The Crime Report

Policy & Politics

Trump Heaps Scorn on Minneapolis Leaders, Protesters as Fires Burn

By TCR Staff | May 29, 2020

In his newest incendiary series of tweets, the president waded into the protests over the police killing of a black civilian, with accusations that the city’s mayor “lacked leadership” and warning that looters should be shot.

Public Safety

Violence Nationwide As Protesters Assail Police

By Crime and Justice News | 59 mins ago

Americans awoke Sunday to charred and glass-strewn streets in dozens of cities after a night of unrest fueled by rage over the mistreatment of African Americans at the hands of police. Officers responded to the violence with tear gas and rubber bullets.

Policing

17 Complaints Against Derek Chauvin in 19 Years On Force

By Crime and Justice News | 1 hour ago

Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd, shot one suspect, was involved in the fatal shooting of another, and received at least 17 complaints during his nearly two decades with the department.

Policing

MN Death Shows Need For 'National Norms for Policing'

By Crime and Justice News | 1 hour ago

“We need consistent guidelines to set thresholds for what constitutes professional and acceptable conduct for police officers,” say Charles Ramsey and Laurie Robinson of President Obama’s policing task force.

Elections 2020

Klobuchar Record Under Fire Amid Police Protests

By Crime and Justice News | 2 hours ago

Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), a potential vice presidential candidate, regretted that as a prosecutor, she sent many accusations against police officers to grand juries.

Media

MN Gov. Walz Apologizes for CNN Crew Arrest

By Crime and Justice News | 2 hours ago

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz promised that journalists would not be interfered with in reporting on protests over the death of George Floyd.

Guns

Gun Safety Groups, Victim's Father Protest Ads

By Crime and Justice News | 3 hours ago

Two gun safety groups and the father of a mass shooting victim asked the Federal Trade Commission to stop firearms manufacturer Smith & Wesson from using “deceptive and unfair” marketing to promote assault-style rifles.

Policing

MS Drops Charge Against Ex-Officer in Killing

By Crime and Justice News | 3 hours ago

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch will drop a manslaughter charge against a white former police officer in the 2015 shooting death of an African-American man, concluding that the officer acted in self-defense.

Crime Trends

California Urban Crime Hit ‘Historic’ Low Before Pandemic

By TCR Staff | May 29, 2020

Data from California’s 69 largest cities showed the crime rate declined over 10 percent between 2010 and 2019, contradicting critics’ predictions that the state’s controversial justice reforms during the decade would lead to the opposite result, according to a new study.

Immigration

Deadly Choice for Migrant Parents: Leave Kids or Risk COVID Infection

By Nancy Bilyeau | May 29, 2020

Responding to reports that a new Trump administration policy is forcing undocumented migrant parents to choose between family separation and indefinite detention in crowded facilities riven with COVID-19, a group of faith, law enforcement and policy leaders called Thursday for an immediate end to this “binary choice.”

Policing

Police Immunity Issue Pending at Supreme Court

The brutal death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police has re-energized a debate over misconduct by law enforcement officials that the Supreme Court may re-enter. The justices may choose to hear one or more pending cases challenging “qualified immunity” for officers.

Policing

Experts Condemn Police Tactic in Minneapolis Death

“No police academy that we know of teaches a police officer to use their knee, to put it on their neck,” said Chuck Wexler of the Police Executive Research Forum.

Policing

Seven Shot in Protests Over Louisville Police Shooting

Hundreds of demonstrators marched downtown on Thursday night complaining about the police killing of Breonna Taylor in March.

Shootings

As Quarantines End, Will Mass Shootings Return?

Experts warn that the pandemic could lead to a surge in indiscriminate public violence as the nation reopens and people begin to gather again. The widespread loss of life and the economic collapse, unemployment, isolation and lack of access to mental health services could create the conditions for personal turmoil that gives rise to such attacks.

