SpotCrime Weekly Reads: community policing, DNA databases, FBI data
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 (Institute for Justice)
New police force in America: More hospitals are creating private departments, raising concerns about secrecy and abuse (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Parents, teachers cry foul over sheriff's student database (CW34)
CRIME RATE
Stealing to survive: More Americans are shoplifting food as aid runs out during the pandemic (Houston Chronicle)
As shootings soar, Philly Police and DA pledge a new collaboration on gun crimes (Philadelphia Inquirer) see also: Phoenix PD says domestic violence homicides are up 175% compared to 2019 (ABC15) and also: 'They don't have answers': Police struggle to clear cases with soaring homicide rate (Indy Star) and also: Wichita nearly ties homicide record. Here’s what Chief Ramsay suspects could be the cause (The Wichita Eagle)
The Transformative Power of Replacing Guns With Jobs (Reasons to be Cheerful)
CRIME-TECH
Privacy Groups Alarmed at Supermarket’s Facial Recognition Trial (Info Security Magazine)
Cops Are Getting a New Tool For Family-Tree Sleuthing Verogen’s push into public crime labs with genetic genealogy may help solve more cold cases, but it raises concerns about DNA data collection. (Wired) see also: OPINION: How NYC’s DNA database helps not only solve crime, but prevent it (NYPost)
Tesla Model Y police cruisers ordered by Spokane council against city officials’ advice (TeslaRati.com)
Here's how technology is shaping law enforcement (CIOReview.com)
POLICE TRANSPARENCY
Sheriffs, Criminologists Worried About Coming FBI Crime Data Loss (Newsy.com)
Using calls for service data to reduce false burglar alarms (and more) (Police Data Initiative)
How big data could anticipate violence and promote peace (World Economic Forum)
Why It’s Time to Get Serious About Intergovernmental Data Sharing (Governing.com)
THE PRISON SYSTEM
Michigan man jailed for nearly 4 decades exonerated after witness admits to lying (Detroit Free Press)
As more women fill America’s jails, medical tragedies mount (New Hampshire Union Leader)
High-risk inmates aren’t prioritized in state’s early releases (CAL Matters)
DUMB CRIMINAL OF THE WEEK
Former Houston Police captain charged with holding repairman at gunpoint in bogus voter-fraud conspiracy (Harris County DA)
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