SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

California bans private prisons, violent crime rate rising, life in the rising surveillance state, fighting opioid addiction, red light cameras banned in Texas, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Wichita police receives $750K grant to combat gun violence  (KWCH12) Seattle Mayor Durkan proposes more mental health workers for 'person in distress' 911 calls  (KOMO News) Central Texas sees a spike in critically injured first responders this year  (Fox 7 Austin) 'Talking to Strangers' by Malcom Gladwell : SpotCrime was cited in Malcolm Gladwell's latest book about how the world doesn't know how to talk to strangers, inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our lives and world Recovered heroin addicts say DART program saved their lives  (Toledo Blade) see also:  Investigators Use New Strategy to Combat Opioid Crisis: Data Analytics  (Wall Street Journal) Baltimore Police lack necessary technology to properly track sexual ...

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...

Right to carry leads to increase in crime, juvenile crime rates, mass incarceration and the 1994 crime bill, license plate readers lead to crime decrease, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Task Force Focuses On Guns And Domestic Violence Convictions  (WCBE) Wilmington’s crime rate has soared — so has its police spending  (TowardsDataScience.com) NIBRS (National Incident-Based Reporting System) is a powerful tool for law enforcement. But for agencies transitioning to NIBRS, the system presents new challenges around data collection and reporting.  (Mark43) San Francisco police union calls on chief to resign after raid on reporter's home  (NBC News) Private property seized by Jackson police isn't being reported as required by law  (Clarion Ledger) Police misconduct may spread like a contagion, new study suggests  (ScienceMag.org) CRIME RATE Raw Data: Mass Incarceration and the 1994 Crime Bill  (MotherJones) Rape is the least investigated viole...

Effectiveness of body cams, campus safety, DNA testing, domestic violence and gun violence crackdown, debating AI in policing continues, FBI hate crimes, plea deals lead to lower sentencing, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Virginia police dog dubbed hero after finding children lost in woods 'within 15 minutes'  (Fox News) Time, money and a ‘culture shift:’ How three California police departments overhauled their policies  (Sacramento Bee) Do civil forfeiture cases always hit their mark?  (WMBF) Tampa police officers accused of throwing away drugs, turning off body cameras  (WTSP) see also:  Police body cameras aren't having the effects many expected  (Governing) Sand Lake (MI) shuts down police department  (WOOD) Complaint filed against Harford County sheriff after legal aid attorney was detained after a sheriff insisted he was the client in the case and not the attorney  (WBAL) Newly released emails show Roanoke police chief is critical...

We have a lot to learn about machine learning and AI in policing, Boeing criminal probe, policing for profit, catholic church scandal in Illinois, what a cleared homicide means, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Nowata County sheriff, undersheriff, deputies resign over jail controversy  (KTUL) The Supreme Court Resuscitates the Eighth Amendment The justices strike a blow against policing for profit.  (The Atlantic) SC sheriffs fly first class, bully employees and line their pockets with taxpayer money  (The Post and Courier) Former DEA official now working for OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma  (NBC News) FBI assisting in criminal probe into how Boeing's 737 Max planes were certified to fly  (CBS News) Gov. Cuomo Supports Banning Sex Offenders From Subway. The ban would apply to repeat offenders — anyone who has been convicted of subway sex crimes twice.  (CBS New York) Court: Middle Finger Protected by the Constitution  (NYTimes) CRIME RATE But...

America violent crime decreases, crypto facilitates crime more than economy, predictive policing under the microscope, 3-D scanners help recreate crime scenes, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police Suicide Prevention: A Fresh Start  (LinkedIn) Pittsburg PD sees improved public safety thanks to sales tax  (FourStatesHomePage) ‘Highway robbery’ or a way to fight drug cartels? Utah police defend law that lets them take cash, even from suspects who are never arrested.  (Salt Lake Tribune) No Charges in Sacramento Police Shooting of Stephon Clark  (NYTimes) Baltimore police consent decree will reduce crime but not right away, acting commissioner says  (Baltimore Sun) CRIME RATE After increases in 2015 and 2016, America’s violent crime rate seems to be back on the decline  (Vox) ‘This has to stop.’ Number of Charlotte murders quadruples year to date  (The Charlotte Observer) Chicago homicides statistics see 44 percent drop in first two months o...

Drop in crime across US, MI stopping property seizures, cyber crime attacks children, gun control background checks, dirty data in AIs, and more... POLICE CONDUCT 'Significant' drop in crime credited to Sheriff, deputies  (KVIA) 5 Chicago Police Officers Died By Suicide Since July. Is The Department Doing Enough?  (NPR) Bodycam video shows moments suspect, deported 3 times, shoots at Napa deputy  (KRCR) Downtown Memphis neighborhood wants police precinct, SkyCop cameras to reduce crime  (FOX13) Michigan May Stop Police From Seizing Property Without Getting a Conviction First  (Reason.com) CRIME RATE Oklahoma Governor Signs 'Constitutional Carry' Bill, Allowing Residents to Openly Carry Guns Without a Background Check  (TIME) see also:  U.S. House approves expanded background checks for gun sales  (Reuters) For Students in Baltimore, Getting to School Can Be a Scary Ride Regulatory Intelligence: Criminals Mix & Match Children'...

Gun violence takes toll on Kansas City, high crime areas make it hard for kids to get to school, police chief credits community support for less gun crime and homicides, mass violence studies, crime-predicting AI's, and more... POLICE CONDUCT CAUGHT ON CAMERA: Officers rescue baby from back seat of car stolen in carjacking  (WSBTV) Police chief credits community support for less gun crime, homicides in Newport News  (WAVY) The case for hiring more police officers  (VOX) Clay County School Board votes to create own police department for district  (First Coast News) OK Waze, NYPD wants you to stop reporting locations of DUI checkpoints  (CNN) Lessons from Las Vegas Shooting: Focus on First Responders  (TheCrimeReport.org) TAKEN: How police departments make millions by seizing property  (Greenville News) No-Deal Brexit Threatens British Crime Fighting. Police Say Data Sharing Alternatives 'Will Not Be as Efficient or Effective'  (Ban...

