+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Poll: 'Defund the Police' Policies Remain Highly Unpopular May 20, 2022 Backing for police reform policies has dropped nationwide, even among ardent, progressive supporters, according to a new poll by the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ BLM has left Black Americans worse off since the movement began, experts say Fox News 5/12/22 'These communities are worse off because by (BLM) overemphasizing the role of police, they've changed police behavior for the worse,' the Manhattan Institute's Jason Riley says. Experts say Black America has not benefited since the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, which called for defunding the police after the killing of George Floyd.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Devices Can Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft Consumer Reports 4/6/22 Catalytic converter anti-theft devices are available from various manufacturers and range from steel plates protecting the underside of the vehicle to cages made from steel cables that are meant to discourage thieves from stealing a converter by making removal more time-consuming, which in turn increases the thief’s exposure to getting caught. Alarms—both full vehicle systems and special converter-specific ones—also can be effective deterrents. Talk with a trusted mechanic to see what they recommend for your vehicle. Anti-theft solutions can be pricey, but they often cost less than a new catalytic converter.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nebraska Lawmakers Reject Criminal Justice Reforms Aimed At Slowing Prison Growth Omaha World-Herald 4/6/22The defeat of Legislative Bill 920 marked the ultimate failure of a cooperative effort by state lawmakers, Gov. Pete Ricketts and the state’s court system to come together with outside experts. State Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha said what doomed the process in the end was the refusal of opponents — both in the Legislature and within the state’s law enforcement community
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lawmakers want automakers to assist police investigating carjackings CBS 4/6/22 Ohio state lawmakers propose legislation that would require auto manufacturers to provide 24/7 assistance to law enforcement agencies investigating carjackings by setting up a 1-800 hotline connecting police to carmakers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Follow the money: NFL funding ‘defund the police’ movement through ‘Inspire Change’ program LE Today 12/16/21According to the NFL’s website, “Inspire Change” was created by players and clubs “as part of an ongoing acknowledgement of the ways that systemic racism contributes to barriers to opportunity and equality.” Groups that have received funds as part of “Inspire Change” program include the Vera Institute of Justice, the Oregon Justice Resource Center, and the Community Justice Exchange. All of these groups support defunding or abolishing the police, according to Fox News’ review of their public statements.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Washington State Officials Warn Of Local Mental Health Crisis Caused By Police Use-Of-Force Law Fox News 12/6/21 Mental health officials in Washington state are worried about a mental health crisis that is now getting even worse because of a new state law aimed at reducing use of force by law enforcement. Since HB 1310 went into effect July 25, the backlog of [mental health] cases has more than doubled in King County as many agencies no longer send officers on mental health calls unless a crime has been committed. HB 1310 was part of sweeping police reform laws passed by the Washington state legislature in 2021 in response to Black Lives Matter protests. The Democratic-controlled government did not define force, but did indicate officers should consider leaving the scene "if there is no threat of imminent harm and no crime has been committed, is being committed, or is about to be committed." See the bill at this link. See the bill explainer at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Painted in Blood: The Price of Looting, Plundering, and Pillaging in America Police Magazine 12/3/21 Some "Social Justice Experts" have cautioned against using the term "looting" to describe the rash of thefts taking place from coast to coast. So, in lieu of "looting" or "plundering" or "pillaging" perhaps we can agree on something along the lines of "organized retail theft." This is the term favored by the National Retail Federation.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Consequences of Leftist Crime Policies Daily Signal 11/26/21 A 39-year-old man in Waukesha, Wisconsin, plowed a maroon Ford Escape into a Christmas parade of children and older women. Five people were killed and another 48 were injured. The suspect should not have been on the street. He had a long rap sheet. His latest alleged crime took place on Nov. 5, when he was charged with resisting an officer, bail jumping, recklessly endangering safety, disorderly conduct and battery. First, he allegedly slammed the mother of his child with his fist, and then ran her over—wait for it—in a maroon Ford Escape. He was released on Friday … on $1,000 bail. Two days later, he ran his vehicle over innocent victims.
San Francisco’s Union Square witnessed a massive group of looters smashing and grabbing at a Louis Vuitton store; meanwhile, thieves congregated to steal product in Walnut Creek, Pleasanton, Hayward and San Jose. San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced that he would end “mass incarceration” and cash bail; he stopped prosecuting shoplifting cases—in 2020, just 44% of shoplifting cases were prosecuted.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ‘Experts’ in California say we need to stop calling thieves ‘looters’ – because most retail theft is decriminalized anyway LE Today 11/25/21The term “looting” is now deemed very offensive. “Expert” voices are being amplified by social justice reporters to get the message out to citizens that some words matter. "As the Bay Area grapples with a wave of seemingly organized smash and grab robberies this weekend, policing and journalism analysts are cautioning against the use of the term looting," Julian says.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ore. Troopers Seize Half-Million Pounds of Marijuana Officer.com 11/22/21 State police made the largest large-scale marijuana bust in southern Oregon while serving a warrant at an illegal White City processing facility consisting of five industrial-sized warehouses.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Drug overdose deaths top 100,000 annually for the first time, driven by fentanyl, CDC data show CNN 11/17/21 More than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses in the United States during the 12-month period ending April 2021, according to provisional data published Wednesday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's a new record high, with overdose deaths jumping 28.5% from the same period a year earlier and nearly doubling over the past five years. Drug overdoses cause about twice as many deaths as car accidents and gun violence combined.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How a partially-covered license plate led to the DEA seizing $165K from Missouri pot shops KC Star 11/12/21 Dickinson County Sheriff’s Detective Kalen Robison pulled over a white Ford Transit van heading east on I-70 near Abilene in May. In a written report, Robison said DEA agents later watched the driver, who has not been charged, enter at least two dispensaries. A previously-reported affidavit from DEA Agent Bryson Wheeler said the driver entered multiple dispensaries in Kansas City, Mo.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Medical marijuana laws in Colorado will be more strict starting Jan. 1 Denver Post 11/11/21 Colorado will impose stricter rules for the purchase of medical marijuana starting Jan. 1 following several months of deliberation over how to execute a new state law meant largely to limit young people’s access to and abuse of high-potency THC products.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Changing drug laws means changing training for police K-9 units KCTV 5 News 11/10/21 Police departments across the country are looking ahead and making changes when it comes to their K-9 officers, all because drug laws are changing. Many departments are deciding new dogs should not detect marijuana.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New York officials consider allowing illegal drug use in certain areas “to help keep people safe” LE Today 11/7/21 Leaders in New York are pushing for an area in Harlem where people can openly use illegal drugs in hopes that any incidents of overdoses could be caught immediately. Ryan Thoresen Carson believes that these facilities would provide drug users a venue to safely use their drug of choice, all while under the care of medical personnel. The hope would be two-fold: 1) That the number of overdose deaths would decrease with these centers 2) That the workers would be able to somehow convince the drug users to seek treatment instead of their drugs.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas lawmakers consider requiring physical evaluation for child abuse claims Kansas Reflector 11/5/21 Child welfare advocates and Kansas lawmakers are pushing to amend a law mandating visual observation of victims in child abuse investigations to include a physical evaluation by a health professional.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Car Crash Deaths Involving Cannabis Increasing, More Likely to Involve Alcohol Forensic Magazine 11/5/21 New research indicates that between 2000 and 2018, the percentage of car crash deaths in the United States involving cannabis have doubled, and the percentage of deaths involving both cannabis and alcohol, have more than doubled. Researchers from Boston Medical Center, Boston University, and University of Victoria found people who died in crashes involving cannabis had 50 percent greater odds of also having alcohol in their system. Published in the American Journal of Public Health, these results suggest that as states have loosened cannabis policies, cannabis and alcohol have increasingly been used together when driving.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Autopsy huckster without Kansas medical credentials guilty of six offenses Kansas Reflector 11/5/21 The autopsy huckster who posed as an expert to examine the body of Michael Brown, who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, has been found guilty of three counts of felony theft and three misdemeanor counts of criminal desecration in Kansas. Shawn Parcells, who has lived in Topeka and Leawood, was convicted by a Wabaunsee County jury of illegally obtaining money from the county to perform autopsies in three cases. He also was deemed guilty of violating state law by performing autopsies without a pathologist present. The violations of state law occurred in 2014 and 2015.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas state mental health hospitals reach ‘crisis level’ with low staffing, capacity KC Star 11/5/21 A review of state data and interviews with officials, lawmakers, union leaders and others with knowledge of the state hospitals shows a troubled and stressed system struggling to cope with the demand for intense, in-patient psychiatric care. Long-running challenges at Larned and Osawatomie, the state’s other large facility, have been exacerbated by the pandemic as Kansas grapples with the same workforce shortages that have gripped the national economy. Those worried about the situation at Larned have grown increasingly desperate. Last week a coalition of 59 sheriffs, many from western Kansas, told Kelly in a letter that the hospital had hit a “crisis level.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The major killer that America is ignoring-Speeding Fortune Magazine 11/4/21 Speeding in the U.S. has become a deadly social norm. It’s “the enemy…It’s the other pandemic,” says Pam Shadel Fischer, senior director of external engagement for the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA). And while speed-related fatalities are not an America-only issue, the traffic fatality rate in the U.S. is 50% higher than in Canada, Australia, Japan, and Western European countries, where, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report, traffic fatality rates have been falling.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas sheriffs send letter to governor asking for changes to KDADS, Larned State Hospital KAKE News 11/4/21 Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir and almost sixty other Kansas sheriffs have sent a letter to Governor Laura Kelly saying the operations and management at Larned State Hospital have reached a crisis level. KDADS Response: In a response to the letter signed by 59 Kansas sheriffs, secretary for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Laura Howard wrote that “a number of initiatives are underway to address the Larned State Hospital’s systemic challenges. Howard said that KDADS is working with community hospitals to provide psychiatric services closer to the patient’s home, a response to the sheriffs’ complaint that some patients are transported to a facility in Osawatomie even when they live closer to Larned. Howard also mentions staff shortages as a critical factor in whether patients are accepted. She wrote that the sheriffs have “my commitment that my team and I will continue to do all we can to expeditiously serve individuals who need the services of Larned State Hospital.” Source: KWCH News
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 5 US cities to vote on altering their police forces KSNT News 11/2/21 Among the law’s requirements are that syringe programs only accept West Virginia IDs, uniquely label syringes, require participants to bring back a needle to get a new one and get majority approval from the county and municipality.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New Law Causes Closure Of West Virginia Needle Exchange Program Mountain State Spotlight 11/2/21 Among the law’s requirements are that syringe programs only accept West Virginia IDs, uniquely label syringes, require participants to bring back a needle to get a new one and get majority approval from the county and municipality.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ White House Addresses Suicides By Gun, As Well As Military And Veterans’ Suicides AP 11/2/21The plan calls for federal agencies, including the Defense Department, Homeland Security, the Justice Department, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and the Department of Transportation’s emergency medical services office to create public awareness campaigns to encourage safer storage of guns and training for counselors, crisis responders and others. The effort also includes the Justice Department finalizing a rule that was first proposed in 2016 and would require stores that sell firearms to also offer secure gun storage and safety devices, the White House said. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, commended the administration’s efforts on gun storage, saying they were “blazing a new path” to keep guns away from people who could be a danger to themselves.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Despite Five Years Of Legal Marijuana, California Still Has Thriving Illicit Market The Guardian 11/2/21 Voters passed a law in November 2016 making recreational marijuana legal. But today, the vast majority of the market remains underground – about 80-90% of it, according to experts.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas third in the U.S. for rate of fatal crashes involving teen drivers Wichita Eagle 10/22/21 The 567 fatal crashes involving drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 in Kansas from 2010 to 2019 accounted for 15.7% of all fatal crashes in the state. That’s third behind Nebraska (16.3%) and Utah (16.0%).
