'We're triaging': Cops combat violent crime as ranks dwindle
2 years, 7 months ago

'We're triaging': Cops combat violent crime as ranks dwindle

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We’re getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them,” said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Eric Gripp, whose department has been rotating employees from specialty units for short assignments to increase patrols. “There’s a lot of evidence that something bigger is going on than the social justice protests that happened, and it’s probably more than one thing,” said Struhl, whose center has worked with Baltimore, Philadelphia and Oakland to reduce gun violence. To address the violence, Portland’s police chief broke up specialized units to bolster patrol numbers and moved detectives from assault, cold case and gun violence units to create a third eight-person homicide squad. “We’re triaging.” But what law enforcement says is a staffing crisis could actually be a case of misdirected resources, said Christy Lopez, co-director of Georgetown Law School’s Center for Innovations in Community Safety.

Crime Gun Violence Violence City Philadelphia Gun Angeles Los Angeles Going Officers No One Portland Brian Violent Crime Executive Director Violent Garrison  dwindle  violence  combat  angeles  crime  philadelphia  violent  gun  ranks  going  cops  city  staffing  triaging  officers

History of this topic

Phoenix police violated the rights of homeless residents and minority communities, scathing DOJ report finds
9 months ago

Phoenix police violated the rights of homeless residents and minority communities, scathing DOJ report finds

CNN  

CNN — The Phoenix Police Department has for years violated the constitutional rights of residents experiencing homelessness and regularly discriminated against minority communities, according to a Justice Department report released Thursday. Justice Department investigators found that Phoenix police targets “people experiencing homelessness, retaliates against people who criticize the police, and disproportionately uses force against people with behavioral health disabilities.” The …

New initiative seeks to crack down on violent gun crime in Southern California
11 months, 3 weeks ago

New initiative seeks to crack down on violent gun crime in Southern California

LA Times  

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada, right, takes questions during a press conference on Feb. 1, 2023, in Los Angeles. “This increase in violent gun crime is unacceptable.” The push to more widely leverage the federal judicial system likely would sidestep local and state prosecutors. But in a statement, the L.A. County district attorney’s office applauded the initiative, welcoming “the introduction of …

When High-Tech Policing Goes Wrong
1 year ago

When High-Tech Policing Goes Wrong

Slate  

Take a walk around Chicago, or Boston, or New York, or Denver, or San Diego, and look up at the street corners. Our reporting was based on internal company emails from ShotSpotter, as well as data that we obtained via public records requests from the city and the Chicago Police Department. When ShotSpotter was found to have its sensors overwhelmingly …

FBI report: Violent crime decreases to pre-pandemic levels, but property crime is on the rise
1 year, 4 months ago

FBI report: Violent crime decreases to pre-pandemic levels, but property crime is on the rise

Associated Press  

ST. LOUIS — Violent crime across the U.S. decreased last year — dropping to about the same level as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic — but property crimes rose substantially, according to data in the FBI’s annual crime report released Monday. Rachael Eisenberg, managing director of rights and justice for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for American Progress, said …

Crime is down, but fear is up: Why is L.A. still perceived as dangerous?
1 year, 5 months ago

Crime is down, but fear is up: Why is L.A. still perceived as dangerous?

LA Times  

Skipp Townsend remembers a time when crime got so bad at Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard that Metro buses used to barely slow down at the bus stop, where gang members were known to jump aboard and pick fights with passengers. The statistics may indicate the city is getting safer, but Townsend, who works with 2nd Call, a community based …

US cities hope crime strategies keep homicide numbers dropping and prevent summer surge
1 year, 9 months ago

US cities hope crime strategies keep homicide numbers dropping and prevent summer surge

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — An expected bump in violent crime this summer has mayors and police officials around the U.S. rolling out familiar strategies of making officers more visible and engaging with community groups, in some cases leaning on civilians to enforce curfews and keep the peace. Violence often surges during summer months, so this holiday weekend will undoubtedly ramp up pressure …

U.S. cities reporting fewer killings hope crime strategies promote peace this summer
1 year, 9 months ago

U.S. cities reporting fewer killings hope crime strategies promote peace this summer

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “It’s going to take all of us, not just …

Oakland police are doubling down on a tough-on-crime plan. Some activists are skeptical
2 years, 4 months ago

Oakland police are doubling down on a tough-on-crime plan. Some activists are skeptical

