Week of May 16, 2022

Violent crime, surveillance via self driving cars, police review boards, the search for a new Seattle Chief of Police, diving into crime data, gun violence in DC, the violent incel culture, justice focused algorithms, Oklahoma’s lack of jail data, junk science in the criminal justice system, and more…

POLICE CONDUCT

Inside the FBI: Keeping Law Enforcement Officers Alive (FBI.gov)

North Carolina Drivers Still Face “Debt Traps” Despite Some Local Reforms (Bolts Mag)

Mayor Harrell Names Search Committee and Launches Community Survey to Identify Seattle’s Next Chief of Police (Seattle.gov)

New Santa Fe deputy police chief, who oversees department’s operations, enjoys diving into data (Santa Fe New Mexican)

Des Moines City Council debates how far state law restricts police review boards (Des Moines Register)

CRIME RATE

Gun violence reduction plan recommends strategies to make D.C. safer (The Washington Post)

‘Why we are frustrated’: The strained dialogue surrounding sexual assault on Burlington’s college campuses (VT Digger)

Examining the opioid epidemic through the lens of crime data (PSU.edu)

Hospital Violent Crime Increased 47% Last Year (Campus Safety Mag)

The online presence of incels, or involuntary celibates, has been an increasing security concern for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in recent years, given that self-identified incels used the Internet to disseminate incel ideology and manifestos prior to committing acts of violence. (Taylor and Francis Online)

Youngkin’s office creates new violent-crime task force amid almost 40% homicide hike in Virginia (WRIC)

State’s Attorney candidates discuss local crime spikes, juvenile justice and the role of data in criminal justice reform in Maryland (Bethesda Magazine)

Justice Department Hosts Violent Crime Summit (Justice.gov)

CRIM-TECH

Do People Caught on Ring Cameras Have Privacy Rights? Surveillance devices are becoming more ubiquitous. Do those who unknowingly appear in cam footage have rights—and who gets to decide? (Wired) 

San Francisco Police Are Using Driverless Cars as Mobile Surveillance Cameras (Vice)

Self-driving cars could be potential crime witnesses (Axios)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY 

Federal judge weighs releasing bodycam of deadly police dog attack in Alabama (AL.com)

Justice-Focused Algorithms Need to Show Their Work, Experts Say (GovTech)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

How a lack of data on who is in Oklahoma’s jails and prisons hinders justice reform efforts (The Oklahoman)

One in five people in EU prisons are in pretrial detention People waiting for a final sentence often suffer worse conditions than convicted prisoners, even if they’re innocent. (Civio)

Junk science and the American criminal justice system (KirkusReviews.com)