SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Police staffing shortages, civilian response teams, USPS postal police, DOJ hotlines to report hate crimes, America's gun problem, gun violence, ICE data collection on Americans, NYPD secret database, facial recognition in schools, law enforcement polices restrict transparency and accountability, a holistic criminal justice system, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Staffing shortages are causing case backlogs at Phoenix-area police departments  (AZFamily.com) With Complaints Rising, Transit Agencies Search for Alternatives to Police  (Route Fifty) see also:  SLCPD to form new civilian response team to handle massive call volume  (Fox13) After court battle, Marilyn Mosby releases list of 305 Baltimore police officers with credibility issues  (The Baltimore Sun) Voters, investors and crime experts have eyes on bid to recall San Francisco DA  (Courthouse News Service) After years of gang list controversy, the NYPD has a new secret database. It's focused on guns.  (Gothamist) Baltimore Co

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

FBI not releasing crime stats for 2021, place based police strategies, gun control studies, communities split on use of traffic cams, access to bad cop records, access to court and legal data, TikTok influencers reshape life behind bars, felony classification system in Oklahoma, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Why the FBI Won't Release Quarterly Crime Stats for 2021  (TIME) see also:  The Alarming Gaps in National Crime Data  (The Trace) Struggle continues to hire Burlington police, several community officers hired  (WCAX) Newport News looks to expand program that sends mental health professionals on 911 calls  (DailyPress) see also:  ‘People don’t think clearly in crisis:’ California law enforcement turns to mental health clinicians on toughest 911 calls  (Yuba.net) Experts: Place-Based Strategies Are Effective, Central to Police Reform  (NCJA.org) $14 million jury award for Denver protesters could resonate around U.S. There are at least 29 pending lawsuits nationwide challenging polic

Developing programs for mental health calls, ending qualified immunity, cost of policing, trends to shift public safety in 2022, San Jose to require insurance and fee for gun owners, homeless camps crime, Tampa PD turns open data feed back on, Justice Department establishes initiative to strengthen crime data,  expert witness reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Police, Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service partner to provide alternative for mental health calls  (CKOM) see also:  Mental Health Experts Will Respond To Some Emergency Calls Instead Of Police As Part Of New Far North Side Program  (Block Club Chicago) and also:  A 988 crisis line is coming. Mental health services ask: How do we stretch even more?  (WHYY) The Fight to End Qualified Immunity Is Just Beginning in States Across the Country  (Governing) Six Trends That Will Shape Public Safety in 2022  (TheCrimeReport.org) Police in this tiny Alabama town suck drivers into legal ‘black hole’  (AL.com) Indictment: Previous Greenup

Gun violence, stolen guns from cars, FBI launches police suicide database, US violent crime rate, racial divide in policing, gun violence, analyzing body cam footage, lack of data hinders policy efforts, freedom of the database, federal solitary confinement, and more... POLICE CONDUCT BPD looks to improve service, accountability with tracking program  (Bakersfield.com) NYC Mayor Eric Adams names younger brother deputy NYPD commissioner, raising more concerns about conflicts of interest  (The Grio) Burbank Police are Improving Crime Measurement and Reporting  (MyBurbank.com) The American racial divide in fear of the police  (Wiley Online Library) see also:  The pandemic tanked traffic stops in 2020 — but racial disparities remained, data shows  (VTDigger) Ann Arbor may use federal stimulus to launch unarmed 911 response program  (MLive) see also:  APD 311 diversion helps with emergencies, creates backlog for low-level crimes  (KXAN) FBI Launches Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection  

NJ cops can't be fired or promoted based on arrests, New Mexico removing police from mental health calls,  unpacking gun violence, Chicago consent decree, new company analyzes body cam audio for problem officers, 3 states begin to share gun crime data, better crime databases needed, TN kids charged with crimes that don't exist, and more... POLICE CONDUCT N.J. cops can’t be fired or promoted based on how many arrests they make under new law  (NJ.com) Washington State Patrol’s hiring under fire as agency failed to diversify over decades  (Seattle Times) State Police trooper who cried foul over brutality incidents is notified he'll be fired  (NOLA.com) Middle Georgia police officer shot, killed on his first shift  (AJC) Lynchburg Police Dept. makes staffing changes to compensate for 28 officer vacancies  (WFXR) In New Mexico, a bold experiment aims to take police out of the equation for mental health calls  (The Washington Post) New Report On Chicago Police Consent Decree Show

