Week of March 4, 2024

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 police have yet to fully determine lost data’s impact on criminal cases (PennLive)

Boise police accountability director to release incident reports in coming months (KTVB)

Federal law blocks local officials from seeing where guns used in crimes came from. Baltimore is suing to find out (CNN)

DOJ: Cleveland violated police consent decree by choosing ‘delay and lack of transparency over compliance’ (Cleveland.com)

CRIME RATE

Drug Enforcement Administration Arrests for Fentanyl Surpass Arrests for Heroin for First Time (OJP.gov)

New York to Deploy National Guard to NYC Subways to Fight Crime (Bloomberg)

‘It’s not OK’ | Community expresses frustration over weekend violence in Louisville (WDRB)

First misogynist incel sentenced on federal hate crime charges (SPLC)

A mathematical model of criminal gang rivalry: Understanding the dynamics and implications (Science Direct)

The Cost of Juvenile Crime and its Economic Impact on Colorado (Common Sense Institute) see also: Colorado children committing fewer, more violent crimes: report (Fox31 Denver)

CRIM-TECH

Learning about ShotSpotter — and Gun Violence — from Chicago. Research shows the technology doesn’t reduce shootings or increase clearance rates, but it may have other benefits. (Vital City)

LAPD Transitions to New Records Management System (LAPDonline.org)

POLICE TRANSPARENCY

Bill To Give Law Enforcement Agencies Option To Give Officer Termination Specifics Signed By Newsom (California Globe) see also: Sullivan’s Island Police Chief Paid to Leave Amidst Sexual Harassment Claims: Transparency Questioned (BNN)

Could expanding law enforcement privacy threaten public transparency in Wisconsin? (WUWM)

Pocomoke Police Department hosts meeting highlighting community transparency (WMDT)

User testing session to be held for South Bend’s Transparency Hub (WNDU)

THE PRISON SYSTEM

With Sweeping New Laws, Louisiana Embraces Tough-on-Crime Approach (Yahoo!)

Georgia prisons grow as tough-on-crime laws return (Axios)

How Federal Prisons Are Getting Worse Government watchdog agencies found hundreds of preventable deaths and excessive use of solitary confinement. (The Marshall Project)