LA Times  

Chief LeRonne Armstrong, shown last year, said the Oakland Police Department will be extending what was initially a 30-day initiative to deploy “all available resources” against gun violence. “That’s not plausible.” And despite the efforts laid out by Armstrong, Brooks described the Police Department’s relationship with the community as “horrific.” “Rather than actually addressing the small percentage of the folks …

FBI finds US crime rate steady in 2021, but data incomplete
2 years, 5 months ago

FBI finds US crime rate steady in 2021, but data incomplete

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The FBI estimates violent crime rates didn’t increase substantially last year, though they remained above pre-pandemic levels, according to annual crime data. The report, released Wednesday, comes with major caveats — about 40% of law-enforcement agencies didn’t participate, including big cities like New York City, Los Angeles and Miami, after a major overhaul in the reporting system. The …

‘Devastating': Mass shootings obscure daily U.S. gun toll
2 years, 6 months ago

‘Devastating': Mass shootings obscure daily U.S. gun toll

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Cameron Taylor was watching an illegal street race that had attracted hundreds to an intersection in Portland, Oregon, but decided to leave as the crowd got increasingly unruly. In Portland, police busy with three killings and nine non-fatal shootings in 48 hours couldn’t control three illegal street races last weekend that attracted hundreds and shut down major …

‘Overwhelmed': Cops combat violent crime as ranks dwindle
2 years, 7 months ago

‘Overwhelmed': Cops combat violent crime as ranks dwindle

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — Five years after Brian Spaulding’s parents found him fatally shot in the home he shared with roommates, his slaying remains a mystery that seems increasingly unlikely to be solved as Portland, Oregon, police confront a spike in killings and more than 100 officer vacancies. “We’re getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer …

Police combat violent crime as ranks dwindle
2 years, 7 months ago

Police combat violent crime as ranks dwindle

LA Times  

George, right, and Carolyn Spaulding hold an old family photo showing their son, Brian, in Portland, Ore., on July 20. “We’re getting more calls for service and there are fewer people to answer them,” said Philadelphia Police spokesperson Eric Gripp, whose department has been rotating employees from specialty units for short assignments to increase patrols. To address the violence, Portland’s …

Column: Everyone has a theory of why crime is rising. This one doesn’t get discussed enough
2 years, 11 months ago

Column: Everyone has a theory of why crime is rising. This one doesn’t get discussed enough

LA Times  

Surveillance video captured a man being chased down and robbed in October on a street in downtown Los Angeles. “If everyone is in the same boat — even if it’s a difficult boat — that’s different than if you’re barely hanging on to the edge of the boat and others seem to be churning away in their super-yachts,” said Manuel …

Activists Claim That US Media Twists Facts To Show That Their Cities Need More Police
2 years, 11 months ago

Activists Claim That US Media Twists Facts To Show That Their Cities Need More Police

News 18  

The attack on the New York subway on Tuesday evening by a lone operator has sparked new debates on how US media covers news related to crime in its major cities. Alec Karakatsanis, a criminal justice activist, took to Twitter to explain how the New York Times and other media outlets use crime stories to advocate for more policing or …

The United States homicide rate continues to soar in 2021. Why?
3 years, 4 months ago

The United States homicide rate continues to soar in 2021. Why?

Al Jazeera  

‘Shock to the system’ from COVID-19, George Floyd protests, rising gun crime, poverty and racism are seen as root causes. “It’s sort of a perfect storm.” Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was killed while being arrested by Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. In Houston, the US’s fourth-largest city, police have tracked 339 homicides so far this year, an increase …

Portland police chief slams city's violence as it sees 19 shootings in 54 hours and a double murder
3 years, 4 months ago

Portland police chief slams city's violence as it sees 19 shootings in 54 hours and a double murder

Daily Mail  

Portland's police chief branded the woke-but-crime-ravaged city's 54 shootings over a 19 hour period 'stunning' and attacked calls to to defund his department. Portland saw 19 shootings over 54 hours between early last Friday morning and Sunday evening, which Police Chief Chuck Lovell called 'stunning' Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell took to Twitter Monday night to plea for an end …

On front lines of L.A.’s homicide spike, these detectives race to solve mounting caseloads
3 years, 4 months ago

On front lines of L.A.’s homicide spike, these detectives race to solve mounting caseloads

LA Times  

When the calls about new killings come in, often after dark and on weekends, Los Angeles homicide detectives John Meneses and Jason Sharman rush out to meet the dead. At other times, they gather for celebrations — including cookouts in honor of a gang’s founding or a big homecoming of dispersed members — and take over entire housing developments, Chacon …

