SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Justice Dept bans no-knock entries and chokeholds, police use social media to build profiles, Chief says zero tolerance won't work, 9/11 and the militarization of police, entire police department resigns, AI in policing, police and mental health calls, the broken windows tipping point, violence behind bars, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Justice Department announces ban on no-knock entries, chokeholds  (Politico) Officers sent notices to landlords detailing arrests and encounters with their tenants that put families at risk of eviction even when charges were later dropped.  (Tampa Bay Times) Biles: FBI turned ‘blind eye’ to reports of gymnasts’ abuse  (Associated Press) LAPD officers told to collect social media information from civilians being stopped  (Yahoo News) Activists want police out of most responses in proposed mental health pilot program Pilot program in FY22 budget would use blended team of paramedics, clinicians, and SAPD officers responding to mental health...

Body cam rollout and transparency delay, gunshot detection effectiveness, white collar crime prosecutions decline, officer wrongdoing investigations plummet after body cams, police surveillance, Dallas crime fighting plan results, taking away access to physical mail from prisoners, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Scottsdale police open internal affairs investigation after woman was falsely accused  (AZ Central) Investigations into officer wrongdoing plummet following the adoption of body cams  (First Coast News) Appeals court reverses itself, rules in Boynton case that people can videotape police  (Palm Beach Post) Governor’s Policing Surge In Jackson May Not Prevent Violence, Address Causes  (Jackson Free Press) CRIME RATE Indianapolis leaders look to more data, community outreach in effort to reduce violent crime  (FOX59) see also:  CRIME MAPPING: Tracking homicides across Indianapolis  (FOX59)  White-Collar Crime Prosecutions Continue 20-Year Declin...

Addressing gun violence, pattern-or-practice investigations, community-led responses to public safety, the rising homicide rate post Ferguson, undue influence of surveillance tech companies on policing, improving crime data to make better policy, transparency in police departments, and more... POLICE CONDUCT The People’s Response Act would establish a division within the Department of Health and Human Services to promote and fund community-led responses to public safety.  (NBC News) Richmond Police focus on community building to drive down crime  (LEX18) see also:  Cocoa police chief works to engage with community, be more data-driven  (FloridaToday.com) The Facts on Pattern-or-Practice Investigations  (CenterForAmericanProgress.org) New study ranks Kansas City Police Department one of the worst in the country  (KansasCity.com) American Policing and the Danger Imperative  (Wiley Online Library) Cops say low morale and department scrutiny are driving th...

Crime rate post pandemic, tackling gun violence, using data to stop crime, facial recognition tech rules blurred, body cam footage transparency, crime data transparency, license plate reader data shared transparently by police departments, some states working to make raps sheets disappear, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police chief to provide update on pairing mental health clinicians with officers  (The Modesto Bee) Metro Nashville police officers start Crisis Intervention Team training for community policing  (Tennessean.com) Fargo police chief announces plan to reorganize department, increase transparency  (Inforum) 'We didn't see an improvement': Montgomery mayor explains why former MPD Chief Finley resigned  (Montgomery Advertiser) Santa Ana Police Questioned About Why Some Sexual Assault Reports Receive Same Urgency as Graffiti  (Voice of OC) How many complaints against police officers can be abated by incapacitating a few “bad apples?”  (Wiley Online Li...

Gun violence trends, body cam transparency, body cam law Botham Jean Act about to pass, reimagining police a year after George Floyd, will the anti-hate crime law fail, predictive policing leads to lists of suspects who have not committed any crimes (yet), do license plate readers enhance patrols, police reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT These 3 cities began boldly reimagining policing after George Floyd’s murder  (Vox) see also:  Police Reforms and Pushback Mark a Year Since George Floyd’s Death  (Governing.com) and also:  George Floyd’s Murder Changed Americans’ Views on Policing But will those shifts lead to lasting reforms?  (The Atlantic) HEAT LISTED: Chicago’s predictive policing program told a man he would be involved with a shooting. But it couldn’t determine which side of the gun he would be on. Instead, it made him the victim of a violent crime — twice.  (The Verge) “He Died Like an Animal”: Some Police Departments Hogtie People Despite Knowing T...

Feds fund mental health response teams, addressing the mental health of officers, reforming use of force practices, research showing body cams good investment, Houston chief focused on reforms and crime rate, Chicago sues gun store tied to 850 firearms involved in crimes, NYPD robot dog sent to the pound, Zoom court, and more... POLICE CONDUCT A former Georgia sheriff's deputy said he wanted to charge Black people with felonies to prevent them from voting, court documents show  (Business Insider) How Pa. troopers use sweating, stuttering during traffic stops to launch vehicle searches  (The Morning Call) Feds fund mental health crisis teams to stand in for police  (ABC News) see also:  “There Was No Plan in Place to Get Us Help”: Strategies for Improving Mental Health Service Utilization Among Law Enforcement  (Springer Link) St. Louis police group opposes move to cut 100-plus vacant officer positions  (St Louis Post Dispatch) US Department Of Education Now...

The pandemic crime rate, cyberattacks on the rise, big tech gets help from police to collect data on residents, data helps address wildlife crime, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Denver Police study crime trends from the last recession to prepare for the current economic climate  (9News) Denton Police Get Creative With Public Safety in COVID-19 World  (NBC DFW) Stop calling 911 to report social distancing violations, cops across the US say  (Charlotte Observer) LMPD policies on 'no-knock' warrants, body cams change amid outcry over Breonna Taylor death  (WLKY) CRIME RATE How the pandemic upended crime patterns  (City Metric) Amid pandemic, crime dropped in many U.S. cities, but not all  (Washington Post) New research analyzes 40+ years of Alaska homicide data for first time, providing unprecedented look at homicides in the state since 1976  (Anchorage Press) Gun crimes and gun deaths at highest levels in a decade  (NZHerald) Why arrests plummeted durin...