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Former Soros Activist Explains How Progressive Policies Ruined San Francisco Daily Signal 10/27/21 This is a podcast There’s a crisis in San Francisco. Homelessness has skyrocketed and drug use is rampant. “Clearly, we are in the midst of a massive drug crisis,” Shellenberger says, “and it felt like nobody was offering a particularly clear explanation of it or offering very good solutions.” Out of frustration over the problems he was seeing in San Francisco and other liberal cities, Shellenberger became determined to diagnose the problems driving the homeless crisis and find solutions. He presents the result of his research and investigation in his new book “San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lyft releases sexual assault data: 4,158 incidents, including 360 rape reports over three year periodCNN 10/21/21 Lyft received 4,158 reports of sexual assault on its platform in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Among the sexual assault reports it received, 360 were reports of rape. It also reported 10 deaths from physical assaults that occurred on its platform over the three years. By the end of 2019, Uber put out its first report, which revealed it had received 5,981 reports of sexual assault involving passengers and drivers in the two years prior, including 464 reports of rape.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Corbin KY City Commission looks to change hiring process for certified policeYahoo News 10/21/21 Applicants already certified under the Kentucky Peace Officer Professional Standards Act (POPS) and who meet the Kentucky Law Enforcement Council's (KLEC) standards shall not be required to take the required written examination given to all applicants during the hiring process.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Supreme Court Again Bolsters “Qualified Immunity” For Police Officers Reuters 10/18/21 The Supreme Court on Monday “signaled that it is not retreating from its inclination to grant a legal protection called ‘qualified immunity’ to police accused in lawsuits of using excessive force, ruling in favor of officers on Monday in separate cases from California and Oklahoma.” According to Reuters, the justices “overturned a lower court’s decision allowing a trial in a lawsuit against officers Josh Girdner and Brandon Vick over the 2016 fatal shooting of a hammer-wielding man in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. They also overturned a lower court’s decision to deny a request by police officer Daniel Rivas-Villegas for qualified immunity in a lawsuit accusing him of using excessive force in 2016 while handcuffing a suspect in Union City, California.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Oregon County Declares Emergency Over Proliferating Illegal Marijuana FarmsWashington Sun Times 10/13/21 The Jackson County (OR) Board of Commissioners said law enforcement officers and county and state regulators and code enforcers are overwhelmed and warned of an “imminent threat to the public health and safety of our citizens from the illegal production of cannabis in our county.” Illegal marijuana grows have been a persistent problem throughout the West, even in states like California that have legalized pot. A megadrought across the West has created urgency, though, as illegal growers steal water, depriving legal users including farmers and homeowners of the increasingly precious resource.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Alexandria (VA) City Council reinstates school resource officers after teacher, parent pleas over violenceFox News 10/13/21 The Alexandria City Council voted to temporarily reinstate school resource officers after teacher and parent outcry over a spate of violent fights at the public schools, which some have blamed on the council voting to do away with the officers last spring. "If our schools are deemed or even perceived unsafe, this impedes our ability to fulfill this mission and we know that teaching, learning and are thwarted when our students and staff are not provided with he optimal learning environment," said Alexandria Schools Superintendent Gregory Hutchings at the city council meeting.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New Albuquerque department eases load on police, fire crews Albuquerque Journal 10/13/21 Responders from a new city department – billed as another option to be dispatched instead of the police and fire departments – hit the streets a little over a month ago and are going to an average of nine calls a day involving mental health, homelessness, substance abuse and other public health issues, according to a spokesman.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Opinion: KC’s violent crime is a symptom of the impoverishment of non-white communities UMKC News 9/9/21 "It is clear, based on decades of local and national data, that systematic poverty and lack of educational access have severe effects on communities of color. These factors are causes of the violent crime epidemic, and a symptom of the diverse cultures to which they’re often attributed."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minneapolis Restaurant Owner Says City Now Run by Gangs Police Magazine 8/25/21 . . .doesn't see this being an issue with the Minneapolis Police Department; he sees a problem elsewhere in the city, MSN reports. "The moment that the city council condemned an entire group of men, many of whom have devoted years of their life to keep us safe, and said that they were systemically racist and they should be abolished, they destroyed the morale of the MPD," Sherman said. "In terms of them being systemically racist, I take issue with that," Sherman stated. "There certainly are members of the police force who are racist; there are members of the realtors association who are racist; there are members of every organization that are racist."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Study Finds Vaping THC Increases Psychotic Disorders Risk Lake County Star via IACP 8/19/21 A Michigan doctor conducted a study that found “the use of e-cigarettes to vape tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) places people at a significantly increased risk for the development of psychotic disorders.” Dr. Chad Percifield stated, “Research has previously shown that individuals who consume THC are three times as likely as those who do not to develop a psychotic disorder.” Percifield added, “Vaping solutions increase this risk more than sixfold due to the potency of the vaping solution, which on average contains 52% THC versus the 13% THC contained in the marijuana flower.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Bipartisan Senate Policing Reform Talks Remain Stalled Over Officers’ Liability From the IACP LEAD 8/16/21 The AP said, “Prospects seem increasingly faint for a bipartisan Senate deal on overhauling policing practices as deadlocked lawmakers have fled the Capitol for August recess and political pressure for an accord eases with each passing week.” According to the AP, “Bargainers insist they’re still talking and haven’t abandoned hope, though they’ve repeatedly blown past self-imposed deadlines.” The AP said that “for months, bargainers have been stymied over Democrats’ demands to make individual police officers accused of abuses liable for civil penalties.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Study Examines If and How Defunding the Police Would Work Forensics Magazine 8/16/21 “Research on policing has highlighted the complexity and interconnectedness of police reform and social justice in communities,” notes Christopher S. Koper, associate professor of criminology, law, and society at GMU, who participated in the study. “Shifting resources from the police to another agency, whether governmental or nongovernment, is still an unproven idea, and from our study, may be unrealistic without significant changes in funding and resource allocation.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Amber Alerts for missing Native youth a work in progress Wichita Eagle Guest Commentary 8/15/21 The OJJDP must continue to educate and support tribal leaders on a state-by-state basis with the full support of Congress, and our Kansas delegation should seize the chance to make a difference by leading on this issue.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Suspended driver's license workshop helps Kansans navigate new law KAKE News 8/14/21 The new law allows those with a suspended license to apply for a restricted driver's license, giving them the opportunity to get back on the road. Then, they have one year to pay off any additional fines before the license is suspended again.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PSU nursing school leaders to expand SANE training throughout Kansas KOAM News 8/12/21 “This class really allows law enforcement the opportunity to see and experience what our SANE nurse partners look at, why they collect evidence, how they collect evidence, why they ask the questions to the victims that they do, how they ask those questions, and what they write in their reports, so whenever we get those reports we’re able to understand the process they went through with the victims of sexual assault. Then we can convey that information to the prosecutor,” said Detective Sergeant Chris Hall with the Crawford County Sheriff’s Office.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ In push for police reform, small steps no longer enough Law Enforcement Christian Science Monitor 8/3/21 As heated as the public debate around policing is today, years of social unrest had the United States in a similar place in the 1960s. In response, President Lyndon Johnson set up a commission to explore the problems and propose solutions. His Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, however, looked far beyond policing. It not only resulted in the 911 system and the first-ever crime victimization survey, but it also examined police, prosecution, defense, the courts, and corrections.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ America Not So Racist After All, Black Ex-Cop Concludes in Reality Check Daily Signal 8/3/21 "I started out when I was younger. I didn’t like police officers growing up. They were racist white people, that’s what I heard, you know? That’s what I was taught, and what I thought."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Report: Murders Have Increased 16% This Year Across Major US Cities Fox News 7/30/21 There were 259 more murders in the first half of 2021 compared to the first half of 2020, and 548 more compared to the first half of 2019 in 29 major U.S. cities, according to a Thursday update to the Council on Criminal Justice's (CCJ) pandemic crime report. The unfortunate trend appeared in smaller locales in 2020, too. The FBI's Preliminary Uniform Crime Report released in September of 2020 found a nearly 15% increase in murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenses across the country based on information from more than 12,000 law enforcement agencies, rather than just those in major cities.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Biden is well aware his crime plan won’t work Law Enforcement Today Editorial 7/18/21 A San Francisco police officer was dispatched to the city’s Chinatown neighborhood over a man making threats against Asians. She arrived to find a large and seemingly mentally ill and homeless man at the location. She got out of her car and approached the man while holding a less-lethal shotgun. Her apparent plan was to search the man for weapons, and he appeared to comply with her orders at first. Then he turned and attacked her. The suspect in this case—identified by authorities as Geraldo Contreras—has a long record of prior arrests, including aggravated assault, elder abuse, and assaults on officers in other parts of California. ABC7, which reported the local story, could not find records of a conviction.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lawless Nation Police Magazine Editorial 7/17/21 A San Francisco police officer was dispatched to the city’s Chinatown neighborhood over a man making threats against Asians. She arrived to find a large and seemingly mentally ill and homeless man at the location. She got out of her car and approached the man while holding a less-lethal shotgun. Her apparent plan was to search the man for weapons, and he appeared to comply with her orders at first. Then he turned and attacked her. The suspect in this case—identified by authorities as Geraldo Contreras—has a long record of prior arrests, including aggravated assault, elder abuse, and assaults on officers in other parts of California. ABC7, which reported the local story, could not find records of a conviction.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Top Senate Dems Introduce Draft Bill To Legalize Marijuana Reuters 7/14/21 Three top U.S. Democratic senators on Wednesday unveiled a discussion draft of a bill that aims to legalize cannabis, a move that would allow adult Americans to buy and possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana without facing criminal penalties. The draft set the minimum age required to buy cannabis at 21 and limited retail sales transactions at the state level to 10 ounces of cannabis at a time or the equivalent amount of any cannabis derivative.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Parolee attacked woman with rock, robbed her as she left Wichita business Wichita Eagle 7/8/21 Crawford has several prior felony convictions and is currently on parole, the police news release says. His criminal history includes multiple robbery counts, burglaries and batteries from 1988 and 1990, as well as a 1998 rape, according to the KDOC. He was paroled from prison this spring.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Less than a minute after Wichita police ended chase, crash killed pregnant woman Wichita Eagle 7/8/21 Only 44 seconds elapsed between the time the officer turned around to head back to the robbery scene after receiving orders to stop the chase and the first 911 call came in.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ‘Comply now, complain later’: National Police Association releases PSA campaign to address use of force Law Enforcement Today 7/7/21The NPA said law enforcement officers encounter perilous circumstances that become more dangerous when people fail to comply with officer commands. The message of the PSA is that by complying with lawful orders, even if the subject believes they are being arrested without good reason, suspects, the public, and police officers are safer.