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Showing posts from 2022

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police shootings, police surveillance, bodycam transparency

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Fatal police shootings, addressing retail theft, cyber crimes, Chicago students walk out over gun violence, face recognition in US criminal investigations, "Find My" app wrongly targets a grandmother, gunshot detection in Portland, license plate readers, bodycam transparency, backlog of court cases, prison oversight, and more... POLICE CONDUCT As fatal police shootings increase, more go unreported  (The Washington Post) Iowa police chief charged with lying to ATF to obtain machine guns for resale  (Des Moines Register) Portland Cops Will Use Overtime to Address Rising Retail Theft  (Willamette Week) CRIME RATE The School That Calls the Police on Students Every Other Day  (ProPublica) Chicago high school students walk out of class over gun violence  (ABC News) The FBI is worried about a wave of cyber crime against America’s small businesses  (CNBC) What a far-right plot to take over Germany can tell us about QAnon, extremism in the US  (USA Today) The F...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Hate crimes, bail reform, gun laws

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Officers facing more stress, social workers a game changer in police departments, relationship between crime and tree canopy, FBI flawed hate crimes count, policing pregnancy, Massachusetts gun law enforcement, criminal justice reforms, Portland police new procedures regarding release of information, bail system reforms in New Jersey, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Officers facing more stress due to increase in call volume, chief says  (Moose Jaw Today) How social workers have become a 'game-changer' for CT police departments  (CT Insider) Tampa police chief resigns after she flashed her badge to escape a traffic stop  (NPR) St. Louis Can Banish People From Entire Neighborhoods. Police Can Arrest Them if They Come Back.  (ProPublica) Cal Poly Pomona president allegedly interfered with campus criminal investigations  (Daily Bulletin) CRIME RATE Analyzing the relationship between crime and tree canopy in Austin, Texas  (The University of Arizona) Over 7,000 hate ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Red flag laws, police staffing, surveillance

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Emergency call times, police staffing shortage, red flag laws, illegal guns, San Fran robots that can kill, biometric surveillance, corporate crime data, body cams, NY prison racial disparity, college in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT CMPD shares more insight about long emergency call times  (WCNC) Are Police Helicopter Fleets Worth the Money?  (Mother Jones) Janet Lauritsen issues call to modernize nation’s crime statistics during presidential address at American Society of Criminology conference  (UMSL.edu) Police forces scramble to fill vacancies as crime rises CRIME RATE 19 states have red flag laws, but they are rarely used to stop gun violence  (Poynter) Why crime data may not present an accurate picture  (KSMU) Where are the criminals in Rochester getting their illegal guns?  (WHEC) CRIM-TECH San Francisco will allow police to deploy robots that kill  (AP News) A conversation on AI-powered gunshot detection with a police technology expert ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Mass shootings, FBI data, justice tech

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2022 deadliest year for mass shootings, police obtain location data without warrant, agencies fail to report FBI data, crime and American opinion, justice tech procurement, campus crimes, bail in Ohio, criminal codes changed in DC, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Denver city leaders launch “downtown action team” to address crime, drugs, homelessness  (Denver Post) Florida Law Enforcement Fails to Participate in FBI Annual Crime Report  (Miami New Times) see also:  Less than 25% of New York police submitted data to the FBI 2021 crime statistics  (WSHU) Police Quietly Obtain Private Location Data with a Checkbook and not a Warrant  (POGO.org) CRIME RATE In wake of Colorado Springs massacre, 2022 is deadliest year for mass shootings, Northeastern expert says  (Northeastern.edu) Virginia youth from areas with high rates of crime and economic disadvantage are at the highest risk of recidivism, VCU study finds  (VCU.edu) Crime, American Public Opinion and the Ele...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: FBI data, oversight commission, cash bail

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Fatal police shootings, oversight commission causes police resignations, inflammatory political campaigns and policing, FBI crime data reporting, automated license plate readers aid investigations, Dallas new site for crime watchers, data on ending cash bail, how much states spend on prisons, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Fatal Police Shootings in the United States Are Higher and Training Is More Limited Than in Other Nations  (Rutgers Today) Savannah surpasses other police departments in solving murders. Why?  (GPB News) Police Union Says SDPD Officers Are Quitting Because of Oversight Commission That Doesn’t Exist Yet  (Voice of San Diego) Lawyer claims LAPD officer was targeted for being a potential whistleblower  (CBS News) 'The Onion' filed a real brief with the Supreme Court supporting man jailed for making fun of cops  (Engadget) No info: JPD yet to report crime data on new system, Sheriff in process  (The Northside Sun) Inflammatory Political Campaigns...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: police suicides, under policing, drones

