SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

AI chatbots in report writing, adopting police transparency reforms, fatal police encounters in Wisconsin, police radio encryption, AI deepfakes, link between local news and perceptions of crime, gun violence in the US, MD facial recognition policy, AI added to emergency communications, lack of transparency in police chief hiring, short term impacts of bail reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police officers are starting to use AI chatbots to write crime reports. Will they hold up in court?  (Associated Press) NBPD has yet to adopt transparency reforms recommended one year ago Department falls short on openness, handling officer misconduct, and a new anti-discrimination policy.  (The New Bedford Light) ‘A shoot can be legal. That doesn’t mean it was necessary.’ Fatal police encounters rise in Wisconsin  (Wisconsin Watch) Over and out? Bronx police radios silenced in latest encryption rollout as local journalists fear apocalyptic end to NYC crime reporting  (AMNY) Dallas names a new poli

Former police chief facing charges over KS newspaper raid, police misconduct laws, CT ticket scandal, unmarked cruisers, campuses fail to report crime, crime and punishment in DC, Surgeon General's declaration on gun violence, Cleveland's summer of safety, drug use and criminality, Austin 911 system hacked, AI and crime analysis, encrypting police radios, Houston chief vows transparency, crime data transparency, AI in criminal justice, family incarceration and children's health, pregnant women in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Prosecutors say they plan to charge former police chief over Kansas newspaper raid  (NPR) Little progress on police misconduct laws  (Cape Gazette) see also:  Police misconduct database offers too limited a look at disciplinary histories, critics say  (New Jersey Monitor) Feds Close Criminal Probe into Connecticut Ticket Data Scandal  (GovTech) Columbia Looks to Give Campus Police Arresting Power After Protests  (Wall Street Journal) One CT legisl

Police conduct in Pittsburgh, US confidence in police up, releasing body cam footage, drug smuggling networks, mental health and 911, violent crime spike during COVID, facial recognition arrests, deepfake AI porn bill, gunshot detection, police algorithms, transparency advocates worry about access in TN, bail law changes, and more... POLICE CONDUCT After Jim Rogers' death, Pittsburgh got a close look at police conduct. It may not happen again  (WESA) U.S. Confidence in Institutions Mostly Flat, but Police Up  (Gallup) Anchorage police now have a 45-day deadline to release certain body camera footage  (Alaska Public Media) Crime Labs audit calls for faster processing times of forensic evidence  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Why LA is pulling the plug on a 911 pilot that sent mental health workers on some calls  (LAist) CRIME RATE ‘I want her to worry about who’s waiting on the corner’: How one man uses Facebook to frighten his children’s mother and why police do nothing  (Chicago Tri

Alternative policing hits road blocks, police data and use of force on kids, active shooter defense industry, boosting the 911 system, crime in public schools,  DOJ lack of data for online hate crimes, cyber crime, tech to fight crime, police transparency, body cams foster transparency, criminal charges more likely for black people in MI, and more... POLICE CONDUCT CRESS Policing Alternative Faces Institutional Barriers  (The Amherst Student) Metro councilwoman wants more police data when use of force is used on kids  (WKRN) 5 things to know about the growing active shooter defense industry in Texas  (The Dallas Morning News) Legislative committee considers bills to boost Nebraska’s 911 system, add transparency  (Nebraska Examiner) see also:  The first 911 call in US was made 56 years ago today  (Live Now Fox) 'You can't trust what is going to happen with the crowds' | Charlotteans hesitant about large events following Kansas City shooting  (WCNC) Chattanooga Police Departm

Feds award police funding in CT, police service requests via text, police mental health, shoplifting trends, deciphering federal crime data trends, Baltimore homicides dip, Cop Con tech, public access to police radio traffic, Clery Reporting, restorative justice, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Feds award $8.8 million in police funding to Connecticut, municipalities  (Inside Investigator) Community can now receive Santa Monica Police service request updates on their phone  (SantaMonica.gov) In one 24-hour period, 4 LA county sheriff employees died by suicide: What we know so far   If you or someone you know needs mental health support, contact the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988  (USA Today) CRIME RATE Shoplifting Trends: What You Need to Know  (Council on Criminal Justice) New Data Shows Violent Crime Is Up… And Also Down. Property crime and violence against young people are both up, recent federal data shows, but other crime trends are murkier.  (The Marshall Project

Recruitment and retention, responses to active shooters, reducing mental health calls, officer involved shootings, 911 call prioritization, problems with FBI crime data, violent crime reduction, gaining access to Google data, juvenile crime, access to public records deteriorating, investing in data, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Justice Department Releases Report on Recommendations for Law Enforcement Agencies Facing Recruitment and Retention Challenges  (DOJ) Baltimore County to use millions of dollars to clear decades-old sexual assault evidence  (Baltimore Banner) New ‘first-in-the-nation’ policy limits Seattle police from knowingly lying  (MyNorthwest.com) Wait for backup or not? How police officers view their role when responding to an active shooter event  (Springer Link) Bloomington looks to reduce police mental health calls with no-cost therapy program  (CBS News Minnesota) A closer look into the civilian majority use of force board that evaluates IMPD officer-involved shootings  

Kansas police force raids newspaper and publisher's home, facilitating law enforcement data sharing, turnover in police agencies, violent crime falling, cost-benefit analysis of gun shot detection, license plate readers, women in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT A central Kansas police force sparked a firestorm by raiding a newspaper and the publisher’s home  (AP News) Grant-funding opportunities to facilitate law enforcement data sharing  (Police1) Chicago’s newly selected top cop says reducing violence, officers’ well being among top priorities  (KTSM) Turnover in Large US Policing Agencies Following the George Floyd Protests  (CRIMRXIV) 911: Don't Hang Up!  (City of Raleigh) Clergy call for resignation of Indianapolis Police Chief Randal Taylor  (Indy Star) CRIME RATE Violent crime is falling in Philly  (AXIOS Philly) The Post-Pandemic Murder Wave Is Cresting  (WSJ) 'The plan is working': Albany city leaders see decrease in crime, increase in illegal handgun arrest

