SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Body cam, gun violence, police reform

Gun violence trends, body cam transparency, body cam law Botham Jean Act about to pass, reimagining police a year after George Floyd, will the anti-hate crime law fail, predictive policing leads to lists of suspects who have not committed any crimes (yet), do license plate readers enhance patrols, police reform, and more...

POLICE CONDUCT

These 3 cities began boldly reimagining policing after George Floyd’s murder (Vox) see also: Police Reforms and Pushback Mark a Year Since George Floyd’s Death (Governing.com) and also: George Floyd’s Murder Changed Americans’ Views on Policing But will those shifts lead to lasting reforms? (The Atlantic)

HEAT LISTED: Chicago’s predictive policing program told a man he would be involved with a shooting. But it couldn’t determine which side of the gun he would be on. Instead, it made him the victim of a violent crime — twice. (The Verge)

“He Died Like an Animal”: Some Police Departments Hogtie People Despite Knowing The Risks (The Marshall Project)

Baltimore Police release a detailed plan to address inequities, build trust and diversify its ranks (The Baltimore Sun)

Chicago Police Announce Changes to Department's Foot Pursuit Policy (NBC Chicago)

Austin police officer shortage forces downsizing at 14 APD departments (KXAN)

Record-sharing arrangement between Richmond police and VCU police approved by City Council (Richmond.com)

CRIME RATE 

US Anti-Hate Crime Law Provides New Enforcement Tools, but Will It Work? (VOA News)

The Trendline of Gun Violence in 2021 (The Trace)

Texas set to adopt open-carry of guns, even as study shows violent crime goes up after such laws (San Antonio Current) see also:  Examining the Effects of Passing a Campus Carry Law: Comparing Campus Safety Before and After Georgia’s New Campus Carry Law (Taylor and Francis Online)

Is there a relationship between fear of crime and attitudes toward gun control? (Springer Link)

Indianapolis’ homicide rate greater than Chicago’s (Fox59)

CRIM-TECH

Do license plate readers enhance the initial and residual deterrent effects of police patrol? A quasi-randomized test (Springer Link)

Citizen crime-tracking app, funded by Peter Thiel, scraps plans for on-demand police force (CBS News)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY

Shady Grady body camera debate: Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd remains concerned as other agencies buy body cameras (WFLA) see also: More types of New Jersey police officers must wear body cameras, attorney general says (NorthJersey.com) 

Botham Jean Act, making it illegal for officers to turn off their body cam during an investigation, heads to governor’s desk after getting final approval in Texas Senate (KXAN) see also: Body cam footage raises questions following fatal police shooting (AJC) and also: 

Last-minute provisions to Arizona budget bill could limit public access to DPS body-cam footage (AZFamily)

The City of Chicago and The University of Chicago’s Crime Lab Launch the City’s First-Ever Violence Reduction Dashboard (Chicago.gov)

Dayton unveils new transparency portal to track status of police reforms (WHIO)

Minnesota Law Increases Transparency on Police Use of Drones (Governing.com)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

How To Address Concerns About Data on Deaths in Custody (Center for American Progress)

Life-without-parole sentences are exploding. But America's legal defense system hasn't kept pace. (NBC News)

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