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Police suicides, police insurance, under policing America, stand your ground laws, abandoned cars cause crime, extremist incidents, AI to fight illegal dumping, Minneapolis police drones, lack of crime data in America, reporting hazing incidents on college campus, mental health in prison, prison labor, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police Suicides: Silence is No Longer an Answer  (The Crime Report) Texas sheriff opens criminal investigation into Martha's Vineyard migrant trips  (NBC News) Insurers force change on police departments long resistant to it  (The Washington Post) ‘The Injustice of Under-Policing in America’: Paper  (The Crime Report) Federal Oversight of Police Has Cost Cleveland Millions. What’s Changed?  (The Marshall Project) The Price Kids Pay: Schools and Police Punish Students With Costly Tickets for Minor Misbehavior  (ProPublica) CRIME RATE Gun Deaths Hit an All-Time High (Again) in 2021  (The Trace) see also:  Guns Are Driving Ri...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Internal affairs, mass surveillance, prison labor

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New NJ dashboard detailing info on internal affairs investigations, cellphone location data, Columbus use of force, private police forces, illegal gun sales, crime rate, welfare and crime, mass surveillance on a budget, police oversight commission, prison labor, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Acting AG Platkin Launches New Dashboard Detailing Information on Police Internal Affairs Investigations Statewide  (NJOAG.gov) How police work with Google to obtain cellphone location data for criminal investigations  (USA Today) Data on Columbus Division of Police use of force, deadly shootings shows racial disparity  (WBNS) St. Louis’ Private Police Forces Make Security a Luxury of the Rich  (ProPublica) CRIME RATE Biden’s ATF Chief Looks to Cut Illegal Gun Sales, Hate Crimes  (Bloomberg Law) Data reveals growing number of teenagers skipping school, mayor says  (Action News 5) Shooting Spree Leaves 4 Dead in Memphis and Paralyzes City  (NY Times) Has crime fallen a...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Violent crime, gun policy, prison

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Law enforcement witness interviews, APD plan to address crime and public safety, school safety, gun crimes, gun policy, judges staying up to date on tech, evidentiary value of body cams, recidivism report, bail reform in Texas, jail suicide rates, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Council demands action after hearing emergency calls are getting downgraded to ‘non’ emergency  (Fox8) APD chief shares ‘pillars’ plan of addressing public safety and criminal activity in the city  (KALB) When law enforcement interview witnesses and write their statements  (TandFonline.com) CRIME RATE Analysis: School Safety Is About More Than Keeping Guns Out of the Classroom  (The74) How Gun Policy Is Scrambling to Keep Up With Gun Culture Legislators are cracking down on gun advertisements, “ghost guns” and more. Can these efforts spur real change on gun violence?  (The Marshall Project) CA Attorney General Annual Crime Reports Note Crime Below ‘Historical Highs,’ but Gun Crime ‘Devastatin...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: body cam, recruitment, violent crime

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Body cam footage, police recruitment and low morale, diverting calls from police, does welfare reduce crime, schools underreporting crimes, violent crime, signs of a mass shooting, 'force multipliers', veteran crimes, department of corrections data portal, FOIA backlog, keeping minors our of prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT How Body Cam Footage Shows Contradictions in Police Reports Around North Texas  (Dallas Observer) see also:  Dallas police officers now have to wear body camera on off-duty jobs, chief says  (WFAA) Omaha, Bellevue police find good, bad in social media  (WOWT) See If Police in Your State Reported Crime Data to the FBI There are growing gaps in U.S. crime stats. Use our tables to check on your state and local agencies.  (The Marshall Project) LAPD not meeting recruitment goals, chief says  (LA Daily News) see also:  Chief resigns, 5 officers leave as Ypsilanti Police Department suffers from low morale  (MLive) and also:  R...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: FBI crime data, body cam, crime rate

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FBI crime data reporting lacking, estimation procedures for missing FBI data, understanding policing in America, civilian policing, Clery Act compliance, Biden's Safer America Plan, storage for body cams, FOIA enforcer, the Visiting Room Project in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Johns Hopkins wants to change policing. Many fear it won’t work.  (The Washington Post) New policy, tracking system aids Clery Act compliance  (The University Record) See If Police in Your State Reported Crime Data to the FBI There are growing gaps in U.S. crime stats. Use our tables to check on your state and local agencies.  (The Marshall Project) and also:  Accurate U.S. Crime Data Demands More State Participation  (NextGov) Estimation Procedures for Crimes in the United States Based on NIBRS Data  (FBI)  Understanding Policing in America: How Neighborhood and Individual Characteristics Influence Experiences with Police and Perspectives of Policing  (The Data Founda...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: police shortage, database, early release

