The Crime Report

Reforming the System

Criminal Justice Reform ‘Will Save Democracy': Krasner

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

The growing electoral strength of the progressive prosecutor movement reflects a long-pent-up desire for radical change that national and local politicians ignore at their peril, Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner, who handily won reelection this week, told a webinar Thursday.

Crime Victims

Disabled Individuals More Vulnerable to Crime: BJS

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

The rate of violent victimization against persons with disabilities was almost four times the rate of violence suffered by persons without disabilities, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Juvenile Justice

Homeless, Young and in Trouble with the Law: ‘I Was Angry’

By Micah Danney/JJIE | November 5, 2021

A program for young felony offenders steers New Yorkers like Nasheem Heath away from a prison term that could derail their lives.

Policy & Politics

Justice Department Sues Texas Over Restrictive Voting Law

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

With Democrats unable to pass federal voting rights legislation, the Justice Department is one of the lone means by which the Biden administration can combat restrictive voting laws

Cybercrime

State Department Announces $10 Million Bounty for Colonial Pipeline Hackers

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

The reward is being issued for information on the identity and location of the DarkSide ransomware variant cyber criminal group.

Domestic Terrorism

Oath Keepers List Active-Duty Police Among Ranks

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Extremism experts say law enforcement officers who take an oath only to defend the Constitution as they interpret it should be a cause for concern.

Race and Equity

States Move to Assess Impact of New Laws in Wake of Pandemic, BLM & George Floyd

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Racial impact statements could be attached to bills dealing with health, education or other topics, and not just criminal justice.

Politics

Key Contributor to Democratic Probe of Trump’s Russian Connections Arrested

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Igor Danchenko was indicted as part of the ongoing Durham investigation to find any wrongdoing in the Trump-Russia investigation.

Immigration

Advocates Call for Prosecution of Clandestine Border Patrol Investigation Unit

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

New evidence revealed agents working for CIIT impeded the San Diego Police Department’s investigation into Hernandez’s death.

Police Misconduct

Virginia Decertification Law Expanded to Include Dishonesty, Excessive Force

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Until this year, Virginia police officers could only be disqualified from law enforcement for using excessive force, lying in a court case, or being untruthful during an internal investigation.

Research & Analysis

Reforming the System

Did the Frontier Warp American Justice?

The westward expansion of the U.S. was accompanied by an "indifference" to the suffering of those victimized by it―and a predilection for harsh punishment that continues to influence our justice system, argues criminologist Michael Tonry of the University of Minnesota.
Hate Crimes

2020 Saw Highest Number of Hate Crimes in 20 Years: FBI

One of the main findings of the latest revised FBI report is that hate crimes against people of Asian descent rose by 76 percent in 2020 — furthering the FBI’s finding that 60 percent of hate crimes were carried out on the basis of an individual’s race.
Immigration

ICE Data Shows 2021 Immigration Arrests Fell to Lowest Level in Over a Decade

The decrease is attributed to the new rules established by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, which instruct officers to prioritize threats to national security and public safety.
Reforming the System

How Philadelphia’s ‘Bail Advocates’ Reduced Pretrial Racial Disparities

The pretrial process in U.S. courts often sets up defendants to fail. The results of a Philadelphia pilot project suggest that hiring paraprofessionals to furnish defenders with more individualized information about clients could make a big difference, according to an Indiana Law Journal paper.
Cybercrime

Natural Disasters Could Leave Communities Exposed to Cyberattacks: Report

An attack directly after a natural disaster could create a domino effect leading to a loss of electrical power, water, and disruption of telecommunications and other infrastructure, according to Pew Stateline.
Guns

California ‘Red Flag Law’ Hampered by Funding, Coordination Issues: Study

Lack of sufficient funding and a failure to coordinate between law enforcement agencies has reduced the effectiveness of a 2016 California law authorizing police to remove firearms from people considered to be at risk of harming themselves or others, according to a UC Davis study.

WORTH A READ

TCR Special Reports

Is It Time to Rethink the ‘American Way of Punishment’?
By Stephen Handelman | November 4, 2021
America’s harsh sentencing policies over the past three decades have condemned individuals to lengthy prison terms that offer little opportunity for rehabilitation, fail to provide them with a path for a successful return to civilian life, and have little impact on public safety, a webinar was told Wednesday.
Guns

‘Ghost Guns’ Complicate Crackdown on Firearm Violence
By Andrea Cipriano | November 4, 2021
Law enforcement and researchers alike are struggling to pin-point the origins of many guns used in crimes today — partly because they're untraceable ghost guns, and partly because of the vast "iron pipeline" of gun trafficking in America.
Policing

Voters Send ‘Go-Slow’ Message on Police Reform
By TCR Staff | November 3, 2021
A proposal to replace the Minneapolis police with a department of public safety was soundly defeated by voters Tuesday, while Austin rejected additional spending on its police force. The two results bracketed a national mood of concern over rising crime with cautious support for change in policing.
TCR Special Reports

When Your Criminal Case Is Dropped, But Your Mugshot Lives Forever
By Julie Levitch | November 3, 2021
Over a year ago, Phoenix writer Julie Levitch was arrested and booked on a charge that was later dismissed, but her police mugshot remains online. She has been fighting ever since to have it removed.

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

Policy & Politics

Justice Department Sues Texas Over Restrictive Voting Law

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Cybercrime

State Department Announces $10 Million Bounty for Colonial Pipeline Hackers

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Domestic Terrorism

Oath Keepers List Active-Duty Police Among Ranks

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Race and Equity

States Move to Assess Impact of New Laws in Wake of Pandemic, BLM & George Floyd

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Politics

Key Contributor to Democratic Probe of Trump’s Russian Connections Arrested

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Immigration

Advocates Call for Prosecution of Clandestine Border Patrol Investigation Unit

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Police Misconduct

Virginia Decertification Law Expanded to Include Dishonesty, Excessive Force

By TCR Staff | November 5, 2021

Policing

Cleveland Expands Civilian Oversight of Police

Juries

Ahmaud Arbery Case Will be Decided by Jury of 11 Whites, 1 Black

Immigration

Biden Balks at Compensation Considered for Separated Migrant Families

Crime Trends

FAA Refers Over Three Dozen Unruly Airline Passengers to FBI

Homicide

Released From Bali Prison, Heather Mack Now Indicted in U.S. for Murdering Her Mother

Mayor Seeks to Invest $5 Million in Portland Police One Year After Defunding Initiative

A Gun Rights Activist Filed SCOTUS Briefs, the NRA Hid That They Paid Him to Do It

States Confront Rise in Catalytic Converter Thefts Amid Spike in Value of Precious Metals

Biden Administration Pushes to End Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ Policy