SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Trauma and empathy training, body cams, mental health calls, smash and grab, school violence and arrests, where gun violence is surging, cameras to reduce crimes, Marsy's Law doesn't apply to police officers, police records transparency, prison conditions, First Step Act, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Baltimore’s new approach to police training looks at the effects of trauma, importance of empathy  (Courthouse News Service) How Police Have Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras  (PorPublica) Starting in January, non-law enforcement team can respond to mental health crisis calls  (ABC30) Stark County Sheriff's Office rolls out new program to improve staff performance and community relations  (News 5 Cleveland) CRIME RATE ‘Smash-and-grab’ robberies fuel new laws, but critics question the need  (SW Iowa News) see also:  Member of Congress calls for better data on organized retail crime and other theft  (Retail Dive) 185 weapons, seven guns reported at Wake C...

Bipartisan talks for police reform end, tracking use-of-force not so easy, AGs address police accountability, studying the mental health of police officers, LA DA dismisses marijuana convictions, murders rose in 2020, not all agencies report data to FBI, body cams costs, police use of tech and the state of surveillance, Alabama ends open access to police records, Mary's Law in Florida hinders police transparency, will the low incarceration rate last, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Bipartisan police-overhaul talks end with no deal. lawmakers had sought to address abuses by law-enforcement after protests over killings of Black Americans  (Wall Street Journal) How is police use of force tracked in the Quad-Cities? That depends on the department.  (Quad City Times) Austin police weigh dispatching civilians, not officers to some nonemergency calls  (Austin American Statesman) Attorneys General in Three States Move to Increase Police Accountability  (TheCrimeReport.org) see al...

In 2019, we published an op-ed at the University of Florida Brechner Center Freedom of Information outlining the issues Marsy’s Law has caused in the collection of public crime information. Two years later, Marsy's Law in Florida continues to take its toll on police transparency. Many other states have implemented their own version of Marsy’s Law without creating problems related to police transparency now faced in Florida. It appears other states have found ways to discern between the intent of Marsy’s Law to protect victims rights to privacy, while also making sure the public has access to pertinent information related to crime, policing, and government transparency. Luckily since our op-ed, we have not run into any other notable police agencies using Marsy’s Law as a blanket exemption to releasing public crime blotter information. However, the original three agencies - Polk County Sheriff, Pasco County Sheriff, and Lake County Sheriff - are still not making crime blotter inform...

Marsy's law fails transparency, bail reform is working, gun database failures, effectiveness of body cams, safe schools, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Marsy’s Law Is a Gift to Bad Cops  (reason.com) see also:  Jacksonville police will no longer tell you where some crimes occurred or who the victims are  (Jacksonville.com) Co-opting the Police: What can be done about “Profiling by Proxy?”  (TheHill.com) When “Violent Offenders” Commit Nonviolent Crimes Embezzlement and selling drugs near a school are among the offenses some states classify as violent.  (The Marshall Project) Are police body cameras helping or hurting?  (12News) This Colorado sheriff is willing to go to jail rather than enforce a proposed gun law  (CNN) Highway Officials Warn of Spike in Motorists Hitting, Killing State Troopers  (Wall Street Journal) CRIME RATE 3 big reasons it's so hard to tell just how violent the world's most violent cities are  (Business Insid...