SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Federal law enforcement requires body cameras causing local Sheriff's offices to pull deputies, police union contracts, access to public police scanners ends in Honolulu, data transparency failures of the Clery Act, ghost guns a problem in Philly, Dallas crime reduction plan working, racial profiling report compliance in Texas, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Minneapolis illegally withholding hundreds of police misconduct files, says lawsuit from public records advocates  (The Star Tribune) KXAN investigation leads to first-ever 100% racial profiling report compliance in Texas  (KXAN) Beaufort cop invited kids to lunch. Then he showed them family’s criminal records  (The Island Packet) Asheville police release list of calls officers will no longer respond to. Move comes in response to dozens of officers leaving police force in past year, officials say  (Wyff4) U.S. Mandates Body Cameras for Federal Law-Enforcement Officers  (Wall Street Journal) see also:  HCSO,...

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...

Complaints plummet after body cams,  police unions shift stance, broken windows policing, body cam transparency, police misconduct, gun violence, crime rate, anti-Asian hate crime legislation passed,  and more... POLICE CONDUCT Complaints against police plummet after body cams  (WJAR) 'This is a huge step for law enforcement.' Police unions shift stance on protecting bad officers  (CNN) The Clouded Legacy of ‘Broken Windows’ Policing  (Governing.com) The FBI is supposed to track how police use force – years later, it’s falling well short  (The Guardian) Arizona sheriff launching streaming company to give law enforcement a 'voice'  (The Hill) Former Colorado Officers Who Arrested A 73-Year-Old Woman With Dementia Face Charges  (NPR) see also:  His family says they were told he died in a car wreck. Video now shows Ronald Greene was kicked, dragged and tased by police  (CNN)  and also:  'You shouldn't be able to breathe,' officer ...

Accessibility to body cam footage, looking at misconduct record laws in all 50 states, policescorecard.org launches, crime jumps after policing reform then lowers, hate crimes on the rise, opioid crisis, tracing guns from violent crimes, technology used to track crime, fair and accurate recidivism forecasts, over half a million people with intellectual disabilities in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Acting U.S. Attorney recognizes police week, honors law enforcement who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty in 2020  (Justice.gov) Knoxville police creates permanent team to build relationships in areas with higher violence rates  (WBIR) Analysis of police misconduct record laws in all 50 states  (Star Tribune) see also:  Get the Data on Policing in America. Get the Facts about US Police Departments  (PoliceScorecard.org) Do Police Body-Worn Cameras Reduce Citizen Fatalities? Results of a Country-Wide Natural Experiment  (Springer Link) Police officer...

Body cam policies, violent crime rate this summer, gun violence prevention, gunshot detection system, activists call for police open data sets, transparency dashboard, national bail fund, and more... POLICE CONDUCT ‘This just didn’t happen overnight’: Albany police chief talks ‘social revolution’ in law enforcement  (WALB) Recording a cop in Florida? Court rules you could get arrested.  (Tampa Bay Times) VBPD changes body camera activation policy; cameras must now start recording when officer marks ‘en route’ to call  (WAVY) CRIME RATE 'Moms Demand Action' tells DC officials to prioritize gun violence prevention in budget  (WUSA9) In Atlanta, There’s A Dilemma Between Rising Homicides & Calls For Police Reform  (OkayPlayer) Fact Checking Gov Ron DeSantis: "If you look at some of these places that (reduced police funding), they’ve already seen crime go up." (Mostly False).  (Politifact) It's set to be a hot, violent summer  (Axios) CRIM-TECH No crim...