Solving more murders, culture of wellness in criminal justice jobs, the police personality, traffic stop disparities, drop in gun violence and murders, gun homicides down slightly, generative AI for criminal justice, reducing recidivism and worker shortage, free prison calls, and more... POLICE CONDUCT New evidence that we're solving more murders  (Slow Boring) DOJ Officials Call for 'Culture of Wellness' in Criminal Justice Jobs  (National Criminal Justice Association) The “Police Personality”: Is it Real?  (Sage Journals) Most U.S. emergency call centers are understaffed  (Axios) Kansas Cops Have 'Waged War on Motorists' by Subjecting Them to Pretextual Traffic Stops, a Federal Judge Says  (reason) see also: Pittsburgh efforts to address racial bias in traffic enforcement have reduced the number of stops, but disparities remain  (Public Source) Tickets and arrests didn’t go up when SROs reintroduced to Denver schools, police data shows  (The Colorado Sun) CRIME RA

Police mental health and wellness, deaths during service calls and law enforcement encounters, gun violence falling in 2022, 911 junk science, facial recognition leads to false arrest, police misconduct transparency, criminal justice reform trends in 2022, and more... POLICE CONDUCT One-on-one with Acting Chief of Richmond Police: Talking staffing shortages, morale issues, violence interrupters, combatting crime  (WRIC) Police Mental Health and Wellness  (Oxford Research Encyclopedias) Louisville police under Shields: How the department is different & what is still the same  (Courier Journal) Report focuses on deaths occurring during service calls and law enforcement encounters  (Alexandria Echo Press) Hundreds used Philly’s new 211 violence prevention hotline, many from the city’s most impacted neighborhoods  (Billy Penn) CRIME RATE Gun Violence Is Falling In 2022  (Jeff-alytics) Community Criminal Justice Board report sheds light on crime trends in the area  (Orange County Review

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  (Taylor and Francis Onl

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 Fru

Violent crime plans, civilian review boards, public safety index, ghost guns, USPS suspends service due to crime, 911 systems and open data, Google location data and police, police surveillance, facial recognition, criminal justice data portal, body cams and transparency, ex-convicts housing, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Little Rock collaborating with Pine Bluff in effort to reduce violent crime  (KAUR) see also:  Fort Worth Police implement new violent crime plan  (WFAA) Feds Arrest an Alleged $336M Bitcoin-Laundering Kingpin The alleged administrator of Bitcoin Fog kept the dark web service running for 10 years before the IRS caught up with him.  (WIRED) Michigan police release video showing officer knelt on Black man, fatally shot him  (WCSC) Buffalo, N.Y., police officers cleared of wrongdoing after shoving elderly man to ground at protest  (CBC) Shielded from accountability: How NYPD Officers Get Away with Lying to the CCRB  (Latino Justice) Teens more likely to disengage from schoo

Crime statistics influence police strategy, firearms leading cause of life lost, Stand Your Ground laws linked to increase in homicides, gun violence declared public health crisis, AI help with 911 staffing shortages, Maine law enforcement FOIA audit, criminal justice fee's trap people in poverty, Utah's clean slate law, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Phoenix police release bodycam footage of officer 'ambushed' by shooter  (AZ Central) 2 JP deputies arrested on manslaughter counts in shooting that left man dead  (WWLTV) Former St. Tammany Sheriff Jack Strain gets 4 life sentences in rape, incest case  (KNOE) Colorado could become 3rd state to ban police from lying to kids during interrogations  (Oregon Live) Michigan City crime statistics will influence police strategy  (NWI Times) CRIME RATE Firearms: the leading cause of years of potential life lost  (BMJ Journals)   ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws Linked to Increase in Homicides  (TheCrimeReport) More accurately capturing data

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 incre

Police surveillance tech evolves, police overtime increases in some cities, getting evicted for calling 911, minimum wage hike had no effect on crime in Seattle, open government is good government, white supremacist propaganda high in some states, Asian-American hate crimes increase, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Racial gaps continue in St. Louis County police traffic stops, use of force, report says  (St Louis Post Dispatch) St. Louis County police tout success of partnership with city pushed by consulting firm  (St Louis Public Radio) More details needed in Jackson police chief’s crime plan, council members say  (WLBT) Why people are getting evicted for calling 911 One way cities are quietly circumventing due process and fair housing laws to evict renters.  (Vox) Boston police overtime is projected to be $15 million over budget for this fiscal year  (Boston Globe) see also:  San Jose audit: Police overtime skyrockets  (San Jose Spotlight) Home surveillance camera shows officer lied on r

Date and time is important when displaying crime data publicly for obvious reasons - the public needs to know when a crime occurred to better inform themselves. Additionally, date and time is important for any type of crime analysis over time. There are dozens of different ways to display a date and time. Every police agency addresses this differently in their crime data feeds. For example, some agencies include date and time in the same data fields, others break them apart into separate fields. Some include time, some don’t. Some write out the month, others use numbers. Some make note of the time zone, others use Unix time. Representing time is sometimes a minor headache, but not a necessarily difficult task. The SpotCrime Open Crime data Standard (SOCS) specifically addresses the date/time issue in open crime data by specifying that date and time to be split into two different data fields. The ISO 8601 YYYY-MM-DD standard is to be used for date and the UTC and 24 hour to be used for