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Some Missouri police cut ties with ATF due to new gun law KY3 News 7/4/21 A new law banning Missouri police from enforcing federal gun rules has some law enforcement agencies pulling officers off federal taskforces and others trying to figure out what is allowed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Concern over crime is growing — but Americans don’t just want more police, Post-ABC poll shows Washington Post 7/2/21Concern over crime has reached the highest point in four years amid a spike in killings in big cities and an uptick in violent crime, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released Friday, and the percentage of Americans who say crime in the United States is “extremely serious” has reached its highest point in two decades. The poll also finds that a sizable majority believe racial discrimination still exists in the country and say they hope that communities can find solutions to crime beyond putting more police officers on American streets, such as providing economic opportunities to people in low-income communities.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minnesota Legislature Passes Bill That Makes Doxing of Officers a Misdemeanor Police Magazine 7/1/21 In the bill is a piece of legislation authored by St. Cloud Representative Dan Wolgamott that would make doxing a police officer a misdemeanor. If the doxing results in bodily harm to an officer or their family, it becomes a gross misdemeanor. Doxing is the act of publicly revealing private information about someone, especially as a form of punishment. That information often includes home addresses and phone numbers. Social Security numbers have also been posted, KNSI reports.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Biden’s strategy to combat violent crime focuses on guns, community support CNBC 6/23/21 President Joe Biden outlined actions on Wednesday that his administration is taking to curb the recent rise in violent crime and gun violence. Biden announced tougher enforcement standards for gun dealers who violate federal laws. The president also said he would make it easier for state and local governments to use pandemic relief funds to combat gun violence.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Iowa Governor Signs 'Back the Blue' Law to Support Police Officer.com 6/18/21 Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday signed a "back the blue" bill that boosts support and legal protections for law enforcement as well as increases punishments for people convicted of rioting and makes it easier to charge protesters with crimes. Senate File 342, a bill that will shield law enforcement officers from some lawsuits in the form of qualified immunity and raises the penalties for a host of criminal behaviors including rioting, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, assault, harassment and eluding law officers or interfering with officers trying to control public order. See 2021 Iowa Senate File 342 at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A Lawless Nation An Editorial from Police Magazine 6/17/21 Back in the 1980s, people with strong law-and-order beliefs used to complain about “revolving door justice” where the same guys were always back out on the street committing mayhem. It’s not even a revolving door anymore. Today, the criminals are not in the system long enough to go through a revolving door. It’s more like apology justice where the progressive DAs, and the politicians, and the bail reformers, and all the other hug-a-thug activists, want cops to apologize to the criminals.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sen. Marshall calls for more funding to Kansas law enforcement WIBW News 6/17/21 Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) says he joined a bipartisan group of his colleagues to call for full funding for the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program. “As the son of a police chief, I have the utmost respect for our nation’s law enforcement officers,” said Senator Marshall. “For the criminal justice system in my home state of Kansas and across the country to operate effectively, adequate funding must be available. I’m pleased to join this bipartisan effort to ensure the men and women who risk their lives to protect our communities receive the assistance and training they need.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Crisis counselors are being hailed as police alternatives. It’s too heavy a burden, some say Washington Post 6/16/21 Montgomery’s crisis center has built a strong record over three decades of resolving conflicts peacefully and keeping people out of jail. But like many other government health services, it has seen funding cut in tight budget years. Saddled with a growing slate of responsibilities, the center’s 24 counselors have had to turn down more calls for help, leaving a service gap that has been filled by police. Police encounters with the mentally ill often end in violence. These counselors in suburban Maryland know how to deescalate — but still want police backup.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 6-year-old overdoses on THC gummy; mom says companies ‘targeting’ kids KSNT News 6/16/21 The mother of a 6-year-old girl who overdosed on THC is questioning why it is packaged in a way that might appeal to children. Morgan McCoy’s 6-year-old daughter consumed 50 mg of THC — the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects — after finding it in a dresser.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Boston City Council wants more transparency with police gang database Boston25 News 6/15/21 There are 101 active gangs with more than 2,650 suspected gang members operating in and around Boston, according to new numbers released by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Addiction: A crisis that extends far beyond law enforcement KSN News 6/12/21 “Last calendar year in Kansas, there was about a 22% increase in overdose deaths,” Anderson said. “This is a significant change from what it was before. We see methamphetamines, like the sheriff said, in Kansas. However, we see more and more opioids, fentanyl and a lot of fake pharmaceuticals.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How 5 police departments are tackling violent crime surge in US ABC News 6/11/21 ABC News spoke with five police departments – Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Long Beach, California; Providence, Rhode Island; and Las Vegas -- and one federal law enforcement agency to see how they planned to prevent or stem violent crime in their cites this summer.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Baltimore Businesses Threaten to Withhold Taxes Over Crime, Police Response Police Magazine 6/10/21 More than 30 business and restaurant owners in the Fells Point neighborhood of Baltimore are threatening to withhold taxes if city leaders do not address crime, trash and other issues they say are plaguing the waterfront neighborhood.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US saw biggest spike in gun violence in 50 years Christian Science Monitor 6/9/21 Last year likely marked America’s largest single-year rise in gun violence in 50 years – sparked by a sharp increase in shootings after the pandemic began. Though the FBI won’t release official numbers until the fall, Patrick Sharkey, a sociologist at Princeton University in New Jersey and an expert on violent crime, estimates the national murder rate rose by 25% to 30%. The rate of nonfatal shootings jumped even more, he says, doubling in many cities.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Major International Sting Uses Fake App Developed By FBI To Take Down Organized Crime Groups Reuters 6/8/21 A global sting in which organized crime gangs were sold encrypted phones that law enforcement officials could monitor has led to more than 800 arrests and the confiscation of drugs, weapons, cash and luxury cars, officials said on Tuesday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ‘Everybody’ is to blame for Kansas’ foster care problems, says lawmaker who’s been trying to help Kansas Reflector 6/2/21 “I have a legal pad full of these stories, and I write out in the margin the name of the caseworkers,” says Concannon, a Republican from Beloit who chairs the House Committee on Children and Seniors. “I will hear the same names over and over again.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Legal substance that looks like weed, smells like weed but isn’t weed flying off Kansas CBD store shelves KSN News 5/30/21 Delta-9 is what we all know as marijuana and it’s obviously illegal here in Kansas. The only molecular difference between legal Delta-8 and illegal Delta-9 is their chromosome structure and their potency. A legal substance that looks like weed smells like weed, but isn’t weed can be a tough job for law enforcement.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Since the nose doesn’t know pot is now legal, K-9s retire KC Star 5/29As Virginia prepares to legalize adult possession of up to an ounce of marijuana on July 1, drug-sniffing police dogs from around the state are being forced into early retirement, following a trend in other states where legalization has led to K-9s being put out to pasture earlier than planned.
Virginia state police are retiring 13 K-9s, while many smaller police departments and sheriff’s offices are retiring one or two dogs. Most are in the process of purchasing and training new dogs to detect only illicit drugs, including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. Some departments are unable to afford up to $15,000 to buy and train a new dog, so they are disbanding their K-9 units.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 fired from WY County DA's unit that investigates police misconductWIBW News 5/26 Two employees of an independent unit that investigates accusations of excessive police force or misconduct in Wyandotte County have been fired because of comments that were made on an audio recording. The county prosecutor’s office said in a news release Wednesday that the remarks “violated the office’s code of conduct.” The release didn’t provide the names of the former employees of the Community Integrity Unit or describe what they said. The release only said that the recording was made during working hours and that the prosecutor’s office was made aware of it last week.
Politico reports that Attorney General Garland is “overseeing the vexing task of providing federal oversight of law enforcement agencies with troubled policing practices at a time when many Americans feel an urgent need for dramatic change.” According to Politico, “Taken in its totality, the tempo of Garland’s actions is eye-popping, even for those who expected the DOJ to return to its pre-Trump assertiveness on policing issues.” RELATED ARTICLE: Senate confirms DOJ nominee Kristen Clarke Fox News 5/25/21
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Politico Analysis: US Attorney General Targeting More Police Departments Than Anticipated. Politico 5/25 Politico reports that Attorney General Garland is “overseeing the vexing task of providing federal oversight of law enforcement agencies with troubled policing practices at a time when many Americans feel an urgent need for dramatic change.” According to Politico, “Taken in its totality, the tempo of Garland’s actions is eye-popping, even for those who expected the DOJ to return to its pre-Trump assertiveness on policing issues.” RELATED ARTICLE: Senate confirms DOJ nominee Kristen Clarke Fox News 5/25/21
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs case over city liability in police shootings Reuters 5/24/21 The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a case over whether to make it easier to hold municipalities liable for civil rights violations committed by their police, rejecting an appeal involving a man fatally shot by an officer in Ohio. The justices turned away the appeal filed by the mother of a 23-year-old man named Luke Stewart of a lower court ruling that threw out her claims made under federal law in a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Euclid and an officer involved in the 2017 incident.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas contemplating $200-$250 million overhaul of law enforcement training facility The Reflector 5/23/21 Proposed modernization of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in Hutchinson at a cost of $200 million to $250 million would adhere to curriculum and instructional reforms necessary to prepare a new generation of public-safety officers, officials said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Floyd legislation reveals divide in police-reform movement KC Star 5/23/21 One key debate has been whether to allow individual police officers to be sued over their actions, changing the so-called qualified immunity protections for law enforcement. Republicans largely object to that approach and prefer to hold the officers’ employers responsible. One top Democrat, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in Congress, has suggested he would be open to a compromise, and Bass said she agreed with his broader point that it’s not worth walking away from a deal if Democrats cannot include every priority.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Critical Lawsuits Where NRA-ILA is Leading the Battle NRA Article 5/22/21 NRA-ILA’s recent Spring Litigation Newsletter highlighted dozens of lawsuits in which the organization is involved, including four that seem especially critical at this point in the history of our republic.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Police recruiting suffers as morale hits new lows Axios 5/19/21 US police departments are “struggling to attract applicants after a year of racial justice protests against police use of excessive force and calls for police reform dampened morale within the profession.” Axios adds, “It’s not just an issue of getting new talent in the door, but of keeping existing forces intact.” In Minneapolis, “105 officers left the department, twice as many as normal, per MPR News.