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 also:  What the r

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 calls  (KSAT)

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

Mental health police response programs seeing results, reimagining policing in Seattle, Chicago controversial gang database still in use, Pasco County controversial intelligence program still in use, evidence from gun-shot detecting AI altered, DOJ launches firearms trafficking strike force, officers from January 6 insurrection testify, hate crime laws lack uniformity across US, reentry programs change inmates lives, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Chicago Police Defend Use of Gang Database, More than 2 Years After Watchdog Called it ‘Deeply Flawed’  (WTTW) Pasco Sheriff’s Office letter targets residents for ‘increased accountability’. Critics of the agency’s intelligence programs called the letter ‘patronizing’ and ‘offensive,’ and raised continued concerns about civil rights  (Tampa Bay Times) Policing in America Project: The Value of Community Engagement  (Data Foundation) Police Are Telling ShotSpotter to Alter Evidence From Gunshot-Detecting AI  (VICE) Seattle mayor proposes new emerge

Police reform, police conduct, morale low in Boston, violent crime increase to stall criminal justice reform, clearance rates low in some cities, Ring to make police requests public, Citizen employees raise concern, private control over policing reduces transparency, Houston's transparency hub, and more... POLICE CONDUCT 'We’re not afraid of transparency': Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams discusses reform in department  (12News) Columbus Police reducing property crime responses to keep more officers on the street  (ABC6OnYourSide) ‘Morale Is Very Low,’ Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Says  (CBS Local Boston) Police Chief to Plead Guilty After Allegedly Threatening 'Fake Arrest' Over Negative Facebook Post  (Newsweek) ‘I’ve lost count.’ Notorious Opa-locka police sergeant German Bosque fired for seventh time  (Miami Herald) Orange County deputy suspended over TikTok videos  (Click Orlando) Internal affairs document shows verbal discipline for Lucas

Addressing gun violence, domestic violence rates, qualified immunity abolished in NM, police surveillance, Baltimore stops prosecuting low level crimes, COVID crime rate, mitigating youth crime, countering violent extremism, AI and algorithms in the justice system, early release programs in Mississippi, Walmart crime data transparency, and more... POLICE CONDUCT New Mexico Abolishes Qualified Immunity  (Reason.com) see also:  NYPD officers are no longer protected from civil lawsuits after city council passes police reform legislation  (CNN) Springfield Police Chief: Department 'trying to prioritize gun violence in community'  (The State Journal Register) see also:  Roanoke police taking community-focused approach to gun violence, chief tells city council  (Roanoke.com)  San Antonio inviting community to participate in police services review process  (KENS5) Canton Police Department receives approval for embedded social worker program  (ClickonDetroit.com) A look at Milwaukee PD

Gun violence and mass shootings, looking at violence prevention programs, police mental health, extremists and racism in police ranks, use of force, police conduct, license plate readers, drones, police data lacks in domestic violence and hate crimes, treating substance abuse, and more... POLICE CONDUCT In Chesterfield, assaults on police and use-of-force incidents increased in 2020  (Chesterfield Observer) Dallas Activists, Police Officers Work Together to Offer Opportunity to Young Black Men  (NBC DFW) 'That's a massive mistake.' Police chief sounds off on lack of regular psych help for officers  (WXYZ) Pushing for police reform: Local police chiefs weigh in on recruiting challenges  (WXYZ) Transphobia, hostility about protesters in private cop group  (AP) see also:  From Insult to Estrangement and Injury: The Violence of Racist Police Jokes  (Academia.edu) 'A nightmare scenario': Extremists in police ranks spark growing concern after Capitol riot  (USA Today) Mar