Week of August 16, 2021

Community policing efforts and foot patrols increase, criminal justice reform debates around crime rate, secret surveillance cameras placed and removed by Lake County (FL) Sheriff, transparency surrounding gunshot detection demanded in ABQ, restorative justice and foster care-to-prison pipeline for youth, misconceptions about police reform, and more…

POLICE CONDUCT

Phoenix police can’t fill at least 1,035 vacant positions, putting our safety at risk (AZ Central)

Watchdog Group: Aurora Police Department Needs To Improve Use-Of-Force Training, Hiring And Data Collection (CPR News)

Build Public Trust, Florida Police Chiefs Association Urges In Report On Better Policing (WUSF)

Burlington public safety study highlights desire for social services and police oversight, training (VTDigger) University of Iowa shifts focus to student well-being in re-imagining campus safety (The Gazette)

Mayor: Minneapolis PD will no longer conduct ‘pretextual’ traffic stops for low-level offenses (KARE11)

Five Misconceptions About Police Reform (TheCrimeReport.org)

It’s Easy For Police To Seize Money. Worcester’s District Attorney Makes It Hard To Get It Back (WBUR)

‘Warrior mindset’ police training proliferated. Then, high-profile deaths put it under scrutiny. (The Washington Post)

Baltimore police can no longer earn overtime while on vacation, ending a practice that cost taxpayers (The Baltimore Sun)

CRIME RATE

Most Voters See Criminal Justice Reform Contributing to Out of Control Rising Violent Crime (Princeton Daily Clarion) see also: Fact-checking claims bail reform is driving increase in violent crime (CNN)

As murders surge, Democrats find a new message: Fund the police (Reuters) see also: Whitmer wants $75M to fund police, hire more officers to fight surge in violent crime (MLive)

San Francisco police increasing patrols in popular tourist areas, but will it be enough? (ABC7) see also: Fifteen Minutes per Day Keeps the Violence Away: a Crossover Randomised Controlled Trial on the Impact of Foot Patrols on Serious Violence in Large Hot Spot Areas (Springer Link) and Raleigh police chief hopes to reduce crime in southeast Raleigh by connecting, investing in the community (WRAL) finally: Santa Ana Considers Shifting $1 Million Toward Community Policing Efforts (Voice of OC)

Gun violence epidemic leaves families in pain and fear (The Philadelphia Tribune)

Responding to the Opioid Crisis: Three Teaching Cases (City Leadership Initiative)

CRIM-TECH

‘Shocking violation:’ Lake County commissioners order takedown of secret surveillance cameras. Flock Safety installed about 100 cameras in new pilot program to fight crime (Click Orlando)

Facing revolt from police chiefs, U.S. Marshals agree to change body camera rules The shift highlights the willingness of local law enforcement officials to stand up to federal authorities in an era of police reform. (NBC News)

Ada County Democrats call for protocols on body camera releases (Idaho Press)

Vallejo, Calif., Police Expands Successful Drone Program (GovTech)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY

How open data helps Boulder police, community tackle crime (GCN)

AG Sues Boston For Records About Fired Police Commissioner (WBUR)

4 Investigates: New calls for transparency involving Albuquerque’s gunshot detection records (KOB4)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

New Washington laws aim to break foster care-to-prison pipeline. As the state looks to reform its juvenile justice system, special attention is being given to foster children. (Crosscut)

“Defund the (School) Police”? Bringing Data to Key School-to-Prison Pipeline Claims (Northwestern)

People are dying in Sacramento County jails. The sheriff isn’t telling the public (The Sacramento Bee)

Recidivism after Release from a Prison Nursery Program. Three years after release 86.3% remained in the community. Only 4% of women returned to prison for new crimes. (Wiley Online Library)

The Promise and Limits of Restorative Justice for Youth (California Health Report)