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ With violent crime spiking, the push for police reform collides with voters’ fears Fox News 5/16/21 It has been less than a year since George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis, spawning a national movement to reimagine the American criminal justice system and end race-based abuses. Yet with shootings spiking in cities nationwide during the pandemic, there are growing signs that the thirst for change is being blunted by fears of runaway crime.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Crime jumps after court-ordered policing changes Axios News 5/14/21Most police agencies in recent federally court-ordered reform agreements saw violent crime rates skyrocket immediately, according to an Axios examination of departments under consent decrees since 2012. The increases in violent crime rates — in one case by 61% — suggest that there can be unintended consequences, at least in the short term, to the policing changes many Americans have demanded in the year since George Floyd's death. An Axios review of FBI and Justice Department data on all 12 agencies under consent decrees since 2012 found that seven of them experienced jumps in violent crime rates in two years compared to the two years before they entered into the consent decrees.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Crime experts fear summer 2021 violence could be worse than last year as shooting, murder uptick starts early Fox News 5/14/21Police should brace for a potentially more violent summer than last year as crime trends show the bloodshed in some parts of the country, such as New York City, picked up earlier than is typically expected, analysts and experts tell Fox News. "It's not getting any better," Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor with the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told Fox News. "Let's put it this way: New York City is already ahead of last year's pace, but last year, the homicides and shootings really started spiking at the end of May and into June. So that will be the real tale of the tape, so to speak, to see what's happening over there."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Missouri Lawmakers Back Lawsuits Over Police Budget Cuts US News 5/14/21 Missouri lawmakers targeted the “defund the police” movement backed by racial justice advocates Friday, passing legislation that would allow people to sue cities that cut funding for police by more than a certain amount. The legislation, which drew support primarily from Republicans, lets people file suits asking courts to block reductions in law enforcement funding when it is cut by more than 12% compared to other departments over a five-year period.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Prosecutor: No charges against Kansas deputy who shot woman KMBC News 5/14/21 Drug-impaired driving is risky behavior. The fact that many Americans fail to recognize that risk makes it all the more dangerous — especially when they decide to get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. Making matters worse is the daunting challenge facing those in the criminal justice system tasked with detecting and prosecuting drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Prioritizing Research of Drug-impaired Driving to Help Forensic Experts, Law Enforcement Forensics Magazine 5/14/21 Drug-impaired driving is risky behavior. The fact that many Americans fail to recognize that risk makes it all the more dangerous — especially when they decide to get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs. Making matters worse is the daunting challenge facing those in the criminal justice system tasked with detecting and prosecuting drivers impaired by drugs other than alcohol.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minneapolis Owes $35 Million in Worker's Comp to Officers Physically and Mentally Injured in Riots Fox9 News 5/13/21 Minneapolis city leaders have begun signing off on large workers’ compensation packages for dozens of police officers who left the department after the death of George Floyd and subsequent civil unrest. By some estimates, those settlements requiring City Council approval could approach $35 million.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Most Wanted In Kansas City: More Police Recruits FlatlandKC.org 5/12/21 KCPD Struggles to Fill Open Positions: The number of police trained and on patrol in Kansas City is decreasing at a rate of about 8.5 officers a month. The accelerating decline is causing some to sound alarms that the department could wind up staffed at levels from 30 years ago. If fully staffed and funded, the department would have 116 more officers than the current 1,253. In addition, the department has vacancies for 44 police officer candidates and 68 civilian employees.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Analysis of police misconduct record laws in all 50 states Minneapolis Star Tribune 5/12/21 An analysis of public record laws in all 50 states. It is based on an analysis of statutes and court opinions as well as interviews with experts.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Murdered Delaware Cpl. Keith Heacook's cousin issues fiery remarks on how media treats slain officers, gets rousing response Blaze 5/11/21"Giving everything he had to make sure he could get back to his family, but that didn't happen because in the real world, criminals don't always comply and unarmed criminals can kill you," he added. "This caused a nightmare these first responders will have for the rest of their lives, but here we are today paying tribute for our hero." Pointing to how the media often covers police officers' deaths when compared to suspects' deaths, Schwartz added, "If Cpl. Heacook had to take the [bad] actor's life, what would have happened to his life? It would've been hell. The media would've been here in full force ... 'Unarmed this, unarmed that' every night without fail." "Keith would have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation was conducted," he continued. "That investigation would have taken weeks, if not months, to complete. During that time, Keith's life would have been put under a microscope, as it's easy for folks who have no idea about police work. His family would be shunned. Even when Keith was cleared, that does not generate enough news."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How friendly is Kansas for police officers? Study says state ranks low KSNT News 5/10/21 Kansas ranks in the worst 10 places to work as a police officer, according to a new study. Combine high on-the-job risk with increased public criticism, and it becomes harder and harder for law enforcement entities to hire and retain officers. Law enforcement agencies must offer attractive wages and benefits to help recruit new officers and keep their veterans. See full report from study at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mayor Frey: Calls To Defund MPD Have Had An Impact As Crime Spikes CBS News Minnesota 5/10/21 “It’s going to take a very comprehensive effort. Yes, it includes safety beyond policing, and it includes police. And, you know, I’m one that has been working lock step with our Chief [Medaria] Arradondo, and I’m calling on the council members to try to work with him as well,” Frey said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ President Biden Praises, Criticizes Officers in Police Week Proclamation Police Magazine 5/10/21 The proclamation included some talking points from the anti-police movement. "This year, we also recognize that in many of our communities, especially Black and brown communities, there is a deep sense of distrust towards law enforcement; a distrust that has been exacerbated by the recent deaths of several Black and brown people at the hands of law enforcement."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ransomware gangs get more aggressive against law enforcement AP News 5/9/21 Police Chief Will Cunningham came to work four years ago to find that his six-officer department was the victim of a crime. Hackers had taken advantage of a weak password to break in and encrypt the files of the department in Roxana, a small town in Illinois near St. Louis, and were demanding $6,000 of bitcoin. Criminal hackers are increasingly using brazen methods to increase pressure on law enforcement agencies to pay ransoms, including leaking or threatening to leak highly sensitive and potentially life-threatening information.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas City, Kansas, police officer dragged during traffic stop, suspect sought KSHB News 5/6/21 A Kansas City, Kansas, police officer is recovering after being dragged during a traffic stop near South 26th Street and Miami Avenue.The officer was taken to an area hospital to be treated for injuries.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas law enforcement bike 80 miles to Topeka, honor fallen officers Fox4 News 5/6/21 Nearly 40 Kansas police officers and sheriff’s deputies are paying tribute to fallen colleagues Thursday by riding bicycles to Topeka.The ride started at Overland Park police headquarters, where officer Mike Mosher had been stationed. Mosher was killed in a shootout with a suspect a year ago.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nebraska Police Training, Accountability Measure Advances US News 4/22/21 The bill would require all officers to undergo 32 hours per year of “de-escalation training” by 2023, up from the current minimum of 20. The curriculum would have to include lessons on mental health and substance abuse, communicating with people in crisis and how to spot personal biases. The bill would also create a public database of officers who have had their certifications revoked, been convicted of a felony or high-level misdemeanor, or engaged in serious misconduct. It also would ban police chokeholds except to stop someone from being killed or seriously injured.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Biden to Push Police Reform in Next Week's Congressional Address Reuters 4/21/21 Reform efforts are in focus following Tuesday's conviction of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Biden backs a bill that would ban chokeholds and require that deadly force only be used as a last resort in arrests.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas takes little action on police reform Wichita Eagle 4/21/21 Of the ten police reform bills — which often aligned with commission recommendations — that lawmakers introduced this year, only one has become law: a requirement that the state Attorney General coordinate training on missing and murdered indigenous people.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ North Dakota Enacts Health Care For Fallen Officers’ Families AP 4/20/21 The bill, sponsored by Grand Forks Democrat Rep. Zac Ista, covers law enforcement, corrections officers, firefighters and other public-employed emergency workers. Ista said 17 other states, including neighboring Minnesota, offer similar benefits to surviving families. The legislation covers a surviving spouse until the age of 65, until the health benefits are acquired from another source. Dependent children are covered until the age of 26, or until other health benefits are obtained elsewhere. See the bill at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Supreme Court Declines To Take Up Lifetime Gun Ownership Ban Challenges USA Today 4/20/21 The US Supreme Court declined to take up three challenges to a federal ban on gun ownership for people convicted of nonviolent crimes, disappointing Second Amendment advocates who hoped a more conservative court would begin to chip away at the restriction.By not taking the appeals, the nation's highest court let stand a series of lower court rulings that prohibited people convicted of driving under the influence, making false statements on tax returns and selling counterfeit cassette tapes from owning a gun.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Indianapolis Shooter Never Had “Red Flag” Hearing AP 4/20/21 Hole “had no other reported incidents other than the March 3, 2020 report his mother made. Following that report Hole was involuntarily committed on a mental health hold for a time period that could be ‘measured by hours,’ Mears said.” Mears continued, “So we’re left with a situation where we have one incident, he was treated by mental health professionals, they didn’t civilly commit him. They didn’t prescribe him any additional medication. And he was cut loose.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ House Passes Marijuana Banking Bill 4/20/21 This week, the House passed a bill that would give state-authorized marijuana businesses easier access to banking services. See the bill at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Will the efforts to improve policing lead to real-world change? From NY Times The Morning Newsletter 4/20/21
Since George Floyd’s death last May, dozens of states and local governments have changed their laws about police behavior. And yet police officers continue to kill about three Americans each day on average, nearly identical to the rate of police killings for as long as statistics exist.
Which raises the question: Are the latest efforts to change policing — to make it less violent, especially for Black and Latino Americans — destined to fail?
Not necessarily, many experts say. They believe the recent changes are meaningful. They will probably fall well short of solving the country’s problem with needlessly violent police behavior. But the changes still appear to be substantial, even if they will take some time to have a noticeable effect.
“You actually can get a lot of common ground between police critics and police themselves,” Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown University law professor and former reserve police officer in Washington, told us. “There are plenty of places where those conversations seem to be occurring in a preliminary way.”
That common ground extends to public opinion. Most Americans disagree with sweeping criticisms of the police, like the calls to abolish police departments. (Rashida Tlaib, a Democratic congresswoman from Michigan, wrote last week on Twitter: “No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can’t be reformed.”) Recent polls show that most Americans say they generally trust the police, and few if any mayors, governors, congressional leaders or top members of the Biden administration share Tlaib’s view.