Portland, Oregon, police challenged in ‘really tough environment’ as violence spikes
3 years, 5 months ago

Portland, Oregon, police challenged in ‘really tough environment’ as violence spikes

CNN  

CNN — Chuck Lovell was sworn in as Portland’s police chief in June 2020, not long into the pandemic and just a couple of chaos-filled weeks after George Floyd was murdered by a Minnesota police officer. “It’s been challenging coming in during the pandemic, but also during such a time of tumultuous activity in the city, and the cries for …

Column: His son was murdered in South L.A. He still says cops aren’t the answer to crime
3 years, 8 months ago

Column: His son was murdered in South L.A. He still says cops aren’t the answer to crime

LA Times  

If anyone has a legitimate reason to want the city — indeed, the country — to be tougher on crime, it would be William Gude. Normally, Gude’s Twitter account, @FilmThePoliceLA, is filled with footage of him questioning Los Angeles police as they search vehicles and secure crime scenes, interactions that often lead the Hollywood resident to file complaints about officers …

Biden pushes effort to combat rising tide of violent crime
3 years, 8 months ago

Biden pushes effort to combat rising tide of violent crime

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to lay out new steps to stem a rising national tide of violent crime, with a particular focus on gun violence, as administration officials brace for what they fear could be an especially turbulent summer. White House aides believe that Biden, with his long legislative record on crime as a former senator, is not …

CNN spent two nights on patrol with the NYPD. Here’s what they told us about spiking crime in the city
3 years, 8 months ago

CNN spent two nights on patrol with the NYPD. Here’s what they told us about spiking crime in the city

CNN  

CNN — The New York Police Department’s 46th Precinct, covering the South Bronx, was once known as the most dangerous square mile in America. “I’ll still be at work and they’ll be back at the precinct picking up their property before I’m even done with court,” said Officer Michael Kearns. Jim, one bad incident can set you back so far …

US crime rise draws fears of ‘bloody summer’, calls for more cops
3 years, 8 months ago

US crime rise draws fears of ‘bloody summer’, calls for more cops

Al Jazeera  

New York mayoral race is the latest battleground for debate on money for police amid US’ national crime increase. Homicides and other violent crimes that shot up in 2020 are continuing their national rise, and President Joe Biden will speak on Wednesday about what he “is going to do to help address” rising crime, especially gun violence, “as we’ve seen …

US police ‘very nervous’ about officer-initiated enforcement as gun violence soars
3 years, 8 months ago

US police ‘very nervous’ about officer-initiated enforcement as gun violence soars

CNN  

CNN — A team of Portland Police Bureau officers that responded to the city’s violent summer of protests has disbanded because of what their union called a “politically driven” decision to indict a member on criminal charges. “It can easily get out of hand.” ‘There seems to be more caution than ever’ Video Ad Feedback Chicago police release video of …

Police chiefs confront a surge of gun violence – and it’s not even summer
3 years, 9 months ago

Police chiefs confront a surge of gun violence – and it’s not even summer

CNN  

CNN — An unrelenting surge in gun violence and murder is gripping American cities even before the habitual summer spike in crime, leaving police brass from New York to New Orleans scrambling for solutions. “And the breadth of it, the fact that just about every major American city, let alone the suburbs, are experiencing significant crime increases, particularly shootings and …

US crime rise not letting up in major cities
3 years, 11 months ago

US crime rise not letting up in major cities

CNN  

CNN — Major American cities saw a 33% increase in homicides last year as a pandemic swept across the country, millions of people joined protests against racial injustice and police brutality, and the economy collapsed under the weight of the pandemic — a crime surge that has continued into the first quarter of this year. “Because the protests were peaceful, …

Law enforcement diversity may improve policing, study shows
4 years, 1 month ago

Law enforcement diversity may improve policing, study shows

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — In the last decade, high-profile police killings — including George Floyd in 2020 — have shaken the nation and led to widespread protests and calls for reform, including hiring more nonwhite and female officers. “We just haven’t had good data on what reforms work.” For the paper, Knox and his colleagues analyzed data on nearly 3 million Chicago …

Violent crime soars during pandemic as confidence in police takes a hit
4 years, 7 months ago

Violent crime soars during pandemic as confidence in police takes a hit

CNN  

CNN — As the body counts rise, American cities remain ground zero for a deadly new reality. “It’s a time unlike any other American history,” said Wexler, who noted both the coronavirus pandemic and recent calls for police reform have had an impact on law enforcement. “I think the behavior that’s been shown on these viral videos is not representative …

