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Showing posts with the label open data

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police technology, transparency, oversight

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Crime victims funding, police departments growing again, police oversight office, mental health calls, crime risk, violent crime and teenagers, automate license plate readers, AI in policing, police drones, gunshot detection, police transparency violations in Phoenix, felony crime dashboard, prison healthcare, and more... POLICE CONDUCT South Carolina Toughens Penalties for Harming Police K-9s  (Governing) Slashing victims funding, Moore’s crime office ‘lost its way,’ grantees say  (The Daily Record) New FBI Data Shows Large Police Departments Are Growing Again  (Jeff-alytics) Mayor Solomon Releases Findings of JCPD Crime Data Audit Showing Over 3,250 Crimes Not Reported By Fulop Administration  (JerseyCityNJ.gov) Aurora closer to creating internal police, fire oversight office in wake of consent decree  (Sentinel Colorado) Scrutiny of police reactions to mental health calls leads to new ideas  (Democrat & Chronicle) CRIME RATE Path vs. places: route-le...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Crime data transparency, firearms, police tech

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Summer action plans, LAPD removes crime data, where darkness and crime overlap, firearms tax, UofM crime data research unit, murders down in Baltimore, dropping crime rates, AI assisted system for non emergency calls, surveillance cameras, gun shot detection, crime mapping, prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Anchorage police chief cites overnight shift, K-9 role in officer’s repeated shootings  (KTUU) Raleigh police release Summer Action Plan, highlighting priorities for warmer months  (CBS17) Nashville police has lower base pay, lagging real-time tech compared to other similar cities, report finds  (WSMV) LAPD Removed Crime Location Data. Here's Why It Matters.  (SpotCrime) CRIME RATE Where darkness and crime overlap  (Vital City) A New Firearms Tax Design Could Reduce Homicides Without Costing Gun Owners  (ProMarket) Firearm Storage in Households With Children  (JAMA Network) This Gun Shop Stayed Open Despite Repeated Violations. Then a Cop Was Kille...

Take Action: LAPD Removed Crime Location Data. Here's Why It Matters.

Dear SpotCrime Subscriber, For years, residents across Los Angeles relied on public crime data to stay informed about safety in their neighborhoods. That transparency has now disappeared. The Los Angeles Police Department has significantly reduced the availability and usefulness of public crime data during its transition to a new records system. Specifically, it removed block-level crime location information from its open crime data feed, making it effectively impossible for the public to determine where crimes occurred. For more than a decade, SpotCrime has helped Los Angeles residents stay informed by turning public crime data into alerts, maps, and neighborhood awareness tools, Millions of alerts have been delivered to families, commuters, business owners, journalists, researchers, and community members trying to make informed decisions about safety. Now, that flow of information is being restricted. What makes this especially troubling is that independent journalists and watchdog o...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police conduct, crime rate lowering, police surveillance

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Minneapolis police chief resigns, police chases, police overtime, lowest murder rate on record, crime rates dropping, youth firearm crimes, officers and tech for proactive policing, privacy questions over police surveillance technology, police access to citizen data, drone as first responder, lack of transparency on crime in LA, bad cop list, license plate reader cameras, Wisconsin prison population heading toward record high, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara resigns after allegedly interfering with investigation into his conduct  (NBC News) Milwaukee police chases continue to reach extremely high speeds  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Judge releases Louisville police officer indicted for theft, misconduct over timecard inaccuracies  (WDRB) CRIME RATE 2026 Will Likely Have The Lowest US Murder Rate Ever Recorded  (Jeff-alytics) New FBI data: Crime rate drops across US, Ohio  (Dayton Daily News) New Mississippi gun law targets youth ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: AI, transparency, surveillance tech

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License plate reader resignations, police community outreach and transparency importance, Aurora City Council to approve police social media communications, TAKE IT DOWN Act, FBI crime data, youth crime, $27 million tech upgrades in Savannah, AI assistant for 911, surveillance tech, crime analysis software, police shootings transparency, FOIA, open data portal, AI in jails, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Clawson officer resigns after City Council rejects Flock cameras  (Fox2Detroit) Durham Police Captain Discusses Safety, Transparency and the Importance of Community Outreach  (The New Hampshire Digital) London mayor Sadiq Khan blocks £50m Met police deal with Palantir  (The Guardian) Aurora City Council requires police to get city approval of social media posts, public communications  (Denver7) What will the FTC’s enforcement of the TAKE IT DOWN Act mean for you?  (FTC.gov) CRIME RATE FBI Releases Historic Early Look at Annual Crime Data  (FBI.gov) The hidden c...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police transparency, license plate readers, crime

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Use of force policies, when are police chases worth it, license plate readers misuse, more police officers on the force, Brady List, crime decline, homicide rate lowers, violent crime spike in Pittsburgh, cyber crime, justice tech, police transparency, police data, crime data, jail populations, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Akron police use-of-force review recommends major policy changes  (Cleveland.com) When Are Police Chases Worth It?  (Governing) Police Have Reportedly Used License Plate Readers to Stalk Romantic Interests at Least 15 Times in Recent Years  (Institute for Justice) What could Chicago do with 600 more police officers?  (A City That Works) Brady List: The little-known roster of cops who molest, lie, steal or drive drunk  (Florida Trib) CRIME RATE A Top Analyst Explains Why America’s Second ‘Great Crime Decline’ Could Already Be Here  (The Trace) Birmingham Mayor says homicides are down 46%; here's what the data actually shows  (ABC 3340) ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: DC crime data, crime rate, transparency