But many politicians and most voters do favor changes to policing, like banning chokeholds and racial profiling or mandating police body cameras. “Americans — both Democrats and Republicans — want some sort of reform,” Alex Samuels of FiveThirtyEight wrote.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Attorney General Moves To Allow DOJ To Impose Changes On Police DepartmentsUSA Today 4/16/21 Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday rescinded a Trump-era near-ban on the Justice Department’s use of consent decrees to force the restructuring of local law enforcement agencies, signaling a push from the Biden administration to resume use of the tactic
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As Legalization Spreads, Mother Warns About the Dangers of High-Potency Marijuana That Addicted Her Teenage Son 74Million.org 4/13/21 Now that marijuana legalization is spreading across the country, Colorado’s troubling experiences with high-potency marijuana, and current efforts to control potency, can offer a cautionary tale for other states legalizing recreational marijuana like New Mexico, New York and Virginia. With a complex regulatory process ahead, these states have the opportunity to get it right from the start.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Officers Offended by Reference to Historic Slave Patrols as Police During Diversity Training Police Magazine 4/9/21 “The results (of the survey0 showed that approximately 90% of the 50 people who responded were profoundly insulted by the implication that they are racists,” said Doug Wilkinson, the president of the Aurora Police Association.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas first responders deserve workers compensation benefits for PTSD Kansas Reflector 3/9/21Kansas state law does not recognize PTSD as an eligible workman’s compensation claim. There are no job-related mental health benefits; care is only covered if an employee received a physical injury. Due to the cost of paying out of pocket, many responders do not seek the help that they desperately need. This leads to untreated mental injuries that can be debilitating, and stress that develops into PTSD, depression, substance abuse and suicide.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ After protests over police violence, Missouri lawmakers push to protect officers KC Star 3/1/21In the Missouri General Assembly one bill banning police chokeholds, waiting to be heard on the Senate floor, is described by activists as the most promising step forward on statewide police reform in years. But, for the most part, lawmakers have reacted by rallying to strengthen protections for police.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 3 Kansas police officers injured by shotgun in vacant home Fox19Now 2/28/21 Three police officers were injured by a shotgun blast when they checked out a vacant home in Wichita, Kansas.Wichita Police said Sunday that a modified, loaded shotgun discharged as the officers entered the home around 4 p.m. Investigators are trying to determine whether the shotgun had been rigged to fire when the door opened.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ What Should Law Enforcement Reform Look Like? Officer.com 2/23/21 While the national outcry for "police reform" is widely publicized on mainstream media channels, what would such reform actually look like if it were to be realistic and of any value?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minnesota Seeks to Crack Down on Catalytic Converter Thefts US News 2/11/21 The bill seeks to disrupt the black market by preventing anyone but licensed scrap metal dealers from buying used catalytic converters. Scrap dealers would be barred from buying them from anyone other than a repair shop, auto recycler or a vehicle owner who provides proof of ownership. NOTE: Kansas already has restrictions on scrapping catalytic converters. We also have a statewide registry for scrapped metals like catalytic converter.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Law enforcement diversity may improve policing, study shows AP 2/11/21 But there was little research to back that up. Now, a new study published Thursday in the journal Science, suggests that diversity in law enforcement can indeed lead to improvements in how police treat people of color.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Thieves Nationwide Are Slithering Under Cars, Swiping Catalytic Converters NY Times 2/9/21 The pollution-control gadgets are full of precious metals like palladium, and prices are soaring as regulators try to tame emissions. Crooks with hacksaws have noticed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Risk or protection? Kansas legislature reopens debate about guns on college campuses KC Star 1/30/21 Lawmakers are considering bills that would allow people as young as 18 to get a concealed carry permit in the state.The bills would create a provisional license for people 18, 19 and 20 years old and establish reciprocity with all other states in the nation with concealed carry licensing, including those that provide permits to 18-year-olds. Also see article at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NYPD To Train Officers On Speaking Up When Witnessing Poor Policing Wall Street Journal 1/28/21 The New York Police Department has enrolled in the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement Project, or ABLE, a nationwide program hosted by the Georgetown University Law Center. The program’s founders said the program applies a template developed years earlier from lessons learned in operating rooms, airplane cockpits, military bases and college campuses: that a “duty to intervene” means nothing if others in the room aren’t empowered to speak up. “Active bystandership” is not about whistleblowing or turning on a fellow cop, but looking out for each other, they said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 140 Officers were Injured in Capitol Riot Police Magazine 1/28/21 The Harvey County Health Department is anticipating getting 300 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. Harvey County says those 300 doses will be directed toward law enforcement, other first responders and K-12 educators.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Survey: Most Mayors Believe Police Budgets Are At The Right Level The Hill 1/27/21 The Harvey County Health Department is anticipating getting 300 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. Harvey County says those 300 doses will be directed toward law enforcement, other first responders and K-12 educators.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Researchers: Less-Lethal Munitions Not Advised For Crowd Control US News 1/25/21University of Minnesota researchers looked at 89 cases of people checking into the hospital after being injured by police during the protests following Floyd’s killing, according to a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week. The researchers found that about 40 percent of people injured by rubber bullets had head injuries, said Erika Kaske, a second-year medical student at the university who worked on the study.The head injuries were also much more serious than previous studies would have predicted. About 18 percent of the patients had traumatic brain injuries and 11 percent had eye trauma.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Harvey County Prioritizes first Phase 2 vaccines to law enforcement KSN News 1/21/21 The Harvey County Health Department is anticipating getting 300 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine. Harvey County says those 300 doses will be directed toward law enforcement, other first responders and K-12 educators.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Topeka PD warns of catalytic converter thefts WIBW News 1/15/21 Over the last year, there have been a large number of thefts involving catalytic converters.TPD says several churches, charities, and businesses have been targeted throughout 2020.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Three Wyandotte County officers charged in crash and fourth charged with buying sex KC Star 1/14/21 A Kansas sheriff’s office investigator has been charged in a hit-and-run crash and two other law enforcement officers have been charged with interfering with the investigation. A fourth law enforcement officer, former Kansas City, Kansas, police officer, was charged with one count of buying sexual relations in an unrelated November 2020 incident. Wyandotte County Prosecutor Mark Dupree said “I think it is important for the community to know that law enforcement’s job is to protect and to serve and the vast majority of law enforcement takes that seriously but for those who dare to stain the trust of the community with such acts, it will not be tolerated.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Illinois State's Attorney Concerned About Police Reform Bill Officer.com 1/11/21 Vermilion County State's Attorney Jacqueline Lacy is concerned about an Illinois House bill that would affect victims and witnesses of violent crimes stating ". . .the proposals set forth in House Bill 163 pose a serious threat to public safety, specifically to victims and witnesses of violent crimes in our community." The bill, which is 611 pages in length, was introduced Jan. 6 and likely will be presented for a vote as early as Jan. 8.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Nearly 100 Arrested So Far In Probe Of US Capitol Violence USA Today 1/12/21 Nearly 100 people have been arrested. most facing charges such as unlawful entry, disorderly conduct and defacing public property. Only a few have been accused of more serious crimes such as felony violations of the Riot Act. Reuters 1/12/21 Acting US Attorney Michael Sherwin said at a news briefing, “I think the scope and scale of this investigation and these cases are really unprecedented, not only in FBI history, but probably DOJ history. The Capitol grounds outside and inside are essentially a crime scene.” Federal Officials Pursuing At Least 150 Suspects In Capitol Attack NY Times 1/11/21 Beaten, sprayed with mace and hit with stun guns: police describe injuries to dozens of officers during assault on U.S. Capitol Washington Post 1/11/21
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Capitol Police Officer Dies After Being Injured in Riot Police on Target 1/8/21 A U.S. Capitol Police officer died on Thursday night from injuries sustained “while physically engaging” rioters who descended on the U.S. Capitol the day before, according to the authorities. At some point in the chaos, he was struck with a fire extinguisher, two law enforcement officials said. Officer.com article 1/8/21
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sedgwick County courts still facing backlog, DA says 6,000 jurors needed for murder cases alone KAKE News 1/7/21 Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter met with a virtual room full of local leaders and lawmakers Thursday. He said of the nearly 1,500 inmates currently at the Sedgwick County Jail, 113 have murder charges. "Those are alarming numbers, especially the amount of murders that are being held in here is more than we've ever had before," said Easter. "I mean, literally for Sedgwick County… Just for the murders I've got, I'll need somewhere in the neighborhood of about 6,000 jurors to walk through the courthouse doors of Sedgwick County just to try murder cases," said Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kelly wants to transform part of Kansas’ largest prison for substance abuse treatment Kansas City Star 12/24/20 Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly wants to transform part of the state’s largest prison into a treatment center for inmates with substance abuse problems. Kelly, in an interview Wednesday, said an inmate “could be sentenced to that facility versus being sentenced to Lansing or El Dorado and they could get treatment, intensive treatment. If they get anything when they’re in the other places it’s really a miracle.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Proposed Missouri law would make it a felony to publish police officer’s home address Fox4News 1/4/21 Missouri State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer (R-Parkville) is pushing new legislation to criminalize the so-called “doxing” of law enforcement officers.“What my legislation does, very simply, is it will make somebody who intends to intimidate or harass a police officer, by disclosing their private information, it will make that conduct a felony offense,” Luetkemeyer told FOX4. Luetkemeyer believes his proposal, SB 129, will garner support from both sides of the aisle.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ California board urges bias reviews of police social media Kansas City Star 1/4/21 California police agencies should routinely review officers' social media, cellphones and computers for racist, bigoted or other offensive content that contributes to disproportionate police stops of Black people, a state advisory board said Monday. Black people make up 7% of the population but were involved in 16% of California stops in 2019. Those perceived to be of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent accounted for 5% of stops and 2% of the population.Whites and Latinos were one to two percentage points less likely to be stopped than their proportion of the population would indicate, while those of Asian background account for 12% of the population and just 6% of stops. The disproportionate numbers could be driven by demographics, not racism, the Los Angeles Police Protective League board of directors said in a statement.“What these numbers don’t tell is that in Los Angeles, 70% of violent crime victims are either Black or Hispanic and that 81% of the reported violent crime suspects are either Black or Hispanic," the league said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Member of OP police review board questions mayor’s statements about officer’s severance agreement Shawnee Mission Post 1/4/21 Manes’ December letter was in response to Gerlach’s remarks during a press conference on August 21, 2020, regarding the severance agreement. At the time, Gerlach said the city negotiated the agreement in order to get Jenison to resign. The city didn’t want Jenison on the force but didn’t have legal cause to fire him outright, he said, and if it did, the Civil Service Commission would likely reinstate him.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Portland Rioters Throw Firebombs at Police and Wreck Businesses, Mayor Promises to "Push Back" Police Magazine 1/3/21Rioters rampaging in the streets of Portland New Year's Eve threw firebombs at police and wrecked businesses with spray paint, fire, and by breaking windows New Year's Eve. In a press conference the next day, Mayor Ted Wheeler promised the public that he would crack down on Antifa and anarchists that have rioted in the city many nights since late. “Why would a group of largely white, young and some middle age men destroy the livelihood of others who are struggling to get by?” Wheeler asked.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ AP Analysis: Fewer Mass Shootings In 2020 AP 12/30/20 The number of mass shootings that happened in public was the lowest in more than a decade. Experts who research mass killings say there are two key reasons for the sharp drop-off. For one, most people avoided going out in public during coronavirus lockdowns, which meant fewer opportunities for slayings in workplaces or schools. For another, Americans were so focused on other tragedies that would-be gunmen were less likely to consider carrying out attacks.