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Showing posts with the label transparency

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police chief conduct, crime rate, police cameras

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Henderson police chief fired, Columbus underreported crime, smart policing, holistic approach to crime, high risk violent offenders, body cam footage fees, predictive analytics, crime data in social media, automated license plate readers, asset forfeiture, trust in community police interactions, prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Henderson police chief fired after ultimatum  (8 News Now) Maui police chief named in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit as alleged co-conspirator  (Hawaii News Now) Columbus police’s underreported crime data taking longer to fix than expected  (NBC4) The Smart Policing Initiative: 15 Years of Evidence-Based Innovation in Policing Practice  (Taylor and Francis Online) CRIME RATE A Holistic Approach to Explaining Crime  (Taylor and Francis Online) 'This narrative that Austin is dangerous is not accurate' | Police chief pushes back against bill to extend DPS enforcement downtown  (KVUE) Policing High-Risk Violent Offenders: Smart Policing in...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Gun violence, robot dogs, transparency

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Kansas police gun sales, public libraries crime mitigation, violence alters human genomes, gun violence and gun data, red flag laws, police robot dogs, automated report writing, license plate cameras, body cam market shift, police misconduct files transparency, prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Kansas police could sell, give away guns seized without criminal convictions under Senate bill  (Kansas Reflector) Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig explores running for Detroit mayor  (The Detroit News) CRIME RATE Do public libraries help mitigate crime? Evidence from Kansas City, MO  (Ideas.repec.org) Violence alters human genomes for generations, researchers discover  (University of Florida) Georgia Crime Victims Oppose Governor’s Bill to Limit Lawsuit Damages  (Governing) Can Enhanced Street Lighting Improve Public Safety at Scale?  (SSRN) State, county officials meet to discuss gun violence and ways to make communities safer  (WFMZ) What the data say...

LAPD’s Open Crime Data Crisis: A Step Backward for Transparency

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Los Angeles, one of the largest cities in the U.S., has long provided public access to crime data through its open data portal. However, a troubling shift has been unfolding, raising serious concerns about transparency, public safety awareness, and accountability. The LAPD’s transition to a new Records Management System (RMS) and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) has resulted in significant gaps in crime data reporting, with updates becoming increasingly sporadic or ceasing altogether. The Problem: Crime Data No Longer Updating Regularly Historically, LAPD updated its crime data feed on a weekly basis but changed to biweekly updates in early 2024 . However, as of early 2025, the department appears to have stopped updating its primary dataset entirely. The most recent available crime data from the “Crime Data from 2020 to Present” dataset stopped at December 30, 2024 , but has since resumed biweekly updates. However, these updates now contain only a few incidents p...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police chief searches, crime rate, prison

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Data driven policing, police chief departure, police transparency, nonviolence work, crime stats, youth-related crime, mask wearing defendants, sanctuary cities and crime, murder rate, police cameras, AI and policing, police chief search, privatizing prison food service, women in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Urbana Police Chief lays out ‘data driven policing’  (WCIA) OIG pens letter to New Orleans Police Department publicizing inaccurate crime stats reporting  (WGNO) CRIME RATE The Untold Impact of Nonviolence Work: How Success Gets Measured in Chicago’s Hardest-Hit Neighborhoods  (WTTW) Youth-related crime continues to be an issue for Cincinnati, CPD report says  (Fox19) US Justice Dept demands data on criminal cases involving mask-wearing defendants  (Reuters) UNM research shows no correlation between sanctuary cities and crime  (UNM News) Jackson State experts weigh in on Jackson murder rate the past 5 years. See the numbers  (Clarion Ledger) ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Tech, crime stats, transparency

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Transforming policing, Marsy's Law Supreme Court ruling in Ohio, 911 call center reforms, school crime report, police staffing and crime rates, ICE statistics, AI for police reports, NYPD to disclose surveillance tech contracts, gunshot detection, using tech to fight crime, facial recognition, law enforcement transparency, private prisons, recidivism, and more... POLICE CONDUCT How to Transform Policing and Regain Public Trust  (Governing) Ohio Supreme Court hears arguments on whether cops get crime victim protections  (The Columbus Dispatch) Nonpolice response teams may cut crime, save cash, but data limited  (Civic Media) Jersey City Union President Backs McGreevey for Mayor, Calls for 911 Call Center Reforms  (Jersey City Times) CRIME RATE Annual K-12 school crime report shows overall drop over previous year  (North State Journal) San Francisco’s police staffing is at a historic low. So is its crime rate.  (Mission Local) ICE Enforcement and Removal Oper...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police conduct, crime rate, body cameras

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Citizen police oversight, officer mental health, nonpolice response teams, Phoenix DOJ investigation, Laken Riley Act, crimes against police officers, NYC subway violence, crime rates, body cameras, data driven technology, transparency, body camera transparency, open crime data, encrypted police radio channels, prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Philadelphia Citizens Police Oversight Commission Releases Report Highlighting Evaluation of Police Termination Arbitration Board  (City of Philadelphia) How Baltimore Convinced Officers to Seek Help for Alcoholism and Depression  (Governing) ‘You wouldn’t call your plumber to fix your teeth’ – Nonpolice response teams may cut crime, save cash, but data limited  (The Badger Project) How President Trump’s recent actions could impact law enforcement (Police1) see also:  Future of Phoenix Police DOJ investigation unclear under Trump Administration  (12News) Police departments are divided on enforcing the Laken Riley Act ...