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Law enforcement identities, DC data manipulation, violent crime reduction funding, ICE detainees, reported hate crimes likely fell, Americans' views on crime, electronic detection K9s, AI answering 911 calls, license plate reader transparency policies, the digital moat around public data, women age faster in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Department of Justice sued over withholding law enforcement identities. Montana media outlet, national nonprofit allege Constitutional violation  (Daily Montanan) Three D.C. police higher-ups set to be fired over crime data manipulation: Report  (Washington Times) see also:  MPD chief: 13 officers disciplined over allegations of crime data manipulation  (NBC Washington) Interior Department Launches New Task Force to Combat Violent Crime in Indian Country  (DOI.gov) Rockford police pay large sums to officers facing criminal charges  (Rockford Register Star) CRIME RATE US violent crime is at its lowest in more than a cen...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Violent crime, automated license plate readers, prison data

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Arrest rates, policing grant pulled, community policing, use of force, gun violence intervention program, violent crime, Charlotte's Web operation, public art to reduce firearm injury, shutting down automated license plate readers, AI answering service calls, heavily redacted records about former officer, transparency around police chief firing, data behind prison reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Kansas City homicide rate of arrests, charges soars above national average  (KCTV5) The CSI Detective Who Smelled Trouble in Her Own Police Department  (The Wall Street Journal) Major Kalamazoo policing grant pulled a second time  (WOODTV) Large Police Departments May Be Starting To Grow  (Jeff-alytics) Incoming Greensboro Police Chief Kamran Afzal talks use of force, community policing, downtown crime: ‘Move the needle forward in Greensboro’  (Fox 8) Amid bleak outlook for Tenino police force, Sheriff’s Office takes over  (The Olympian) CRIME RATE Vallejo Police...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Crime decline, police technology, LAPD crime data

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Grand Rapids reviews policing after deadly shooting, cracking down on cargo theft, sweeping up data near a crime scene legalities, the great crime decline, police surveillance technology, politics of police technology adoption, facial recognition error lands grandmother in jail, automated license plate readers, LAPD lawsuit over public crime data, publicly available data and AI, ICE body cams, pepper spray reporting cut in Berkeley, prison reform, mass incarceration, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Grand Rapids unveils plan to review policing after deadly shooting  (WOODTV) Public Safety Leaders Back Bill to Crack Down on Cargo Theft  (Trucking.org) Minnesota bill says warrants that let police sweep up data near a crime scene should be illegal  (CBS News) CRIME RATE What's Behind the Great Crime Decline?  (KQED) see also:  What’s Behind the Historic Drop in U.S. Crime  (WSJ) CRIM-TECH Think More Carefully Before Going All In On Police Surveillance Technology ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Surveillance, violent crime, mass incarceration

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Radio encryption,  public surveillance, lone wolf cyber attacks, murder and violent crime rate, impact of unilateral divorce on crime, gun violence in rural America, AI answering 911 calls, police drones, falsely accused because of license plate readers, police body cam transparency, what 911 data says about community needs, elderly parole program, mass incarceration, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Residents react to Decatur Police Department's announcement on encrypted dispatch, radio communications  (FOX54) see also:  Fairfax County Police will begin encrypting radio communication  (WUSA9) The Troubling Personal Side of Public Surveillance  (The Marshall Project) CRIME RATE Feds Warn Against Lone Wolf Cyber Attacks Amid Iran Conflict  (GovTech) What’s behind the ‘historic collapse’ in homicide and violent crime rates in major US cities  (CNN) see also:  There Were 14,000 Murders In The United States Last Year  (Jeff-alytics) Reality Check:...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police technology, data, criminal justice

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Police training, police misconduct, bias homicide database, domestic violence, police technology, automate license plate readers, crime data dashboard, police transparency,  open data, transparency portals, women's justice, criminal justice data gap, second look hearings, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Everett shuts down Flock camera network after judge rules footage is public record  (King 5) The critical role of equipment and training in emergency police response  (IOPC) New York City's tab for police misconduct settlements: Nearly $800 million since 2019  (ABC7NY) Police chief faces further misconduct probes  (BBC) CRIME RATE Introducing the Bias Homicide Database  (University of Arkansas News) Fact Check Team: More than 1 in 4 violent crimes now involve a domestic relationship  (The National News Desk) CRIM-TECH Portland and Auburn city councilors take steps on controversial police technology  (News Center Maine) CT state police deploy new multimi...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Automated license plate readers, police tech, police transparency

