SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Florida bans civilian boards from investigating police misconduct, police reform behind closed doors in Virginia, more transparency for asset seizures, internal reviews, facial recognition laws for law enforcement, peace officers in NYC, high speed chases, crisis intervention in Tampa, homicides plummeting, crime rate drops, encrypting police radios, police surveillance, benefits of police data transparency, mental health facility instead of prison, Massachusetts' prison population drops, and more... POLICE CONDUCT DeSantis signs controversial bill banning civilian boards from investigating police misconduct  (Sun Sentinel) Police reform may expand In Virginia, but behind closed doors  (Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism) More transparency needed for WA police asset seizures, audit says  (Seattle Times) Glendale Police force shows its hand in internal review  (Glendale News-Press) Maryland lawmakers approve ‘strongest’ facial recognition rules for law enfor...

NJ reforms Paterson PD, CO police work history hidden, gun violence drives violent crime, Kia and Hyundai thefts, 2022 school crime data, AI to solve cases, open crime data, prison medical company goes bankrupt, and more... POLICE CONDUCT AI, Tasers and more supervision: NJ's plan to reform the troubled Paterson police department  (Gothamist) Colorado police work history data remains withheld from public despite new laws, reforms  (The Gazette) CRIME RATE The Crime Data Explorer For Dummies  (Jeff-alytics) 'We knew the numbers were bad': Law enforcement staff raised concerns about Ron DeSantis' top crime talking point  (NBC News) Hundreds of Kansas Citians are shot each year and survive. Their families have to pick up the pieces  (KCUR) Gun Incidents Drive a Climb in Violent Crime Rates  (Public Policy Institute of California) see also:  Ohio launches new intelligence center for fighting gun violence  (State Scoop) U.S. Cities Have a Staggering Pr...

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 la...

Police reform, gaps in national crime data, FBI not releasing three months of crime data lacking law enforcement report sharing, new Florida elections police force, surveillance by game warden unconstitutional, progress addressing mental health calls, combating homelessness with crime data, place based policing, crime trends over the past two years, criminal justice in rural America, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Anne Arundel County Council votes against investigative powers for Police Advisory Board (Capital Gazette) DOJ Launches Voluntary Police Reform Program  (TheCrimeReport.org) Florida Is Set to Create a New Police Force to Investigate Elections  (Bolts Mag) School resource officer data shows more than 2,000 criminal charges laid over one decade: Researchers  (The Edmonton Journal) Most LAPD officers who violate policy in shootings avoid serious punishment, report shows  (Los Angeles Daily News) MD Bill Would Limit Police Interrogation of Youths without Adult Pre...

Officers tired of overtime, police use data driven decision making, K9 disobedience, dangerous domestic violence calls highlight need for reform, police tech and the connection to transparency, lack of data hinders studies on police, Dallas Police remove data from open data portal, data transparency builds trust in police, access to body cam footage, prison banking practices,  and more... POLICE CONDUCT Head of Illinois police training agency fired over improper law enforcement certification given to son of legendary investor Warren Buffett  (Chicago Tribune) Tired of overtime, officer announces resignation on police radio  (WABI) Disobedient: Police K-9 disobedience caught on camera  (WTSP) Chicago Police face stricter reporting rules under settlement of decade-long dispute over inequitable deployment of officers  (Chicago Sun Times) Police use data driven decision making to protect Tucson  (KGUN 9) Lincoln Police mental health coordinator improving depart...

Mental health, search and seizures, police reform and procedural justice, concealed carry linked to increased gun violence, license plate readers used to track vehicle locations, facial recognition, police data tracking needs more transparency, school-to-prison pipeline, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Cook County Sheriff dealing with mental health crisis one Zoom call at a time  (Associated Press) see also:  Crisis counselors soon to be on scene with first responders to assist individuals exhibiting mental health needs  (Hometown Stations) Female police officers are less likely to search a car during a traffic stop but more likely to find contraband when they do  (PsyPost) see also:  Police revise rules for searches after people report confusion, intimidation  (Fox5 San Diego) Beverly Hills: 99% of people arrested by ‘safe streets’ unit were Black, suit says  (The Guardian) Mirage of Police Reform: Procedural Justice and Police Legitimacy  (Academia.e...

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 ...

Violence prevention spending, looking at data to keep police accountable, Colorado cop barred from policing ends up as police chief, civil litigation as instrument for police reform, gun violence, less crime around strip clubs than Airbnbs, COVID-19 leads to sweeping changes in jails, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Boston police emphasize de-escalation, disengagement in mental health calls  (Boston Globe) State, law enforcement officials offer different assessments of Police Integrity Transparency and Accountability Act ‘We need these types of bills to hold law enforcement accountable.’  (Greeley Tribune) Federal Civil Litigation as an Instrument of Police Reform: A Natural Experiment Exploring the Effects of the Floyd Ruling on Stop-and-Frisk Activities in New York City  (Academia.edu) A Colorado cop was supposed to be barred from law enforcement. Instead, he became interim police chief.  (Mercury News) Governor’s Policing Surge In Jackson May Not Prevent Violence, Addr...

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...

As our nation grapples with police violence and misconduct, transparency by law enforcement is critical now more than ever before. Failure to share data leads to mistrust, poor community relations and low accountability. In addition to a reduction to funding, new training and changes in law enforcement policies and procedures, production of a standard daily police blotter is another option that would improve transparency, allowing the public to better understand the crime in their community and ways police are responding. Recently, Congress passed the COVID–19 Hate Crimes Act , which requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish online hate crime reporting processes, collect data disaggregated by protected characteristics (e.g., race or national origin), and expand education campaigns. A second bill being considered, The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act , requires agencies to create a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints an...

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 f...

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...