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Two dead, one wounded in Riverside shooting that ended when police shot armed suspect Wichita Eagle 12/30/20 Wichita police say a man shot his estranged wife and killed his mother-in-law before he was fatally shot by an officer during a standoff tied to a domestic violence incident in the city’s Riverside neighborhood Wednesday morning.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Police reform dominate new US laws for 2021 KC Star 12/30/20 Legislatures addressed police use of force. Among other things, new laws will mandate oversight and reporting, create civilian review panels and require more disclosures about problem officers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Police officers make life-and-death decisions. Their mental health should be a priority KC Star 12/30/20 Those of us in law enforcement have a rather complicated relationship with the people we swear an oath of honor to serve. A vast majority of the time, police officers do an outstanding job interacting with the most volatile and unpredictable substance known: people. Every day, officers save and positively change lives.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ KCK couple killed by another fleeing stolen truck. Will the Kansas Legislature act? KC Star 12/30/20 The Kansas Peace Officers Association has been trying for several years to get the Kansas Legislature to crack down on fleeing from and eluding police, especially in cases of stolen vehicles. Thus far, it’s been to no avail. A bill died in the state Senate in 2019. A similar bill passed the Kansas House earlier this year, but died in a Senate committee when COVID-19 scuttled all non-pandemic-related bills.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New California laws address virus, fires, law enforcement KC Star 12/30/20 Police killings of primarily Black and Latino men gave urgency to bills that previously stalled and prompted new efforts at law enforcement accountability, some of which failed in the session's waning hours.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ U.S. Justice Department releases Missouri’s ‘Operation Legend’ results 12/23/20 In Kansas City, 75 people have been charged with drug-related offenses; 107 have been charged with gun-related offenses; and 14 have been charged with other violent crimes as a result of Operation Legend. About 225 federal agents were on the ground to ramp up investigations into unsolved murders. As for St. Louis, 193 people have been charged with drug-related offenses; 231 have been charged with gun-related offenses; and 26 have been charged with other violent crimes. The St. Louis initiative included 124 agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FBI, ATF, DEA and U.S. Marshals Service.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Law Enforcement Face Challenges Enforcing COVID-19 Restrictions 12/22/20 Time magazine article. For law enforcement leaders, it’s nearly impossible to make sure residents comply with ever-changing public health policies, largely due to potential constitutional issues and a lack of resources. There is also concern that enforcing the mandate would inflame tensions that already are high AP article. The debate over mandates and lockdowns — usually fueled by howls of violating individual freedoms — often drowns out the reality of whether the restrictions that are enacted are actually enforced to make them effective.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Court records, FBI contradict claims of organized 'antifa-led' riots in Minneapolis Minneapolis Star Tribune 12/20/20 Court documents show wide variety of motives, little, if any, cohesion. Documents in dozens of state and federal criminal charges present a much more complicated narrative of splintered and disorganized crowds with no single goal or affiliation, and in some cases contradictory motives, that vastly outnumbered police and took advantage of a lawless scene.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ San Francisco Has Seen Far More Overdose Fatalities Than COVID Fatalities This Year AP 12/19/20 A record 621 people died of drug overdoses in San Francisco so far this year, a staggering number that far outpaces the 173 deaths from COVID-19 the city has seen thus far.The crisis fueled by the powerful painkiller fentanyl could have been far worse if it wasn’t for the nearly 3,000 times Narcan was used from January to the beginning of November to save someone from the brink of death.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas Commission Seeks End To No-Knock Search Warrants US News 12/19/20 A commission established by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly in response to the mass civil unrest over racial injustice earlier this year is urging state lawmakers to ban officers from entering a home without announcing their presence, but it’s unclear how aggressively the Legislature will pursue it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The year of reckoning: How 2020 revealed the fault lines in American policing CNN 12/18/20 All this has led policing in America to a defining crossroads: Will there be substantive reforms to improve how law enforcement protects and serves the community, or will the energy of 2020 dissipate and allow agencies to retreat to their traditional ways of enforcing law and order?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ COVID takes life of Gove County Sheriff Allan WeberFox4News 12/18/20 Sheriff Weber had been hospitalized in Denver since Oct. 18 because of respiratory issues associated with COVID-19.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ACLU of Kansas launches data tool to encourage citizen participation in local governmentKWCH12/18/20 After compiling data from hundreds of open records requests, the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas unveiled a database that breaks down and examines voter registration, racial justice and policing in the state. The database, named The Kansas Data Project, can be found here.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DA Releases Detailed Report on Death of CA Deputy During 2018 Mass Shooting Response Police Magazine12/18/20 A Ventura County Sheriff's sergeant accidentally shot by a fellow police officer as they responded to a mass shooting at a California bar had tripped and fallen during the chaos and was struck by the fatal bullet when he stood up and tried to retreat. according to a prosecutors' report released Thursday.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ KCK police searching for suspect who shot officer in the arm before fleeing KC Star12/16/20 The officer followed a hit and run suspect to County Line Road and Conser Street, where the suspect allegedly began shooting at the officer when he stopped his car. During the exchange the officer was shot in the arm and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Wichita nearly ties homicide record Wichita Eagle12/16/20Wichita has averaged a homicide roughly every six days in 2020, for a total of 56 homicides to date. The number is one short of the city’s record set in 1993, which is around the time when violent crime attributed to gangs and drugs peaked nationwide.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Salina police officer recovering after being stabbed SundaySalina Journal 12/14/20 A Salina police officer is recovering after being stabbed as he tried to make an arrest over the weekend.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Seattle Council Debates Poverty as Defense for Theft, Even If Accused Resells PropertyKOMO 12/11/20 If someone trespasses by pitching a tent on private property or walks out with a handful groceries from the corner market or steals power tools with the intent of reselling them online in order to pay for a basic need like food or rent, the city of Seattle may be OK with that.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minnesota Officers Protected by BearCat Armored Vehicle During Active Shooter ResponsePolice Magazine News 12/11/20 Officers who responded to the shooting used the BearCat to keep them shielded from gunfire as the vehicle defeated the rounds of bullets that struck its body, windows, roof and hood. The BearCat made it possible for officers to close in on the suspect and begin negotiations. After an eight-hour standoff, the suspect was taken into custody at the scene.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Kansas City, Kansas police warn about fentanyl overdosesKSN News 12/11/20 Kansas City, Kansas, police are warning residents a surge in drug overdoses and deaths is likely being caused by drugs being laced with fentanyl.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “Basketball has prepared me:” Former Washburn basketball player joins Topeka Police AcademyKSNT News 11/29/20 Former Washburn Ichabod basketball player, Shelbe Piggie, is trading in one uniform for another, as she prepares for a career with the Topeka Police Department. Piggie graduated from Washburn University back in May and is now a member of the Topeka Police Academy.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Advocates Push For Resurrection Of DoJ Civil Rights Division Under Biden NPR via Kansas Public Radio 11/29/20 The incoming administration of President-elect Joe Biden says reinvigorating the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department is a top priority come January. Also calls for return of consent decrees.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Surge Of Retirements Leaves United States Police Departments Scrambling To Find Recruits Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/27/20 Police departments across the country are bracing for a wave of retirements as officers hired during a billion-dollar federal push to bolster agencies in the 1990s reach their 50s and are able to access pensions. Their replacements may be harder to find these days. Potential officers might be deterred by the higher risk of catching COVID-19 on the job, and. . .any time there are negative, very public incidences of use of force involving police officers, it makes it difficult to recruit.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ More Americans say US not tough enough on crime rather than too tough: poll NY Post 11/16/20 Gallup Poll found that 41 percent of respondents said the criminal justice system is not tough enough compared to 21 percent who said it’s too tough. The remaining 35 percent said the justice system was “about right” in addressing crime.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ George Mason researchers present findings to RCPD law board evaluating the Laser Point Program targeting criminal activity WIBW News 11/16/20“The importance for police is that by focusing on these areas you have the potential to reduce crime through very targeted, very precise efforts.” George Mason University Professor, Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy, Christopher Koper says. George Mason University studied RCPD’s approach. Their research shows fewer crime and disorder calls since the start of the program. “It shows that by focusing on and properly managing your high-risk locations, you can get crime reduction benefits that extend throughout the jurisdiction.” Koper says.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minneapolis to consider bringing in outside police officers amid shortage Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/10/20 Comparing the officer-to-population ratio for the nation's 50 largest police department jurisdictions, we find that Seattle is on the low side, as the reader suspected. The average ratio for the 50 largest jurisdictions is 26.9 officers for every 10,000 residents. Seattle falls well below that, at 18.5 per 10,000.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Is the Seattle Police Department Understaffed? Data shows Seattle PD may be understaffed. Officer.com 11/10/20 Comparing the officer-to-population ratio for the nation's 50 largest police department jurisdictions, we find that Seattle is on the low side, as the reader suspected. The average ratio for the 50 largest jurisdictions is 26.9 officers for every 10,000 residents. Seattle falls well below that, at 18.5 per 10,000.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ With Crime Spiking, Minneapolis Plans to Bring in Deputies and Transit Officers to Reinforce City Police Police Magazine 11/10/20 Violent crime is up more than 20 percent citywide compared with this time last year, and up 40 percent compared with two years ago. The police department is facing staff shortages from retirements, lateral transfers to other agencies, resignations, and disability leave. In addition the department is facing budget cuts in the name of "defunding."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Union Survey Details Terrible Morale at LAPD, Officers Say They are Not Supported by Command Staff Police Magazine 11/10/20 According to the Thin Blue Line survey, 86% of respondents feel that they don’t feel supported by Chief Moore. More than 90% said they don’t feel LAPD command staff showed strong leadership during the civil unrest, and a shocking 90% said they would retire right now if they could,“ Fox 11 reports.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Defunding Leads LAPD to Cut Homicide Detectives as Murders Spike 25% Police Magazine 11/9/20 The Los Angeles Police Department is set to downsize its robbery and homicide division as part of a series of moves aimed to address defunding challenges. The cuts come as homicides spiked by about 25% this year compared with 2019. The Los Angeles City Council voted to cut the agency’s budget by up to $150 million at a virtual meeting in response to a “Defund The Police” campaign by community members.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Five States Approve Marijuana Legalization Measures Posted 11/5/20 And Oregon decriminalized small amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Governor's Commission on Racial Equity and Justice News Articles 8/21/20 KSN News Hays Post