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Homicide clearance rates, hot spots policing, police misconduct costs, mobile crisis teams, health shocks and criminal behavior, reducing gun violence, police tech proposal rejected in Durham, automate license plate readers, Justice AI Tracker, police oversight, police transparency, reducing recidivism, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police homicide clearance rate hits 13-year high as murders fall dramatically citywide  (Hyde Park Herald) Public Perceptions of Hot Spots Policing: How Crime Reduction Stats and Stigma Narratives Affect Public Perceptions  (Springer Link) Virginia lawmakers push for federal database on police misconduct costs  (WVVA) Former Capitol Police chief talks about the increase in threats against lawmakers  (WCBU) Mountain View officials allege federal, state agencies accessed Flock camera data without consent  (ABC7) Phoenix Police receives certification for new crime records system  (Daily Independent) They help police with mental health...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Crime rate down, body cams, recidivism

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Police use of force, UK creating British FBI, body cam video deletion, police overtime, homicide rates fall, violent crime down, justice for trafficking survivors, LLMs as judicial decision makers, AI transparency in policing, automated license plate readers, mothering experiences from women in jail, recidivism among violent offenders, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Minnesota shooting sparks renewed focus on police use-of-force training in WNC  (WLOS) UK plans to create 'British FBI' to bring national probes under single police force  (ABC News) LAPD would delete nearly 12 million body camera videos under proposed policy change  (LA Times) CRIME RATE Homicide rate falls in dozens of cities: Research  (The Hill) Violent crime is down in Minneapolis, but police overtime is up amid ICE surge. The department logged about $3 million in overtime for five days in which officers’ days off had to be canceled.  (The Minnesota Star Tribune) Why Crime Rates Are Falling Across t...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police transparency, AI, regional dashboard

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Police collaboration, smart cities and safe streets, property crime rates, gun dealers source of trafficked firearms, regional crime data, AI transforming crime, positivity bias in crime perceptions, deepfakes, robot dogs, police use of surveillance tech transparency, use of force dashboard, body cam transparency, locking up kids, jail deaths, and more... POLICE CONDUCT CPD, Sheriff's Office and OSHP share how cooperation effort is going  (WVXU) Suquamish police chief working to prioritize transparency, collaboration  (Kitsap Sun) CRIME RATE  How have property crime rates changed over time?  (USA Facts) Exploring the Local Positivity Bias in Crime Perceptions  (Gallup) Smart Cities and Safe Streets – The Power of Environmental Criminology and Data Analytics  (Trends Research and Advisory) Gun dealers are major source of trafficked firearms  (Stateline) Are Your Criminal Justice Laws Working? Here’s How to Tell . (National Conference of State Legislatu...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Perceptions of crime, AI, data transparency

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Targeting complex criminal networks, mortality among law enforcement officers, police oversight board sees widespread refusal, New Orleans consent decree ends, San Diego police shortages, predictive policing, AI reinventing crime, US bishops call for tighter gun laws, perceptions of crime, alternatives to police response, AI in policing, facial recognition, safety and transparency go hand in hand, data winter emerges, press access to executions, and more...  POLICE CONDUCT Deerfield Beach residents meet about possible breakup with Broward Sheriff's Office, creating first city police department since 1990  (CBS News) Oregon DOJ launches program targeting complex criminal networks  (KCBY) Mortality among law enforcement officers in the United States: a population-wide analysis of the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance data, 2020–2023  (CRIMRXIV) Boston’s police oversight board sees ‘widespread refusal’ by officers to cooperate  (MassLive) New Orleans pol...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Crime data transparency, gun violence, AI

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LAPD steps backwards in data transparency, overspending budgets, police video ordinance, impact of being a wife of a police officer, Boston requires name tags, tempered crime fighting methods, how to strengthen domestic violence response, gun violence drop, murder victims skewing older, encrypted radios, AI in criminal justice, and more... POLICE CONDUCT LAPD withholds data. Lawyer says denial violates public records law  (LAist) What does it mean when a neighborhood’s emergency calls to 911 and service requests to 311 go up?  (Bloomberg Harvard) Chicago Police Department Overspent Its Budget By $501M Over 5 Years: Data  (WTTW) North Charleston Police Chief hosts town hall to connect with community  (WCSC) Detroit passes new police video ordinance as critics slam ‘edited’ shooting footage  (Detroit Free Press) Rivian’s onboard cameras save owner from a false accusation by police  (Electrek) The impact of education in critical thinking on leadership in polic...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Public safety workforce, transparency, juvenile crime

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Police data, expanding public safety workforce, tax increases to strengthen public safety, TN crime lab backlog, cyber crime economy, juvenile crime, US lowest murder rate, FBI collects non fatal shooting data, toll of lethal gun violence, using technology to solve crimes faster, facial recognition technology, NJ and police transparency, Minneapolis transparency, campus police secrecy at private colleges, America's aging prison population, and more... POLICE CONDUCT The Quiet Revolution. Why Data Became the Most Important Tool in the Field  (IACP Police Chief Magazine) Moss Point PD to lose chief, more than half its officers. Here’s why, and what’s next  (The Sun Herald) Expanding the Public Safety Workforce  (American Progress) Milwaukee Mayor’s Twin Public Safety Puzzles  (Governing) Des Moines City Council looks to tax increases to strengthen public safety response  (Waterland Blog) Tennessee crime lab at max capacity, backlog to grow without intervention: Re...