SpotCrime Weekly Reads: civilian review boards, crime rates, prison

Florida bans civilian boards from investigating police misconduct, police reform behind closed doors in Virginia, more transparency for asset seizures, internal reviews, facial recognition laws for law enforcement, peace officers in NYC, high speed chases, crisis intervention in Tampa, homicides plummeting, crime rate drops, encrypting police radios, police surveillance, benefits of police data transparency, mental health facility instead of prison, Massachusetts' prison population drops, and more...

POLICE CONDUCT

DeSantis signs controversial bill banning civilian boards from investigating police misconduct (Sun Sentinel)

Police reform may expand In Virginia, but behind closed doors (Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism)

More transparency needed for WA police asset seizures, audit says (Seattle Times)

Glendale Police force shows its hand in internal review (Glendale News-Press)

Maryland lawmakers approve ‘strongest’ facial recognition rules for law enforcement yet (StateScoop)

Bel-Nor residents decry lack of transparency in disbanding police department (First Alert 4)

Behind the Badge: In New York City Homeless Shelters, the Same ‘Peace Officers’ Abuse Residents (MuckRock)

In reversal, more areas allow high-speed police chases (Stateline)

Tampa Police and Crisis Center partner to launch Crisis Intervention Dispatch Service program (ABC Action News)

CRIME RATE

Homicides Are Plummeting in American Cities (The Wall Street Journal)

A year of transition: Philly sees drop in poverty, violent crime, but deep-seated issues remain, Pew report says (WHYY)

Baton Rouge sees rising numbers in homicides, violent crime, police data says (BR Proud)

Campus crime is spiking to pre-pandemic levels. See your college’s numbers in our data. (USA Today) see also: Crime on campus has rebounded. Experts say it's no problem, but some parents still worry. (USA Today)

CRIM-TECH

St. Louis Board of Alders passes community control over police surveillance bill (ALCU MO)

AI was supposed to make police bodycams better. What happened? (MIT Technology Review)

Bell County blocks public access to real-time radio conversations, encrypting transmissions (KWTX)

Farebox Cheats, Shoplifting and the Dilemmas of Crime and Punishment (Governing)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY

Measured Force: The Benefits of Police Data Transparency (R Street)

Milpitas police launch transparency website (San Jose Spotlight)

Despite Promises of Transparency, California Justice Department Keeps Probe into L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Under Wraps (Capital and Main)

‘We need more transparency,’ Charlottesville attorney says about investigating police (29 News)

University Police end online publication of weekly incident reports (The Spectrum)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

After Decades of Imprisoning Patients, Idaho Approves Secure Mental Health Facility (ProPublica)

Massachusetts' prison population was nearly halved in under a decade. How? (NBC Boston)

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