavirus, crime, and policing: Thoughts on the implications of the lockdown rollercoaster  (CEPOL) A practical approach to evidence-based policing  (CEPOL) Does Predictive Policing Lead to Biased Arrests? Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial  (Academia.edu) Jacksonville’s co-responder program seeks to diffuse tense situations  (News4Jax) Small South Carolina town loses entire police force  (WSOC TV) CRIME RATE Number of homicides in Memphis slightly down within two weeks of Operation Cool Down  (Action News 5) Indianapolis has poured millions into grant funding to fight crime. Has it worked? ...

Police chief change ups across the US, police and cities seek answers to violent crime, link between police reform and drop in violent crime, facial recognition, reducing recidivism with housing project, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Violent Crime Rates Declined in 10 Jurisdictions Following Comprehensive Police Reform  (Center for American Progress) see also:  North Carolina sheriffs group recommends criminal justice reforms. Are they enough?  (The News & Observer) and also:  Minneapolis City Council appoints new police oversight board members, following criticisms for letting it go dark  (StarTribune) Police commission: Verbal consent now a must to search someone during a routine stop  (DailyNews.com) Sheriff plans implicit bias training, no discipline for deputy in webcam incident  (CBS6Albany) Columbus Police Department welcomes new police chief  (WTVM) see also:  Portsmouth fires chief of police Angela Greene  (WAVY) FBI will rejec...

Police focus on relationship and numbers, shifting budget funds to fight crime, pollen analysis fights crime, COVID care in prison, AI transparency in decision making, and more... POLICE CONDUCT New York City to try responding to mental health calls without police  (Reuters) see also:  City Commission looks into creating crisis response unit for non-violent mental health calls for service  (WCTV) Salem’s new police chief will focus on relationships and numbers  (Salem Reporter) Police Chief Resigns After Social Media Posts Calling for ‘Death to All Marxist Democrats’  (LawandCrime.com) New Columbus police directive strikes nerve with officers  (ABC6) Appeals Court Strips Immunity From Detectives Who Turned A Rape Report Into 18 Hours Of Terror For The Victim  (TechDirt) Law enforcement officers got unemployment while still working full-time, investigation finds  (WSBTV) Anti-Violence Report Says Shifting Funds From Police Budget Could Reduce Crime...

Feds warn about extremist groups harboring violence over elections, communities vote for change in policing, police make plans for homelessness, police reach breaking point, police live stream Amazon Ring cameras, AI helps 911 dispatchers, NYPD using robot dog, and more... POLICE CONDUCT COVID Biggest Cause of Police Deaths This Year  (WebMD) Police reach breaking point amid protests, pandemic, rising crime  (Yahoo! News) see also:  Texas state capitol sees spike in violent crime, officers leaving after budget slashed by $20 million  (LawOfficer.com) Akron voters approve charter changes about releasing police body-cam footage, doing away with some competitive bidding, among others  (Cleveland.com) see also:  Portland voters approve creating new civilian-run police oversight board  (The Oregonian) Grass Valley Police Department and Hospitality House to reduce homeless-related violence through innovative collaboration  (YubaNet.com) see also:  ...

Defunding the police...or not, Indianapolis Metro police struggle with conduct and crime rate, white supremacists behind most US domestic terror attacks in 2020, sanctuary cities do not increase crime, looking at police data to make policing better, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Defund Your Local Sheriff? Police Reform on Ballots Nationwide  (Governing) see also:  The Misunderstood Math of Defunding the Police  (Governing) Police train to ensure fair, impartial policing  (Star Herald) The Community Responder Model How Cities Can Send the Right Responder to Every 911 Call  (The Center for American Progress) Mayor and IMPD anticipate consultant suggestions to help curb murder trend  (Fox59) see also:  'It's disheartening': Councilors press IMPD to reform its K-9 unit  (Indy Start) and also:  IMPD adopts Use of Force Board that leaves final say to chief  (Fox59) The SFPD is collecting tons of use-of-force data. Now it needs to analyze it, audi...

Federal crime fighting programs Project Safeguard and Operation Legend, sending mental health professionals to answer mental health related police calls, community service officers, figuring out what's causing the violent crime spike, and more... POLICE CONDUCT New Pilot Program Will Pair Mental Health Experts With Police on Certain Crisis Calls  (WTTW) see also:  Removing Cops From Behavioral Crisis Calls: ‘We Need To Change The Model’  (WABE) AG Barr addresses Indiana law enforcement, discusses Operation Legend  (FOX59) see also:  DEA announces launch of initiative to reduce violent crime Police in 41 cities throughout Florida are taking part in Project Safeguard  (News4Jax) 'No-knock' warrants by police banned in Aurora, Colorado  (The Hour)  Seattle Police Department saw 3% of its officers walk out in September, new data shows  (The Center Square)  Beyond Policing: Investing in Offices of Neighborhood Safety  (Center For America...

Finding police chiefs is not easy, community response groups and oversight committees formed, media coverage of police, sharing data reduces crime, sensor that activates body cams, addressing violence, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Why Finding a Police Chief Just Got a Lot More Complicated  (USNews) see also:  Running the police department isn't an easy job  (LocalMemphis.com) Michigan law enforcement on alert in response to 'plan to target and kill police'  (Detroit Free Press) Mayor Walsh Says He'll Adopt All Boston Police Reform Recommendations, Including New Oversight Office  (WBUR) see also:  Aurora residents speak with police officials about civilian review board, traffic stops, training during listening session  (Chicago Tribune) Seattle Police Department rolls out new Community Response Group with 100 officers to speed up 911, ‘respond to demonstrations’  (Capitol Hill Seattle Blog) see also:  Columbia police to launch new initiative to ...

Reimagining 911 calls for service responses, community police relationships, crime rates vary in cities, preventing police brutality with body cams, how local news affects clearance rates, human trafficking detection by banks, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Opelika police announce community relations program  (AONow) see also:  Ask the Undersheriff: Neighborhood watch groups help reduce crime  (GoSkagit.com) and also:  Community-Based Crime Reduction in Tulsa: An Application of Petersilia’s Multi-Stakeholder Collaborative Approach to Improve Policy Relevance and Reduce Crime Risk  (Taylor and Francis Online) Preventing Death by Suicide: A Chief-to-Chief Leadership Wellness Discussion  (National Law Enforcement Museum)  Former HSU football player reportedly killed by police after intervening in domestic fight  (KTXS12) Williamson County Sheriff Indicted For Evidence Tampering After Footage Of Deputies Killing An Unarmed Black Man Was Destroyed By Reali...

FBI 2019 crime stats released, police reassess handling some 911 calls, social media brews violence, looking at Palantir surveillance used by LAPD, more police agencies nationwide share crime data on transparency portals, bail reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT LA County Moves Closer To Redirecting Some Emergency Response Away From Law Enforcement  (Witness LA) see also:  Austin city leaders assess 911 data as part of reimagining public safety  (CBS Austin) Similar name, different person: Mixed-up Pasco deputies sent wrong people to jail It happened to at least three people in 2019. Twice, the Sheriff’s Office waited months to investigate the deputies' errors.  (Tampa Bay Times) Can More Women Officers Solve America’s Policing Crisis?  (TheCrimeReport.org) Texas Sheriff Indicted For Tampering With Evidence In Death Of Man In Custody  (CBS DFW) OC sheriff’s deputies who lied on reports testify that they didn’t know it was illegal  (OC Register) Are Trus...