The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/policing/)
Treating minor gun crimes as future homicides has helped to cut down on violence in Houston, and a key tool for investigators is the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network, now much improved from the original program first introduced by the feds in 1999.
An Urban Institute study released June 21 says body cameras have a “civilizing effect” on police encounters even when a civilian is unaware that an officer is wearing a camera– suggesting that the cameras may be changing the way officers behave.
Few officers are convicted of wrongful use of force, and civil rights lawsuits may not be changing underlying police behavior. Insurers may play a bigger role in the future.
Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said a special week-long deployment of more officers showed that “when we have police officers in uniform on the streets of Baltimore, it does have an impact on the violence.” Still, the year is on pace to be the deadliest in the city’s history.
Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas measured self-control based on eight indicators, including whether the officer had financial problems or had been in a car accident. Each indicator increased the likelihood of an officer’s involvement in a shooting by 21 percent.
Sheriff had announced his own role in the Trump administration, but now he has withdrawn. He will “promote the president;’s agenda in a more aggressive role.”
The mayor, who is deciding whether to run for a third term, has four options as police critics have filed a lawsuit seeking court oversight for the city’s police department.
As an officer and former detective are charged with theft and violence in Sweetwater, Fl., Police Chief Placido Diaz says, “The details are appalling. I’ve never encountered anything that egregious.”
The city canceled its contract with New Hampshire firm when it discovered two vests being worn by suspects at the time of their arrests. The company was selling the vests on eBay.
African-American plaintiffs and Black Lives Matter Chicago are among those joining in the lawsuit. Mayor Rahm Emanuel this month backed away from seeking federal court supervision of the police department.