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Some States Are Pushing Laws to Restrict Police Behavior Wall Street Journal 8/21/20 Democratic legislators in states across the country are trying to advance legislation that would subject law-enforcement officers to more legal liability for misconduct and restrict their use of force.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chicago Officers Retiring at a Rapid Pace Officer.com 8/19/20 The rapid pace of retirement by Chicago police officers is raising concerns among department officials that the number of new hires won't keep pace.Chicago police officers have been retiring at more than double the normal rate, with 59 officers retiring in August and another 51 in September, compared to the average of about 24 retirements per month, according to WGN-TV.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hundreds of Colorado Officers Retire or Resign Following Police Reform Bill Police Magazine 8/18/20More than 200 law enforcement officers in Colorado have either resigned or retired after the passage of Senate Bill 217 in late June, which put into place sweeping reforms that include officers’ personal financial liability for their actions. According to the Denver Post, there is not yet a clear correlation between the passage of the law and the sudden increase in departures from the police forces in the Rocky Mountain State, but a survey is in the works to determine if there’s a connection. Agencies statewide reported 241 officers have left in two months since the bill was signed into law.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Appeals Court Ends California’s High-Capacity Magazine Ban AP 8/14/20 “A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday threw out California’s ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, saying the law violates the U.S. Constitution’s protection of the right to bear firearms.” For the panel’s majority, Judge Kenneth Lee said, “Even well-intentioned laws must pass constitutional muster.” The AP adds that Lee “noted that California passed the law ‘in the wake of heart-wrenching and highly publicized mass shootings,’ but said that isn’t enough to justify a ban whose scope ‘is so sweeping that half of all magazines in America are now unlawful to own in California.’”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Police counter protests, 'defund' push with retirements, resignations Washington Times 8/13/20 Officers say they have been demonized unfairly and have had enough. They are resigning or retiring en masse, creating a new crisis: police forces that are short-staffed and inexperienced.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Record Low Express Confidence in PoliceGallup Washington Times 8/13/20 “Americans’ confidence in the police fell to the lowest level recorded by Gallup in the nearly 30 years it’s been tracking this data, driven in part by a growing racial divide on the issue.” USA Today adds that “around 48% of Americans said they have a ‘great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in police, down from 53% the previous year and all time high of 64% in 2004, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.” USA Today adds “the racial divide on this question, which has been growing for years, reached its largest point in 2020: 56% of white adults say they have ‘a great deal’ or ‘quite a lot’ of confidence in the police while just 19% of Black adults say the same.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ DCF, Wichita Law Enforcement help support Kansas families WIBW 8/13/20 The Department of Children and Families has partnered with Wichita Law Enforcement agencies to support Kansas families.The Department of Children and Families says as part of a mutli-agency effort to connect Kansas families with support networks and services, it is collaborating with the Wichita Police Department and Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Department. DCF says through an agreement between the three agencies, it is funding three community support specialist case manager positions. It says WPD employs two of the positions and the third is employed by the Sedgwick Co. Sheriff.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ U.S. Presidential Candidate Responses to IACP Questionnaire 8/12/20 A review of U.S. government-funded scientific studies raise questions about the safety of the gas, especially its use on individuals in confined spaces, in excessive quantities, and when it’s fired directly at protesters. Medical professionals interviewed by the AP said the use of tear gas is particularly concerning during the COVID-19 epidemic. The AP also found that there is no government oversight of the manufacture and use of tear gas. Instead, the industry is left to regulate itself. See the referenced 2014 study at this link. The meat of the study on tear gas starts on page 31.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Lack of study and oversight raises concerns about tear gas KC Star 8/6/20 A review of U.S. government-funded scientific studies raise questions about the safety of the gas, especially its use on individuals in confined spaces, in excessive quantities, and when it’s fired directly at protesters. Medical professionals interviewed by the AP said the use of tear gas is particularly concerning during the COVID-19 epidemic. The AP also found that there is no government oversight of the manufacture and use of tear gas. Instead, the industry is left to regulate itself. See the referenced 2014 study at this link. The meat of the study on tear gas starts on page 31.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New University/Training Center is open Dodge City Globe 8/6/20 Once officers have graduated their basic training from the Law Enforcement Training Center main campus in Hutchinson, the mandatory continuous training is often limited to just that campus. The University/Training Center in Dodge City is the first site for the Law Enforcement Training Center’s regionalized continuous training initiative and local officers will use this facility to complete their mandatory yearly 40 hours of additional training.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Georgia just made it a hate crime to harass police officers and other emergency responders Law Enforcement Today 8/6/20 The bill makes it a crime to attempt to harass or intimidate any first responder, including police officers. In the language of the law, anyone who harasses or intimidates any law enforcement officer while he/she is performing their lawful duty can be arrested.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Protest Targets Home of Colorado Officer Cleared in Fatal Shooting Colorado Springs Gazette 8/4/20 About 100 protesters gathered for about an hour Monday in the neighborhood of one of the Colorado Springs police officers involved in the fatal officer-involved shooting of De'Von Bailey one year ago. The shooting was ruled justified by a grand jury.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WATCH: Small Children In Portland Encouraged To Say ‘F*** The Police’ Daily Wire 7/23/20 Apparently, some small children in Portland have been given lessons not only in civics, but also in manners and elegant use of the English language, as they were shown on camera being encouraged to say “F*** the police.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ At Least 3 Federal Officers Working Portland Riots May Lose Vision from Lasers Fox News 7/22/20 At least three federal officers in Portland may not recover their vision after earlier this week demonstrators, who have shown up in crowds of over 1,000 for more than 50 consecutive nights, shined lasers in their eyes and threw fireworks at a federal courthouse, officials said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Portland Commissioner Apologizes for Claiming Police Are Setting Fires Oregon Live 7/22/20 Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said Wednesday she didn’t believe protesters in Portland are setting fires but that police are sending in “saboteurs” to create the strife – an unsubstantiated claim that drew immediate pushback from police and then an apology from her hours later.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minnesota lawmakers pass sweeping package of police accountability measuresStar Tribune 7/22/20 The bill, one of the most substantial changes to the state’s criminal justice system in years, includes a statewide ban on chokeholds and neck restraints — such as the one used on Floyd — and a prohibition on warrior-style training for officers. It enhances data collection around deadly force encounters, requires officers to intervene and creates a new state unit to investigate such cases. The bill boosts funding for crisis intervention training, creates a panel of expert arbitrators to handle police misconduct cases and establishes incentives for officers to live in the communities they police. The bill is at this link. A bill summary is available at this link.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mass. police chiefs criticize lawmakers on rushing police reform bills MetroWest Daily News 7/22/20 Farnsworth was joined by nearly 100 of the state’s 351 police chiefs Tuesday morning in Framingham to criticize two police reform bills that were recently moved by the Senate and House. The chiefs urged Gov. Charlie Baker and state legislators to work with police on the legislation instead of cutting them out of the conversation.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Abolish the Police? What Other Ideas Do You Have? Force Science Institute 7/22/20 For the last half-century, the police profession has been defined by its commitment to constant and never-ending improvement. It seems that no matter the source of the latest theory, agencies across the country are willing to give it a try. Although most of us don’t stop to consider it, common police practices, including deterrent patrols, proactive policing, hotspot policing, mandatory arrest policies, broken-windows strategies, foot patrols, community policing, drug courts, and crisis intervention teams all started as nothing more than hopeful ideas. They were born of academic theories, research projects, and brainstorming sessions.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gallup Poll: Abolishing Police is Not Popular Police Magazine 7/22/20 Most Americans agree that police should undergo major changes but do not support abolishing police departments nationwide, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday morning, which found that just 15 percent of Americans support getting rid of the police.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Senate rejects strict limits on military gear for civilian police NBC News 7/21/20 Most Americans agree that police should undergo major changes but do not support abolishing police departments nationwide, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday morning, which found that just 15 percent of Americans support getting rid of the police.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Brooklyn woman killed over fireworks was following Boro Prez Eric Adams’ lead: mom New York Post 7/21/20 A Brooklyn woman who followed Borough President Eric Adams’ advice for New Yorkers to settle disputes neighbor-to-neighbor rather than calling 911 wound up shot dead after she confronted some punks setting off illegal fireworks, the victim’s grieving mom said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Don’t demonize law enforcement — but police need more training and oversight KC Star 7/18/20 I would be remiss if I did not say specifically that not all police officers are bad. We know this to be a fact, and we cannot let the actions of a few taint the entire group — just like the violent actions of a few Black people cannot and should not discredit the entire Black community, which oftentimes suffers from the perception that we are dangerous thugs and criminals.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ We already know how to reform the police The Hill 7/18/20When George Smith Jr. was growing up in Seattle’s South End, he said he consistently faced negative interactions with local law enforcement — resulting in a deep, anti-police mentality that pushed him to tend to distrust cops throughout most of his life.On Thursday evening, Smith attended a small, open discussion in Powell Barnett Park. Once it was over, Smith said he had started to change his mind about the Police Department.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Screening of U.S. police recruits is under focus Reuters 7/17/20 Amid the national conversation after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May, U.S. police departments will need to take a fresh look at the screening of aspiring officers as an early method for preventing police racism and brutality, law enforcement officials and experts say.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Seattle Officers, Community Members Share Perspectives on Defunding the Police Seattle Times 7/16/20 The big myth about police work is that it’s comprised primarily of crime-busting. In fact, 70 percent – 80 percent of police time is spent on order maintenance and social service. The "defunders" argue that mix needs to be changed. But there's a prior challenge to address: The man-of-action image that permeates police culture. Our answer in the 1970s was to shift the basis of police authority from militarism, authoritarianism and force to social service, professionalism and human relations skill.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NYPD Commissioner Shea rips anti-cop sentiment: ‘We’ve gone too far … handcuffing police’ New York Post 7/16/20“I think there is absolutely valid causes about what came out of Minneapolis … but I think that people are using that just cause to advance agendas and agendas that existed long before the incident happened,” Shea said on CNN Thursday morning. “I think we’ve crossed a tipping point on many levels in terms of taking tools away from the police that maybe these last two months it’s just a completely different situation where it’s a toxic environment,” Shea said, echoing Chief of Department Terence Monahan’s statements Monday. “There are laws that are handcuffing the police. I think that we have gone too far,” the city’s top cop added.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Atlanta DA May Have Violated Law in Investigation of Officers Fox5 Atlanta 7/14/20 The Georgia Attorney General has now asked the GBI to investigate grand jury subpoenas issued by Howard's office in the Rayshard Brooks murder case
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ After Spike in Shootings Some Activists Want Disbanded NYPD Unit Back in Action CBS New York 7/14/20 Clergy and community activists, like Tony Herbert, called out the mayor Tuesday, warning that signing more police reforms will jeopardize the safety of residents.“What we’re saying out here clearly is that we need these police on the street. We need to have that Anti-Crime Unit — a modernized version, with some monitoring to take place. But we need their intel so we can get these guns off the street,” Herbert said.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Trump Holds White House Roundtable Meeting with Police Supporters 7/13/20 The president praised the officers in attendance and discussed the incidents of positive impact by law enforcement with the people who had been helped. Each attendee told their stories.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Martial arts guru Rener Gracie calls new NYPD arrest rules ‘absolute disaster’ New York Post 7/12/20 Series of videos raising real fears against the City Council’s anti-chokehold bill that also bans cops pinning suspects by the back or chest.“When you remove the safest control method, you force them to use the less safe tools that they have,” said Gracie, 36, including “violent alternatives” such as Tasers and even firearms. He said “with absolute certainty” that the new rules will have the “opposite effect in New York” on keeping safe any suspects — as well as cops — calling it “a very dangerous situation.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Charles Barkley: Sports are turning social justice issues into a ‘circus’ CNBC 7/10/20 Charles Barkley told CNBC’s Power Lunch on Friday that, instead of talking about issues related to racial and economic justice, the sports world is more focused on who is or isn’t kneeling, or what social justice message is written on the back of NBA players’ jerseys.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ AG Barr says current anti-police climate 'very demoralizing' for officers Washington Times 7/9/20 Attorney General William P. Barr said Thursday the current anti-police climate has left officers demoralized, raising concerns about recruiting and retaining quality officers.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How Berkeley could remove the police from traffic stops California Today 7/9/20 The Berkeley City Council will consider a proposal next week to prohibit the California city’s police officers from conducting traffic stops and shift that responsibility to unarmed public works officials
