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SpotCrime Weekly Reads: civilian review boards, crime rates, prison

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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...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Body cam, AI, gun violence

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Access to body cam footage, public safety demands better funding, illegal guns trafficked used in hundreds of shootings, Operation Ceasefire, violent crime rates, sexual assaults on cruise ships rise, AI in policing, generative AI, AI risks creating black box at heart of US legal system, police transparency committees, deaths after leaving prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Public Safety Demands Better Funding  (DC Journal) see also:  Delray Beach PD receives nearly $1 million to curb crime  (CBS12) Knox County Sheriff's Office told the D.A. that video of a raid didn't exist. But it did.  (Knox News) Town of Elizabeth intended to fire its police chief, sued 9NEWS trying to keep that secret  (9News) CRIME RATE As NYC grapples with crime concerns, police commissioner says safety is 'perception versus reality'  (NBC News) 68,000 guns illegally trafficked by U.S. dealers over 5 years were used in hundreds of shootings, ATF says  (CBS News) see also:  ...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Police discipline, use of force, AI

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Entire police force suspended, police discipline hearings, use of force, FBI crime data, undercounting sex crimes, tracking threats to Congress, how firearms move from legal to criminal use, AI in policing, predicting crime, online discussions about crime and safety, police surveillance, GPS tracking darts, use of force transparency, prosecutorial dashboards, accountability in restorative justice, and more... POLICE CONDUCT ‘Blindsided': A Maryland small town suspended its entire police force. Residents want to know why  (NBC Washington) Serious Chicago Police Discipline Hearings Must Take Place in Public, Judge Rules  (WTTW) Why did more than 1,000 people die after police subdued them with force that isn’t meant to kill?  (AP News) CRIME RATE FBI’s National Crime Data Paints Incomplete Picture  (The Dallas Express) New Orleans police undercounted sex crime data; advocates fear lost funding  (NOLA.com) Congress makes it easier to track threats to members  (...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: AI in policing, police transparency, crime rate drop

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Replacing suspect faces with Lego heads, police staffing shortages, stricter policies on pursuits and drugs, stiffer sentences for AI related white collar crime, proactive policing sent searches soaring, FBI data shows crime dropped in 2023, Chinese organized crime dominating US illegal marijuana market, fentanyl epidemic getting worse, Kentucky crime data, school hate crimes, teacher misconduct, AI and LLM can help police, AI tech fighting retail crime, addressing non-consensual deepfake pornography, closed public records on crime in South Dakota, police transparency and the public's right to know, video tech to improve criminal justice, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Why a California police department is replacing suspects’ faces with Lego heads  (The Hill) South Bend Police take an 'aggressive stance' in getting weapons and drugs off the streets  (South Bend Tribune) see also:  Michigan State Police implements stricter policy on pursuits, chases  (Click On Detroit) Ba...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Use of force, AI in policing, transparency

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Police Chief resignations, DNA data manipulation in Colorado, combatting swatting calls, higher use of force linked to training conference in NJ, addressing mental health in communities, DOJ opens investigation into Boeing, cybercrime losses reach $12.5 billion, violent crime numbers, gun violence, AI and police real time crime centers, police record transparency, reversing criminal justice reform, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Lakes Wales to begin looking for new police chief amid nepotism, transparency concerns: Memo  (Fox13 Tampa Bay) Colorado Bureau of Investigation finds DNA scientist manipulated data in hundreds of cases over decades  (WPSD Local 6) Uvalde police chief announces resignation after report on Robb Elementary School shooting  (NBC News) Georgia bill would impose harsher penalties on more 'swatting' calls  (11Alive) Use of force incidents high among cops who attended controversial police training conference  (New Jersey Monitor) Rats are 'all high...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Fighting crime, civilian oversight, tough on crime

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Liberty University fined for crime reporting violations, DC could be doing more to fight crime, FL curtails civilian oversight, PA lost data, police accountability reports, Baltimore sues ATF, fentanyl arrests surpass heroin arrests for first time, NYC deploys national guard, the cost of juvenile crime, juvenile crime rates, Shotspotter research, LAPD new RMS, police termination transparency, tough on crime grows prison populations, federal prisons are getting worse, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Liberty University fined $14 million for federal crime reporting violations  (NPR) D.C. agencies could do more to fight crime, reports auditor  (WashingtonTimes.com) see also:  DC auditor points to lagging performance by some crime-fighting agencies  (WTOP) A bill curtailing civilian oversight of police has passed the Florida House  (WFSU) see also:  Phoenix city agency tasked with monitoring police defends its work and independence  (AZFamily.com) Pa. state poli...

SpotCrime Weekly Reads: Data transparency, predictive policing, cold cases

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Data dashboards, predictive policing, civilian oversight, social programs reduce crime, regulating AI-generated calls, Louisiana law enforcement not reporting crime stats, police IT delays access to domestic violence court orders, intersection of AI and criminal justice, body cams, ShotSpotter data leaked, encrypted scanners, town asks for more transparency from police department, juvenile courts transparency, and more... POLICE CONDUCT APD has a new data dashboard – is it reliable?  (KXAN) see also:  Aurora Police Department releases data in a step towards transparency. Community wants to see more  (CPR News) Lawmakers Want Pause on Federal Funds for Predictive Policing  (reason) A bill curtailing civilian oversight of police has passed the Florida House  (WMFE) New CA data: Social programs reduce crime  (Public News Service) How law enforcement can use data from cell phones or smartwatches to solve crimes  (KCRG) FCC declares authority and intent to ...