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Officer and 911 operator shortage, racial profiling, Do Not Defund, police firearm dangers, teachers' safety, electric vehicles in the police fleet, FL database on bad cops, public crime data, early release doesn't equal violent crime, and more... POLICE CONDUCT As dozens in government housing arrested for potential violence, concerns raised about racial profiling  (WTVR) Va. attorney general visits Fairfax Co. police amid officer shortage, violent crime spike  (WJLA) Kootenai County reduces public services amid 911 operator shortage  (Idaho Capital Sun) Do Not Defund: Roland Fryer and Rafael Mangual on Crime and Policing in the 21st Century  (Hoover Instution) Viewing Firearm Danger Through the Lens of Police Officers  (SAGE Journals) CRIME RATE Shootings and Homicides in Chicago Down From Historic Highs of Past Years, Overall Crime Still Up  (NBC Chicago) Teachers’ Safety and Workplace Victimization: A Socioecological Analysis of Teachers’ Perspective ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police review boards, surveillance, crime data

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Licensing police in NJ, police review boards, violence dip, hackers getting more sophisticated, data sharing agreements, surveillance, body cam transparency, inmate overdoses, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Governor Murphy Signs Police Licensing Program Bill Into Law  (NJ.gov) Retired judges who hear cases may not sit on police boards, ethics panel says  (The Daily Record) Tampa's police review board wants voters to decide if it should have subpoena power  (Creative Loafing) 62 New Camden County Police Officers Spend First Day Building Relationships With Neighbors  (CBS Philly) Changing the Police: Charlie Walker's Plan  (NPR) Pennsylvania Poaching Police Warrantlessly Installed Camera on Private Land To Surveil Hunting Club  (reason) CRIME RATE Hackers Use More Sophisticated Scams to Drive Costly Data Breaches, Analysis Finds  (NextGov) Plenty students seem to be missing class at Orleans schools but no one is sure how many  (WWLTV) Murders, Gun Assau...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: FBI data, gun violence, crime rate

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FBI crime data collection still stymied, calls mount to block warrantless data collection by police, FBI failed to complete 1M gun background checks, 'systemic failures' in Uvalde, looking at the crime wave, mental health may not prevent mass shootings, kids and guns, ShotSpotter tech under fire, predicting crime with AI, Marsy's Law in FL, commercial bail industry, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Boulder police chief recognized for evidence-based policing  (Daily Camera) FBI’s Crime Data Collection Still Being Stymied By Major Police Departments Not Reporting Crime Stats  (TechDirt) Calls Mount for Blocking Warrantless Mass Data Collection  (GovTech) see also:  Amazon Ring Records Given Directly to Police in Emergencies  (Bloomberg Law) How to Defuse Police-Civilian Encounters  (TheCrimeReport.org) FBI Failed to Complete Nearly 1M Gun Background Checks in 2020-2021  (TheCrimeReport.org) Report finds 'systemic failures,' poor leadership in response to Uvald...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Gun laws, prison healthcare, policing data

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SCOTUS ruling will make law enforcement jobs harder, "Warrior Mindset" in policing, concealed carry laws lead to more gun crime, school shootings at highest number in 2 decades, behavioral health officers, CA DOJ data breach,  "epidemic of hate", online data could be used against women seeking abortion, Uvalde shooting transparency, AZ prison health care ruled unconstitutional, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Law enforcement officials: Supreme Court gun ruling will make our jobs harder  (Clayton News Daily) “Warrior Mindset” Persists Among Minneapolis Police After Training Reforms, Report Says  (Bolts Mag) Seattle discussing dispatching behavioral health providers, crisis experts to 911 calls  (King5) see also:  With new Public Health and Safety Team, Manchester aims to reduce non-emergency calls to the police department  (NHPR) Conflicting reports, gaps in data obscure true number of Pa. law enforcement agencies  (Pittsburgh Post Gazette) Improving Data fo...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: FBI data, search and seizure, surveillance

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FBI data unreliable, Uvalde body cam footage off limits, search and seizure with no crime in KS, medical records could land women in jail under new abortion laws, gun violence on campus, police surveillance, data lacking to identify racial disparities, civil rights violations in student ticketing, and more... POLICE CONDUCT What Can FBI Data Say About Crime in 2021? It’s Too Unreliable to Tell. Nearly 40% of law enforcement agencies around the country did not submit any data in 2021 to a newly revised FBI crime statistics collection program.  (The Marshall Project) Texas police want to block officers’ body cam footage of Uvalde massacre response being released to the public  (Independent) Denver police giving out Advance Auto Parts gift cards instead of tickets for broken tail lights  (KDVR) Police lethal violence against Black people may affect clearance of crimes involving Black victims  (Phys.org) California sheriff to stop sharing license-plate data after settlem...