Algorithm helps case investigations, body cams impact jurors, fight crime by addressing addiction, counting hate crimes, immigration crime data misunderstood, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Slain Utah police officer Joseph Shinners mourned by police departments across US  (Yahoo News) A UK police force is dropping tricky cases on advice of an algorithm  (New Scientist) Indianapolis Responds to Record-Setting Homicides  (Nuvo.net) How police body cam videos impact jurors differently than dashcam videos  (Phys.org) CRIME RATE Many police departments report decline in murders in 2018 — but not in these cities  (CBS News) 5 facts about crime in the U.S.  (Pew) New St. Louis County prosecutor wants to fight crime by addressing addiction and mental health  (St Louis Post-Dispatch) Many hate crimes never make it into the FBI’s database  (The Conversation) Majority of Baltimore homicide victims in 2018 were shot in the head, analysis show...

Psychopathy and homicides connected, familicide boom, winter thaws bring crime spikes, gun violence reaching record highs, AI to fight hate rime, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Deputies pull burning man from car into a puddle to put out flames, Texas bodycam shows  (Star-Telegram) Officers recognized for going above and beyond  (The Daily Sentinel) Police body cam shows drunk driving arrest of Midland County sheriff  (mlive.com) Police chiefs have concerns as state mandates new data collection  (East Oregonian) Amazon Teams With Cops To Catch Crooks  (Pymnts.com) Uber, Crimestoppers Partner For Pilot Crime Reporting Program In Jacksonville  (WJCT) CRIME RATE Crime in the 30 largest US cities dropped in 2018  (Smart Cities Dive) see also:  Crime and murder fell in America’s most populous cities in 2018  (Vox) New research by criminologist shows a significant connection between psychopathy and homicides  (Medical Express) S...

Violence in children, school shooting victims recount experiences, retaining police officers, marijuana and crime, hate crimes, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police officer vacancies highlight struggle between public safety expectations, reality  (13NewsNow) Policing High-Crime Areas: A Matter of Trust  (CATO Institute) The Scanner: Complaints against cops fell with body cams, but questions remain  (San Francisco Chronicle) More officers now trained in mental health crisis intervention, but Lawrence police department still short of 100 percent goal  (LJWorld.com) Hold private police partners accountable, too: For-profit companies are making millions with special access to NYPD information  (NYDaily News) ‘Please report it to us’: Dayton police noticed a change in how people talk about crime, so they posted about it  (Dayton Daily News) CRIME RATE Confirmed: Negative Events in Childhood Tied to Juvenile Crime  (MedPageToday) PHOTOS: Twen...

Police involved shooting rulings tipping point, gun violence in schools leads to more security, cybersecurity spending, the promise of crime data and big data in policing, and more... POLICE CONDUCT What's Not Reported After a Police-Involved Shooting  (GovEx) Mississippi agency to stop probing police shootings in Jackson  (WJTV12) Officer shortage slows response time in Santa Fe  (SantaFeNewMexican) 2 Cop Convictions in 2 Months: Is This a Tipping Point in Police Accountability?  (Governing) ABQ working with NYC on crime rate  (ABQ Journal) Justice Department awards record $49 million to improve collection of crime data reported to police  (DOJ) Hiring female police officers helps women report violence, sexual assault, study finds  (Phys.org) CRIME RATE A hatchet, scuffle & violent ending: Was Lakeland City Commissioner Michael Dunn justified in pulling the trigger, killing Christobal Lopez?  (the Ledger) A Former CIA Offi...

Intimidating rape victims, colleges may be finally required to disclose hazing, data-driven crime fighting, using tech to fight opioid epidemic, AI in public safety, federal program sees drop in recidivism, and more... POLICE CONDUCT In Cincinnati, data-driven crimefighting has revived communities. Could the strategy work in NM?  (KOB4) Jeff Sessions to police: 'You are the thin blue line ... between safety and lawlessness.'  (Indy Star) MD state's attorney sent police to rape victim’s home to threaten her - lawsuit alleges Federal class action against the state’s attorney, police and UMBC charges that Baltimore County is obstructing justice – and still misclassifying rape reports  (Baltimore Brew) The Need to Balance Police Effectiveness and Fairness  (GovTech) U.K. Police Target Russian Criminal Funds Flowing Through Banks  (Bloomberg) ‘An erosion in confidence’: Athens police chief asked to resign  (AJC) see also:  Oklahoma Police Chief...

Police fleeing the force, schools spending money on active shooter insurance, Ceasefire program curbs gun violence, poverty leads to more crime, bail reform, opioids killing rural areas, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Mobile ballistics program links active and cold cases, other crimes in Mississippi  (Clarion Ledger) The militarization of police does not reduce crime  (Pacific Standard) Kentucky police officer gets $300K in whistleblower lawsuit  (WKYT) Proactive policing declines as officers flee the force  (The News & Advance) CRIME RATE Economists: More Guns, Not the Crack Epidemic, Drove ’90s Murder Boom  (The Daily Beast) Study: Oakland’s multi-faceted Ceasefire program curbs shootings, homicides  (The Mercury News) As green space went up, crime went down in poor neighborhoods  (Crain's) see also:  The Geography of Urban Violence  (CityLab) and also:  High poverty, high crime rate  (The Pueblo Chieftain) Pred...