The Crime Report

Police Misconduct

Justice Department Files Civil Rights Charges Against Cops in Floyd Death

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

A federal grand jury on Friday indicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin and three other former officers on charges of violating George Floyd’s civil rights last May during the arrest that caused his death.

Women and Justice

Moms Behind Bars

By Anna Marie Wilder | May 7, 2021

Nearly 150,000 mothers will be in prisons and jails this Mother’s Day. And that means their children will effectively be imprisoned as well by a system that inflicts long-term trauma and financial strain on families, says the Prison Policy Initiative.

Science & Technology

Are ‘Touchless’ Fares the Newest Police Spy Tool?

By Dorothy Schulz | May 7, 2021

The latest innovations of transit systems are apps that riders can use to pay fares by swiping with their smartphones. Some worry they can also be used for stealth surveillance by law enforcement.

Cyberterrorism

Escalating Cyber Attacks Threaten National Security, says DOJ Official

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Speaking at the Justice Department’s third annual cybersecurity symposium Thursday, Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers warned that U.S. adversaries are “ramping up online.” He singled out North Korea for its ability to cause international “disruptions.”

Policing

Cops Train to Step in When Colleagues Cross the Line

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Seeking to prevent future deaths and violence, a new peer-intervention tool introduced in police departments around the country teaches officers how to effectively intervene with a superior officer in a moment of crisis.

Cybercrime

California Ranked as Most Vulnerable to Cybersabotage

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

In an analysis of an FBI Internet Crime Report, a leading two-factor authentication firm, revealed which states have the highest chances of being targeted for cyber attacks.

Science & Technology

Massachusetts OKs Curbs on Police Use of Facial Recognition

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

As part of a new police reform effort, Massachusetts lawmakers have approved one of the first state laws restricting law enforcement use of facial recognition technologies. Under the law, police must have a court order before they can compare images to the database of photos and names.

Courts

Maryland District Court Bans Employees from Wearing Pro-Police Masks

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

The order came in response to a complaint by a public defender who argued the masks were divisive. “The Judiciary must maintain itself as an unbiased and independent branch of Maryland state government,” ruled District Court Chief Judge John Morrissey.

School Shootings

Sixth-Grader Shoots Three in Idaho Middle School

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

A young girl opened fire in her Idaho middle school before being disarmed and restrained by a teacher.

Domestic Terrorism

Mayors, Police Chiefs Condemn 'Failed Leadership' in Capitol Riot

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Recently released emails describe the fallout from the January 6 riot among law enforcement, some of whom had already been on alert for extremist action.

Research & Analysis

Justice and Health

COVID-Era Decrease in Prison Populations Increases HIV Risk: Study

A new study published in the International Journal of Drug Policy has found that without careful and deliberate mitigation efforts in place, criminal justice reforms that result in large, rapid decreases in incarceration rates can lead to an increased risk of HIV spread through communities.
Reforming the System

Incarceration in the Deep South: ‘The Long Road to Nowhere’

The mass incarceration policies in Alabama, Florida and Louisiana serve as both a warning and an object lesson for the rest of the country, says a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Reforming the System

Truth, Lies and Police Lineups

An eyewitness identification of a suspect in a police lineup is often the most dramatic moment in a TV crime procedural. But reality is messier, according to a new paper that proposes a different approach to avoid the misidentifications leading to wrongful convictions while the real culprits go free.
Terrorism

Government Eavesdropping Declined During Pandemic: Report

U.S. officials say the surveillance statistics are known to fluctuate from year to year, but that in 2020, COVID-19 “likely influenced target behavior, which in turn may have impacted some of the numbers reported for that year.”
Race and Equity

Black Crime Victims ‘Systematically Excluded’ from Victim Rights Efforts

Disproportionate media coverage of African-American and white crime victims has meant that Black victims rarely get the institutional and legal recognition given their white counterparts, according to a forthcoming 10-year study of murder cases in the Washington, D.C. metro region by a Villanova University law professor.
Reforming the System

Unreliable Witness Testimony Resulted in 50 Years of Failed Justice: UK Study

A major new study of more than 250 miscarriages of justice that have occurred in England and Wales over the last five decades suggests that unreliable witness testimony has caused more harm to the pursuit of justice than any other factors examined.

WORTH A READ

Domestic Violence

U.S. Tech Giants Line Up Against Stalking Bill
By TCR Staff | May 6, 2021
Seeking to avoid future liabilities, the U.S. wireless industry is fighting to change the language of a proposed bill aimed at strengthening protections for domestic abuse survivors.
Science & Technology

Facial Recognition Software Fuels Growing Concerns in State Legislatures
By TCR Staff | May 6, 2021
Lawmakers in at least 20 states are weighing curbs on police use of facial recognition, citing concerns of accuracy, invasion of privacy, racial bias and civil rights abuses.
Department of Justice

Biden Administration Set to Tackle Clemency Backlog
By Andrea Cipriano | May 5, 2021
America is suffering under the largest backlog of unresolved clemency cases in U.S. history, stemming from the former Trump administration, with 14,000 people waiting to hear their fate. President Joe Biden has set in motion a process to resolve it.
Reforming the System

FCC Needs More ‘Courage’ in Curbing Prison Phone Costs: Advocates
By Emily Riley | May 4, 2021
A Federal Communication Commission order to cap phone rates for incarcerees is only a start towards curbing the power of telecommunications companies operating in prisons, say leaders of the “Prison Phone Justice” campaign. Meanwhile the announcement of a free video-calling platform may provide an alternative.

Featured

Bill Moyers on Justice

By TCR Staff | December 1, 2017

Moyers was honored as TCR’s 2018 “Justice Media Trailblazer.” Watch the video of his remarks at the Feb 15, 2018 John Jay College dinner here.

The Crime Report - Your Complete Criminal Justice Resource

Cyberterrorism

Escalating Cyber Attacks Threaten National Security, says DOJ Official

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Policing

Cops Train to Step in When Colleagues Cross the Line

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Cybercrime

California Ranked as Most Vulnerable to Cybersabotage

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Science & Technology

Massachusetts OKs Curbs on Police Use of Facial Recognition

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Courts

Maryland District Court Bans Employees from Wearing Pro-Police Masks

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

School Shootings

Sixth-Grader Shoots Three in Idaho Middle School

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Domestic Terrorism

Mayors, Police Chiefs Condemn 'Failed Leadership' in Capitol Riot

By TCR Staff | May 7, 2021

Crime and Justice News

Indianapolis Mental Health Crisis Services Face Scrutiny after FedEx Attack

Body Cameras

Despite Increased Transparency, Accessing LAPD Body Cam Footage Is a Struggle

Policing

Record of Officer Charged in Daunte Wright Murder Includes Commendations, Reprimands

Justice Digest

Louisiana Weighs ‘Fair Chance’ Employment Bill for People with Criminal Records

Immigration

April ICE Deportations Reach Record Monthly Low

California Law Enforcement Continues to Resist Open Records Requests

South Carolina Adds Firing Squad to List of Execution Methods

NY Restores Voting Rights to Parolees

New Mexico Called ‘Textbook Example’ of Militarized Policing