Shootings across US amid continued summer surge in gun violence
4 years, 7 months ago

Shootings across US amid continued summer surge in gun violence

CNN  

CNN — Chicago and New York are among a number of cities that saw heightened levels of gun violence this weekend, continuing a trend of increased violence over the past few months. In Chicago, nearly 30 people were shot and three people killed over the weekend, Chicago Police said Sunday morning. Other cities with violence In Philadelphia, five people were …

Crime is surging in US cities. Some say defunding the police will actually make it fall
4 years, 8 months ago

Crime is surging in US cities. Some say defunding the police will actually make it fall

CNN  

CNN — It’s been a long time since summer in the US felt this feverish. In a letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio and other New York leaders, PBA President Patrick Lynch said city officials “created an atmosphere of hatred and disrespect toward police officers and criminals are taking full advantage.” When the New York Attorney General issued guidelines for …

The psychology of police violence: What makes so many cops have racial biases?
4 years, 8 months ago

The psychology of police violence: What makes so many cops have racial biases?

Salon  

Any way you slice it, the statistics about American policing are damning. "I think it culminates in them getting positions like police officers, where they have this unrestrained power, unchecked," Woody-Cooper told Salon. Parker also ticked off a tendency among law enforcement to view areas with large African American populations as "battlegrounds," the fact that politicians like President Donald Trump …

In letter to uniformed members, NYPD commissioner says they will have to fight crime differently and with fewer street stops
4 years, 8 months ago

In letter to uniformed members, NYPD commissioner says they will have to fight crime differently and with fewer street stops

CNN  

CNN — The New York Police Department commissioner wrote to uniformed members Tuesday that the department will have to fight crime differently – and do it with fewer street stops, according to a letter CNN obtained from a senior law enforcement official. And we’ll hope for changes in some laws that would put people in jail who dare carry illegal …

Los Angeles mayor touts major drops in crime in 2018
6 years, 1 month ago

Los Angeles mayor touts major drops in crime in 2018

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Crime is down in every category in Los Angeles and homicides are at their second lowest in more than 50 years, the city’s mayor and police chief announced Monday. “This is one of the safest times to live in Los Angeles in all of our history,” said Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore, who became chief last …

‘They are damn lies’: LAPD chief lashes out after captain accuses department of phony crime statistics
7 years, 4 months ago

‘They are damn lies’: LAPD chief lashes out after captain accuses department of phony crime statistics

LA Times  

Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck at an Oct. 3 news conference. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck forcefully denied that his department has falsified violent crime statistics, dismissing allegations that the LAPD is misleading the public as “not only untrue, but outrageous.” “They are not only lies, but they are damn lies,” Beck said Tuesday of the allegations. Carranza, …

In New York, major crime complaints fell when cops took a break from ‘proactive policing’
7 years, 5 months ago

In New York, major crime complaints fell when cops took a break from ‘proactive policing’

LA Times  

A New York City police officer on the scene of a shooting apparently intended to avenge the death of Eric Garner. New research shows that when the NYPD took a seven-week break from “proactive policing,” complaints about major crimes fell. When New York police officers temporarily reduced their “proactive policing” efforts on low-level offenses, major-crime reports in the city actually …

Race And Policing: Treat Black Men And Boys Like Victims, Too
8 years, 5 months ago

Race And Policing: Treat Black Men And Boys Like Victims, Too

NPR  

Race And Policing: Treat Black Men And Boys Like Victims, Too Enlarge this image toggle caption Joshua Lott/Getty Images Joshua Lott/Getty Images A few years ago, a pair of sociologists named Andrew Papachristos and Christopher Wildeman decided to study gun violence in Chicago. In their efforts to reduce violence in places where it has remained stubbornly elevated, police departments in …

LAPD reassigns elite cops after killings fall in South L.A. but crime jumps in other parts of L.A.
8 years, 5 months ago

LAPD reassigns elite cops after killings fall in South L.A. but crime jumps in other parts of L.A.