The Decline of Police Data Transparency: A Case Study of Colonial Heights, Virginia

Abstract This paper examines the recent cessation of public crime data reporting by the Colonial Heights Police Department (CHPD) in Virginia, using it as a case study to explore broader trends in law enforcement transparency. The analysis reveals how technological advancement paradoxically correlates with decreased public access to crime data, despite improved data management capabilities revealing broader implications for law enforcement agencies across the United States, where increasing reliance on technology often leads to unintended reductions in transparency. Introduction In April 2024, the Colonial Heights Police Department, serving a population of approximately 18,000 residents, discontinued its 14-year practice of publishing monthly crime blotter reports. This decision represents a concerning trend in law enforcement transparency that warrants examination, particularly given the concurrent technological improvements in data management systems. Background and Context Historica...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: AI, body cam, crime rate

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US police chiefs discuss AI, use of force, open source intelligence, AI offers data-driven approach to police reform, fewer crimes and higher clearance rates, AI to help victims of domestic violence, encrypting police scanners, Louisville consent decree transparency, prison experiences, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Ex-Kansas detective dies by suicide as long-awaited criminal civil rights trial set to begin, sources say  (CNN) U.S. Police Chiefs Discuss Artificial Intelligence  (GovTech) Aurora Police says reports by officers of using force went up in 2023, even as lethal use dropped  (CPR News) New intelligence software used during the Republican National Convention - A look at Babel Street, Milwaukee PD’s Open Source Intel tool  (Wisconsin Examiner) Phoenix Police Crime Lab Significantly Reduces Backlog of Sexual Assault Kits  (Phoenix.gov) CRIME RATE Fewer Crimes Usually Means Higher Clearance Rates  (Jeff-alytics) Boulder considers North Boulder police sub...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Community review boards, police staffing, gun violence

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Community review boards, police staffing, preventing crime, shoplifting, gun violence, domestic abuse, sexual assault investigations, crime rates, AI in criminal justice, license plate readers, FOIA, police transparency, death in custody data, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Community Review Board Approves Long-Sought Agreement With Nashville Police  (Nashville Banner) see also:  New Austin police oversight group selected at random through lottery  (KVUE) and also:  Detroit police oversight board launches dashboard tracking complaints against officers  (Detroit Free Press) Law Enforcement Suicides Online platform provides current data on suicides, aims to reduce stigma  (FBI) Technology Helps Fill Gaps Amid Public Safety Staffing Shortages  (GovTech) see also:  Pryor Creek Police Chief discusses how department is managing while down 5 patrol officers  (Fox 23) City of Memphis allocates $1 million into community-based organizations to help prevent ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Gun violence, 911 calls, transparency

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Joint crime office, traffic stops, police job vacancies, police commission meetings, gun violence data hub, sextortion on the rise, sexual assault, 2020 homicide spike, drones used to respond to police calls, location boost to 911 calls, accessing police records, yoga in prison, recidivism, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Memphis, Shelby County to launch joint crime office to address violence  (Local Memphis) National groups say Fayetteville is stopping more Black drivers than it was a decade ago  (Fayetteville Observer) Oceanside gets new police chief after retirement announcement  (OSide News) Records Show Vacancies Across City of Durham Departments; Police and emergency communications departments show high vacancies  (Indy Week) Watchdog group launches social media campaign publicizing details on Maui police commission meeting  (Hawaii News Now) CRIME RATE Nearly $1M on the way to fight crime in Stockton  (ABC10) The Trace Launches Gun Violence Data Hub ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police conduct, crime rate, transparency

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Accountability and transparency, DOJ recommendations for protests, police efficiency, police conduct, US crime and policing trends, random acts of violence, crime ballot measures, access to police press briefings, Boston police accountability, thwarting transparency, criminal courts a black box, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Kissimmee Announces Plans for New Accountability and Transparency Measures Following Grand Jury Findings on Police Misconduct  (Positively Osceola) New DOJ recommendations for police and press bridge protest divide  (Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press) Report finds lack of police efficiency leading to fewer arrests in CA  (ABC 7) Not believed: Charged with filing false report, Polk teen captured own evidence during rape  (The Ledger) Ohio Sheriff’s Lieutenant in hot water after social posts; “I am sorry. If you support the Democratic Party, I will not help you”  (WTRF) 13 Lewisville officers disciplined after 'inappropriate contact' d...