Looking at line of duty deaths, botched police raid, teleworking during COVID19, DOJ awards funding to fight violent crime, some cities still struggling with violent crime during pandemic, economic impact of open crime data, and more... POLICE CONDUCT COVID-19 Line-of-Duty Deaths  (Fraternal Order of Police) see also  National Police Week| Recognizes those Killed in Line-of-Duty  (Fox Baltimore) IMPD will have body cams by this summer, implement ‘use of force’ review board  (FOX 59) Media coverage of police misconduct and attitudes toward police  (Academia.edu) Woman shot and killed by Kentucky police in botched raid, family says  (NBC News) City Manager: Police Officers Teleworked in Case of ‘Much Worse’ COVID-19 Situation  (ALX Now) Portsmouth police chief stands up to push-back on budget demands  (Seacoast Online) Crypto Companies, Law Enforcement and Intelligence Firms Team Up to Fight Human Trafficking  (Coin Telegraph) Man repeatedly pu...

Body cams bring transparency at a cost, using data to address justice system issues, open crime data helps create independent crime maps in KC, Clearwater placing cameras around city, Alabama prison plan, and more... POLICE CONDUCT We can do better for our kids and our communities by investing in programs proven to be good for them, writes the Pinellas sheriff.  (Tampa Bay Times) Florence County Sheriff’s Office uses traffic data to combat crime  (WMBF News) This Central Valley police chief forced an officer to remodel his home; now he’s California’s latest criminal cop  (The Mercury News) Clearwater police to create operations center linked to cameras around city  (Tampa Bay Newspapers Weekly) 'Catastrophic data loss' affects thousands of Hamilton County Sheriff's Office dashcam videos  (Chattanooga Times Free Press) CRIME RATE Bill would call for state of emergency to address Baltimore crime  (WBAL) 'Treat this as a public health crisis' |...

Mary's law in FL hides crime data and police use of force, collecting gun violence data, police installing cameras and license plate readers on roads, the facial recognition debate, using algorithms in the justice system, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Cold but not forgotten: how a retired officer is helping solve dormant investigations  (KTVL News10) Santa Clara County clears rape kit backlog, says it has sped up processing  (The Mercury News) Police say clearance data tells more about crime incidents in Sioux Falls  (KELOLand.com) ‘It’s lunacy’: Pa. cops still busting plenty of people for pot despite de-criminalization, report says  (Pennlive.com) CRIME RATE Thirty Most Violent Cities Based On Crime Rate-2018-USDOJ  (CrimeInAmerica.net) Surge in Minnesota drug seizures reflects influence of cartels  (Star Tribune) Washington: Bill would create office to collect firearm violence data  (The Lewiston Tribune) Number of Idaho childhood sexu...

Funding for police health, opioid crisis, privacy concerns over surveillance, police benefit from open data, body cams prove effective, big data develops smart cities, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Ga Agencies to Receive Portion of $62 Million to Support Health, Safety of Police Officers  (AllOnGeorgia) A salute to TPD for changing policy to provide vital information about crime | Our opinion  (Tallahassee Democrat) Manchin, Capito announce nearly $38 million to address opioid crisis, reduce crime, and improve public safety in West Virginia  (MyBuckhannon.com) SC police departments say body camera video modernizing police work  (The Post and Courier) Justice Dept. plans crackdown on violent crime in 7 cities  (WWMT) Body cam video shows Colorado officer who dodged DUI charges drunk in patrol car  (KSN) CRIME RATE Takeaways from 2019 Crime Data in Major American Cities  (Brennan Center for Justice) 16 Members Of Suspected Drug Trafficking...

Domestic violence and disturbance calls prove most dangerous for officers, can prisons make us safer, algorithm to solve murders, license plate readers on campus, hiring ex-convicts to help fight crime, body cam facial recognition, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Crime Reduction Unit met with success, crime on the decline  (Cochrane Today) Illinois deputy gunned down while responding to call, becomes 5th officer fatally shot nationwide in last 8 days  (ABC News) 'More inherently dangerous and unpredictable' | Why ‘Disturbance’ calls are a wildcard for police  (ABC10) see also:  'Abuse Is A Pattern': Law enforcement says they respond to domestic dispute calls daily  (KRCR News) and also:  Sacramento Officer Tara O’Sullivan was gunned down during a domestic disturbance call. Her death sent the region into mourning  (LA Times) City and organizers to push back against summer spike in crime and violence  (Indianapolis Recorder) New Alabama Law Pe...

Ransomware and cyber attacks costing cities and business millions, facial recognition on body cams, mobile first policing, emerging science of violence prevention, high temps lead to higher crime rate, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Dallas PD Tries to Reduce Officer Workloads with New Online Reporting System  (Dallas Observer) Groups encouraged to apply for ‘Alert Neighbor Program,’ aimed at preventing crime  (Fox6Now) Denver using data to approach public safety in unique way  (KDVR) Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Creates Mental Health Team  (BayNews9) Body cam footage shows Orlando police officer dragged by suspect’s car: report  (Orlando Sentinel) ATF was supposed to destroy thousands of guns. Instead, a guard stole and sold them  (USA Today) CRIME RATE NOPD data shows decrease in crime as new juvenile crime initiatives go into effect  (Fox8Live) Higher temperatures can lead to more violent crime, especially in poorer neighborhoods ...