LA Times  

With homicides declining steadily after a large spike earlier this year, the Los Angeles Police Department has scaled back an emergency crime-fighting operation that had flooded South Los Angeles with officers from the elite Metropolitan Division. Starting on Saturday, more than half of the Metro officers who were deployed in South Los Angeles were assigned to other areas, though they …

Baltimore police chief: Focus on reforms, building trust
8 years, 7 months ago

Baltimore police chief: Focus on reforms, building trust

Associated Press  

BALTIMORE — Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Justice released a scathing report detailing racial discrimination, excessive force and rampant abuse within the Baltimore Police Department. Commissioner Kevin Davis told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday that he will focus on training officers and supervisors at every level and emphasize repairing the fractured trust between police and community …

Politicians run the police state: They declared the war on crime that sends cops into battle
8 years, 8 months ago

Politicians run the police state: They declared the war on crime that sends cops into battle

Salon  

It’s not hyperbole to say that Eric Garner was choked to death in significant part because Mayor Bill de Blasio, like his predecessors, orders police to crack down on so-called quality of life offenses. Similarly, cops stop and frisk because they must answer to lieutenants, who must answer to captains, who must answer to chiefs, who must answer to mayors …

U.S. cities see unexplained rise in violent crimes this year
8 years, 9 months ago

U.S. cities see unexplained rise in violent crimes this year

LA Times  

Chicago police work the scene where a man was fatally shot in the chest in the Washington Park neighborhood on May 30. The Major Cities Chiefs Assn., a nonprofit that works with police chiefs in the 50 largest cities in the U.S. as well as the seven largest cities in Canada, began hearing last year that violent crimes were increasing, …

There is no Ferguson effect: New data confirm the war on police is a right-wing myth
8 years, 9 months ago

There is no Ferguson effect: New data confirm the war on police is a right-wing myth

Salon  

According to the FBI, 2015 was one of the safest years on record to be a police officer in America. This manufactured battle is supposedly linked with the “Ferguson effect,” the theory—popular in conservative circles and other places where white people thrive on having their racist fears stoked—that Black Lives Matter and other anti-police-brutality protesters have created a “surge in …

US cities tackle gun crime with cash incentives and trips abroad for young criminals
8 years, 11 months ago

US cities tackle gun crime with cash incentives and trips abroad for young criminals

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Cities across America are …

L.A. crime hits highest level since 2009 amid more gang violence and homelessness
9 years, 2 months ago

L.A. crime hits highest level since 2009 amid more gang violence and homelessness

LA Times  

Al Reyes speaks to a new platoon of LAPD Metropolitan Division officers who were deployed as part of the department’s effort to drive down the crime increase last year. With every crime category increasing last year in the city, total crime stood at its highest point since 2009, according to data released by Los Angeles Police Department. To stem rising …

Nationwide Crime Spike Has Law Enforcement Retooling Its Approach
9 years, 8 months ago

Nationwide Crime Spike Has Law Enforcement Retooling Its Approach

NPR  

Nationwide Crime Spike Has Law Enforcement Retooling Its Approach Enlarge this image toggle caption Martin Kaste/NPR Martin Kaste/NPR Crime in America may be on the rise again. But the platoon's boss, Lt. Roger Murphy, says this isn't about sending people back to jail so much as it is about warning potential troublemakers to keep their heads down. Sponsor Message Noblet …

Crime rise puts LAPD in a difficult position
9 years, 11 months ago

Crime rise puts LAPD in a difficult position

LA Times  

The city’s first major crime increase in more than a decade has Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck trying to maintain a delicate balance. The new crime-fighting strategy will be data-driven, Beck said, with deployments based in part on the crime pattern algorithms known as “predictive policing.” Parachuting reinforcements into unfamiliar territory on this scale marks a change from the …

After Years Of Violence, L.A.'s Watts Sees Crime Subside
11 years, 7 months ago

After Years Of Violence, L.A.'s Watts Sees Crime Subside

NPR  

After Years Of Violence, L.A.'s Watts Sees Crime Subside Enlarge this image toggle caption Thomas Watkins/AP Thomas Watkins/AP On most weeknights, in the middle of his shift, Los Angeles police officer Keith Mott trades his gun and uniform for a T-shirt and shorts, and heads to a park in the Watts neighborhood of South Los Angeles. It's a dramatic turnaround …

Crime check
13 years, 5 months ago

Crime check

The Hindu  

The fall in crime rate in the U.S. is attributed to various factors, but the key is intelligent policing by committed professionals. In Zimring's view, the drop in crime in many American cities is the result of hard-core policing at the street level. Readers may recall how, in the late 1990s, Bill Bratton, as chief of the New York City …

Case for gun control
18 years, 2 months ago

Case for gun control

The Hindu  

In the unprecedented coverage of two recent judgments, the media missed an opportunity to draw attention to the perils of a growing gun culture. I can't help feeling that if someone broke into my house and I went for my gun there's a good chance someone would end up dead and it would not necessarily be the burglar. The article …

Discover Related