SpotCrime Weekly Reads: racial bias, crisis hotlines, surveillance

Minnesota police race discrimination, Justice Department releases funds to hiring officers, crisis hotlines, gag rules frustrate police accountability, shortcomings of police on campus, violence against police, juvenile gun possession, police surveillance, tech suppliers hostile to transparency, Illinois politics and prison board, and more...

POLICE CONDUCT

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Wednesday released a report showing the Minneapolis Police Department has engaged in a pattern of race discrimination for at least a decade. (Pioneer Press)

Justice Department Releases over $320 Million in Solicitations for Hiring Law Enforcement Officers, Improving School Safety, and Combating Distribution of Illicit Drugs (DOJ)

A new crisis hotline, 988, is coming this summer. Is Washington ready? (Yakima Herald Republic) see also: Most 911 Calls Have Nothing To Do With Crime. Why Are We Still Sending Police? (vera.org)

You Have the Duty to Remain Silent: How Workplace Gag Rules Frustrate Police Accountability (Akron Law Review)

Utah universities should think about getting out of the policing business, the Editorial Board writes Legislative audit reveals a long list of shortcomings in public safety on college campuses. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

Massachusetts Cold Case Unit Wants to ID Cases Back to '80s (US News)

AG: Harford County Sheriff's Office interfering in investigation into deputy shooting Maryland attorney general seeking restraining order after deputies fatally shoot man over weekend (WBAL)

Villanueva backs off investigation of Times reporter who revealed cover-up (LATimes)

CRIME RATE

FBI director highlights overlooked ‘phenomena’ of violence against police (The Hill)

Multiple States Report Increased Car Thefts in 2022 (CarandDriver.com)

Migrants becoming target of violence, kidnapping on U.S. soil (Border Report)

Pittsburgh police, ATF discuss data on juvenile gun possession (Pittsburgh Post Gazette)

CRIM-TECH

Will you still be able to call 911 for help? Check your cell service amid 3G shutdown (Bellingham Herald)

Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center Expands Tech Operations (GovTech)

Advocates Worry as Central, La., Police Increase Surveillance (Governing.com)

License plate cameras coming to Springfield's streets. Here's how they will work (The State-Journal Register)

Postal Service Social Media Tracking Tests Crime Unit’s Power (Bloomberg Law)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY

AI researcher says police tech suppliers are hostile to transparency (ComputerWeekly)

After encrypting radio channels, San Diego Sheriff debuts calls for service pagePolice say the page provides transparency without disclosing personal information (Police1)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

Rising Crime in Illinois Changes Politics for Prison Board. A bipartisan group of lawmakers rejected two of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s nominees to the state’s Prisoner Review Board last month, highlighting how crime and politics have changed over the last several years. (Governing)

Justice Department works to curb racial bias in deciding who's released from prison (NPR)

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