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Don’t defund the police, but Missouri has work ahead to fix our broken justice system - Special to KC Star 7/4/20 Policy changes must occur. There is no other option. However, the recent push to defund police departments is not the direction I believe we should take. Contrary to what many say, those things can still occur while we remain respectful to our friends in law enforcement.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ “Evidence Does Not Support The Charge That Biased Police Are Systematically Killing Black Americans” - USA Today 7/3/20 According to US Bureau of Justice Statistics, “whites accounted for 71.5% of the 701,000 sworn local police officers in the United States” while “African Americans account for 11.4% of local police forces, compared to around 13% of the population” down “from 11.9% in 2013.” The US Department of Justice “shows that 90% of the police chiefs in local departments and 81% of supervisors above sergeant were white in 2016 – compared to 4% and 9% African American.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Police Forces Failing To Attract Minority Officers To Leadership Positions - Reuters 7/2/20 According to US Bureau of Justice Statistics, “whites accounted for 71.5% of the 701,000 sworn local police officers in the United States” while “African Americans account for 11.4% of local police forces, compared to around 13% of the population” down “from 11.9% in 2013.” The US Department of Justice “shows that 90% of the police chiefs in local departments and 81% of supervisors above sergeant were white in 2016 – compared to 4% and 9% African American.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Poll Finds Most Americans Want Police Reform, More Focus On Serious Crime - USA Today 6/29/20 Most Americans believe that change must be made to law enforcement across the nation and that reforms are needed to reduce police brutality against Black Americans.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Senate Democrats Torpedo GOP's Police Reform Bill - Police Magazine 6/24/20 In a 55-to-45 vote, the legislation written primarily by Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) failed to advance in the Senate, where it needed 60 votes to proceed.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Rasmussen Poll: Majority of Americans Want to Keep Police - Police Magazine 6/24/20 Hundreds of thousands of potentially sensitive files from police departments across the United States were leaked online last week. The collection, dubbed “BlueLeaks” and made searchable online, stems from a security breach at a Texas web design and hosting company that maintains a number of state law enforcement data-sharing portals. Link to Report
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Hackers Steals Massive Trove of Police Files, Post Them Online - Police Magazine 6/23/20 Hundreds of thousands of potentially sensitive files from police departments across the United States were leaked online last week. The collection, dubbed “BlueLeaks” and made searchable online, stems from a security breach at a Texas web design and hosting company that maintains a number of state law enforcement data-sharing portals.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Minnesota Lawmakers Fail To Reach Compromise On Police Reforms - New York Times 6/20/20 Lawmakers were unable to “reach a deal that reconciled the Democrats’ calls for far-reaching changes to police oversight with Republican leaders who supported a shorter list of ‘common-sense police reforms’ that included banning chokeholds in most situations and requiring officers to stop their colleagues from using unreasonable force.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Atlanta Officers Attempted to De-Escalate Encounter with Man Before Fatal Shooting - Police Magazine 6/15/20 Video footage released by the Atlanta Police Department shows officers talking for nearly half an hour with Rayshard Brooks before he was fatally shot during a confrontation after he was found sleeping in the drive-through lane of a local fast food restaurant.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Albuquerque, New Mexico Creates Alternative To Police Department Washington Post 6/15/20 Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller (D) announced on Monday the formation of a new public safety department designed to relieve stress on the city’s police. Instead of the police or fire departments responding to 911 calls related to inebriation, homelessness, addiction and mental health, the new division will deploy unarmed personnel made up of social workers, housing and homelessness specialists, and violence prevention coordinators.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ US Supreme Court Declines To Hear Cases Challenging Officers’ Qualified Immunity AP 6/15/20 With protests over racism and police brutality continuing nationwide, the justices turned away more than half a dozen cases involving the legal doctrine known as qualified immunity, which the high court created more than 50 years ago. It shields officials, including police, from lawsuits for money as a result for things they do in the course of their job.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ New Poll Shows Generational Divide on Police Debate Washington Times 6/12/20 A new YouGov/Yahoo News poll of 1,570 “adults” (6/9-6/10) released on Friday “showed that younger Americans, aged 18-29, are far less likely to trust police than those belonging to an older demographic, aged 65 and up.” The Times said the poll found “44% of younger adults have some faith in police officers, with only 8% saying they had a ‘great deal of trust.’ However, a large majority of that older group – 79% – did, which 36% feeling especially trusting of those in uniform. Overall, a 60% majority of adults have at least some trust in police, while 40% have little to none.” According to the Times, “Younger Americans were more likely – 27% to 14% – than older adults to embrace the calls to defund police departments. Conversely, 28% percent of this older demographic found no problem with policing at all in the country, compared to only 11% of the younger group. Though, a slim majority of each – 51% of younger adults and 58% of older adults – still believed reforms would be enough to address the problems within the system.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Beleaguered and besieged, police try to come to grips with a nation’s anger- Washington Post 6/10/20 The document warns that the effort, known as “doxxing,” could lead to attacks by “violent opportunists or domestic violent extremists” or could prevent law enforcement officials from carrying out their duties.
Multiple high-ranking police officials in a number of cities, including Washington, Atlanta, Boston and New York have had their personal information shared on social media, including their home addresses, email addresses and phone numbers, the report warns..
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Officers Facing Threats Through Release of Personal Information Online - USNews 6/10/20 The document warns that the effort, known as “doxxing,” could lead to attacks by “violent opportunists or domestic violent extremists” or could prevent law enforcement officials from carrying out their duties.
Multiple high-ranking police officials in a number of cities, including Washington, Atlanta, Boston and New York have had their personal information shared on social media, including their home addresses, email addresses and phone numbers, the report warns..
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NYPD Finds Cement Ice Cream at Protest - Police Magazine 6/10/20“The Cups were filled with cement and made to look like CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM,” the alert read in part.
The department has also warned of concrete-filled tennis balls and water bottles, and Commissioner Dermot Shea has said that looters are strategically stashing bricks prior to protests.
Hawk Newsome, Chairman of BLM's Greater New York chapter, says the black rights group is 'mobilizing' its base, he told DailyMailTV in exclusive interview
The activist said BLM aims to develop a highly-trained 'military' arm to challenge police brutality head on in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis
'It's our obligation, it's our duty to provide people with a way forward. We want the immediate end of government sanctioned murder by the police'
'We prepare to stop these murders by any means necessary. We are preparing and training our people to defend our communities,' Newsome added
Newsome, 43, an imposing 6ft 6in, who wore shades and smoked a thick cigar for our photo shoot, believes his group can lead the 'war on police'
BLM will have 'Peace Officers' patrol black communities to challenge law enforcement and stop police brutality, reminiscent of the Black Panther Party
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ COVID-19 tests for exposed Reno County jailers, inmates all negative - Hutchinson News 5/23/20 Tests for nine Reno County jail employees and seven inmates who had contact with an inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 have all come back negative.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Spurred by pandemic, Kansas ACLU launches clemency project - Salina Post 5/15/20 The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas filed the first round of what it anticipates will be dozens of individualized clemency petitions seeking relief for their clients from the state parole board and Gov. Laura Kelly.
The move comes days after Leavenworth District Judge David King threw out the group’s class action petition on behalf of seven inmates at the Lansing Correctional Facility, the Ellsworth Correctional Facility and the Topeka Correctional Facility and others
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ National Law Enforcement Memorial Week - KSNT News 5/12/20 This is National Law Enforcement Memorial week. 128 Law Enforcement Officers were lost in the line of duty in 2019 in the United States.There have been 43 Fallen Officers nationwide for 2020. Kansas has seen one fatality this year, when Overland Park Police Officer Mike Mosher died on May 2nd.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ State and Local Executive Orders and Health Orders: Enforcement and Constitutionality 5/12/20 Law enforcement looking for clarity from Attorney General on how to enforce Governor Laura Kelly’s order KSN News 5/11/20 "No one in Sedgwick County has been jailed or even taken into custody, according to Easter. They have only been offered education. Now, law enforcement are looking for clarity from the state and the Attorney General on how to handle non-compliance." State, local coronavirus orders face challenges in Kansas AP via KCTV5 5/11/20 "State and local orders still in place for checking the spread of the novel coronavirus in Kansas are facing legal challenges from the state's attorney general and business owners."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Police Arrest 10 Members of 'Lawless Caravan' That Ambushed New Jersey State Trooper - Officer.com 5/11/20 New Jersey State Police on Friday arrested 10 additional suspects in the violent ambush of a state trooper at a South Jersey trailer park.They join four other members of a “lawless caravan” that traveled to the Harding Woods trailer park in Pittsgrove, Salem County, on April 25 to allegedly attack a woman who had been robbed earlier that day. When the group arrived, they confronted State Police Detective Richard Hershey, who was there investigating the earlier home invasion. They started a gunfight with Hershey, hitting him in the leg and causing serious injury.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Two Prior Felons Arrested for Robberies in Topeka - Topeka Capital Journal 5/10/20 Cameron D. McBee, 28, and Terrinika T. Smith, 24 were arrested for two robberies of Sonic Drive-ins. McBee has prior convictions for robbery and had been released from KDOC in July 2018. Smith was discharged from KDOC March 20, 2020, from a theft conviction.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Parolee Arrested for Homicide in Topeka - WIBW News 5/10/20 Alongside the murder charges, Diquan Clayton was charged with Domestic Battery, Criminal Damage to Property, Parole Violation and Topeka Bench Warrants. According to DOC records, he was convicted in 2016 for Robbery and paroled in 2018. Absconded in Oct. 2018 and again on April 27, 2020.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Mass Shootings In US Plunge During Pandemic - Bloomberg News via Miami Herald 5/9/20 The number of mass shootings in the U.S. plunged 24% in April from a year earlier as churches, malls, restaurants, schools and parks were shuttered and most businesses closed, according to a Bloomberg News analysis of data from an organization that tracks information about firearm-related violence.
Suspect arrested four times on suspicion of grand theft auto in the last three weeks.On March 27, Los Angeles County implemented a zero-bail requirement for most misdemeanors and low-level felonies.In the first 30 days of the policy, the Los Angeles Police Department has arrested 213 individuals multiple times, with 23 being arrested three or more times. They account for about 5% of all of those booked on misdemeanors or felonies, records show.
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Minnesota Law Enforcement Critical Of Rollout Of Order To Share COVID-19 Information 4/29/20 Minneapolis StarTribune “A coalition of Minnesota law enforcement organizations has asked Gov. Tim Walz to re-examine the process of sharing COVID-19 location information with first responders, calling the current system ‘inefficient, ineffective and unsafe.’” According to the Star Tribune, “Since Walz issued an executive order allowing for more sharing of infection data, the Minnesota Department of Health has created an overcomplicated process and is disseminating the data with long lag times, according to a letter from the police groups sent to Walz late last week. ‘Although our organizations were pleased and grateful when you issued [the executive order] on April 10, 2020, mandating the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) share this information, we are extremely disappointed in the process MDH has created to collect and distribute the information,’ it says.” Walz “announced the executive order in response to calls from the same three organizations. The law enforcement groups said the step would streamline communication and allow first responders to take precautions at addresses with infections, and in turn prevent the spread of the virus among front-line workers and the public.”
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Fourteen-year-old boy arrested 3 times in weekend auto thefts, Wichita police say Wichita Eagle 4/27/20 Wichita police say a 14-year-old boy on a weekend crime spree has been arrested for auto theft not once — but three times since Saturday. Wichita police Chief Gordon Ramsay, in a prepared statement included in an emailed news release announcing the boy’s arrests, said changes to a state law that outlines how juvenile offenders can be handled “has impacted our ability to address juvenile offenders swiftly.”
When the Police Call Your Landlord - The Atlantic 3/14/20 Crime-free-housing programs are quietly giving police widespread influence over landlords and their tenants.
New Georgia Gang Database Online Clayton (GA) News Daily 2/5/20 Database of more than 17,000 gang members and associates contains information about criminal street gangs, their members and activities, as well as ‘associates’ of gang members.
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New York Justice Reform Criticized After Wintess' Death New Your Times 2/5/20, Death of Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez, a Long Island man who agreed to testify against MS-13 gang members who stabbed him, is “a flash point in the debate over” New York’s progressive criminal justice changes from 2019.
Two Articles on Red Flag Law Risks: Opinion: The dangers posed by red flag laws - PoliceOne.com 10/30/19 Cops and citizens could become victims of these new statutes if due process and other fundamental liberties are violated