SpotCrime Weekly Reads: redirecting 911 calls, de-escalation, homicide rate

Re-directing no threat 911 calls, mental health unit works toward de-escalation, homicide rate surge may be over, fixing vacancies to reduce gun violence, police use virtual reality for de-escalation training, report urges transparency with internal affairs department, navigating life after incarceration, and more...

POLICE CONDUCT

Pilot program designed to redirect no-threat 911 calls from Columbus police showing promise, officials say (The Columbus Dispatch) see also: Police Aren’t Needed for 49% of 911 Calls: Seattle Report (TheCrimeReport.org)

COVID-19: Law enforcement deaths. Tracking the coronavirus-related deaths of U.S. police officers and other LE personnel (PoliceOne)

BPD's Mental Heath Unit responds to 100+ calls since its inception, works to de-escalate crisis (KXXV)

Chicago Police Department opts for go-slow approach to redeploy cops (Chicago Sun Times)

U.S. Police Academies Overemphasize “Warrior” Training of New Officers (Academia.edu)

APD’s use of force increased for 5th straight year (Albuquerque Journal)

CRIME RATE

What Philadelphia Reveals About America’s Homicide Surge (ProPublica) see also: Murder Rate Slows, But Effective Crime Control Strategies Still Needed: Study (TheCrimeReport.org)

St. Louis homicides fall to pre-pandemic levels, but murders up in St. Louis County (St Louis Post-Dispatch)

Violence spike of 2020 widened familiar safety gap between city neighborhoods, University of Chicago Crime Lab analysis shows (Chicago Tribune)

What Are Violence Interrupters? An explanation of the program due to receive a big boost in funding in next year's budget (Washington City Paper)

The influence of micro-places on the spatial patterns of property crime in Vancouver, Canada (TandFOnline.com)

Chicago Police Report 461 Shootings In July, A 15% Increase From Last Year (CBS Chicago)

‘We should be doing more’: In St. Louis and KC, fixing vacancy reduces gun violence (Missouri Independent)

‘We Are Survivors‘: Group kicks off new campaign to help violence and crime survivors heal (RecordNet.com)

Opinion: Russia's new form of organized crime is menacing the world (New York Times)

CRIM-TECH

Iowa police use virtual reality for de-escalation training (KCRG)

Here’s how police can get your data — even if you aren’t suspected of a crime (Vox/Recode)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY

Report urges more transparency for Boston Police internal affairs after Patrick Rose case (The Boston Globe)

12 News Investigates: Data analyst frustrated with JPD’s slow response to records requests (WJTV)

Memphis, Tenn., fostered data culture through competition, mayor says (StateScoop)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

'A necessary step': New center opens in Tallahassee for navigating life after incarceration (Tallahassee.com)

Ford Foundation and partners announce $250 million commitment to easing the path from prison to workforce (The Washington Post)

Check out crime around your address at SpotCrime.com