Research & Analysis

Justice and Health

‘This is Madness’: New Yorkers in Jail Despite COVID Pledges

Not only have New York authorities failed to live up to their promise of releasing vulnerable jail detainees during the coronavirus epidemic; they’re turning a blind eye to a steady increase in the newly incarcerated population, charges Columbia University’s Justice Lab.
Policing

Evidence of Link Between ‘De-Policing’ and Homicide is Slim: Study

Did U.S. police cut back on arrests following the “Black Lives Matter” protests over the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.? Was that why homicides spiked the following year? Two criminologists say the answer to both questions is “no.”
Reforming the System

Reclassify All Drug Possession Charges as Misdemeanors: Study

Utah’s 2015 drug reforms led to a sharp drop in the state’s prison population, but drug possession arrests are rising, according to an Urban Institute study. Researchers argue that the lesson for state lawmakers is to scrap all felony possession convictions, and invest more funds in counseling and treatment.
Policing

Can Procedural Justice Training Reduce Officer Misconduct?

A study of 8,480 Chicago cops who went through the training between 2012 and 2016 shows they received fewer civilian complaints than non-trained colleagues. The study authors say their findings support strategies for restoring police legitimacy—and effectiveness—in at-risk communities.
Policing

‘Wandering’ Cops Pose Risk to Communities: Study

Cops who are fired for misconduct are likely to repeat the same offense if they get a second law enforcement job, according to a Yale study. The risks to communities posed by these so-called "wandering officers" could be addressed with a reinforced national database of decertified officers, accompanied by stricter state record-keeping, say the study authors.
Reforming the System

Pretrial Detention in the Time of COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic has exposed the deep-rooted inequities of pretrial detention, says a University of Alabama law professor.

WORTH A READ

COVID-19

#Say Their Names: Remembering Inmates Who Died
By Andrea Cipriano | May 28, 2020
During the pandemic, many advocates and people who have family members incarcerated have been making sure that elected officials hear their voices — and their car horns. A procession organized in New Jersey Thursday honored those who died behind bars.
Reforming the System

Task Force Calls for Independent Oversight of Federal Prisons
By Ted Gest | May 27, 2020
The recommendation was one of 15 proposed by a task force headed by former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. Other priorities for "realistic reforms" in the federal justice system included spending more money on reducing "victimization and trauma" in cities, and formally recognizing states that have legalized marijuana.
Viewpoints

The COVID-19 ‘Catch-22’ for Young People Behind Bars
By Mark Soler and Marc Schindler | May 26, 2020
No parent would want their child placed in a bare room by themselves for days or weeks. But that’s exactly how we are treating young people housed in juvenile facilities during the coronavirus pandemic, write two youth advocates.
Race and Equity

Viral Central Park Video Shows Racially Charged Confrontation
By TCR Staff | May 26, 2020
A viral video of a woman calling the police because of an interaction with a black man over her putting a leash on her dog in a popular Central Park bird-watching location has sparked outrage across the country. Many are comparing the racially-charged incident to what happened to Ahmaud Arbery and Emmett Till.

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

Public Safety

Violence Nationwide As Protesters Assail Police

By Crime and Justice News | 59 mins ago

Policing

17 Complaints Against Derek Chauvin in 19 Years On Force

By Crime and Justice News | 1 hour ago

Policing

MN Death Shows Need For 'National Norms for Policing'

By Crime and Justice News | 1 hour ago

Elections 2020

Klobuchar Record Under Fire Amid Police Protests

By Crime and Justice News | 2 hours ago

Media

MN Gov. Walz Apologizes for CNN Crew Arrest

By Crime and Justice News | 2 hours ago

Guns

Gun Safety Groups, Victim's Father Protest Ads

By Crime and Justice News | 3 hours ago

Policing

MS Drops Charge Against Ex-Officer in Killing

By Crime and Justice News | 3 hours ago

Policing

Experts Condemn Police Tactic in Minneapolis Death

Policing

Seven Shot in Protests Over Louisville Police Shooting

Shootings

As Quarantines End, Will Mass Shootings Return?

Elections 2020

Crime Policy Is Dominating The Baltimore Mayor’s Race

GA Prosecutors Violated Law in Initial Arbery Probe

Detroit Turns to E-Filing Protection Order Requests

Oregon Courts Reverse Non-Unanimous Jury Verdicts

Couple Searched Obits in $13M Medicaid Fraud, Feds Say