Public Safety
Covering topics such as corrections, criminal justice, emergency management, gun control and police/fire/EMS.
We need competent responders every hour of the day, every day of the week. But we often don’t have them.
Is your law enforcement agency accredited? Probably not, but it ought to be.
Just a few years ago, the California city was winning acclaim as a national model for gun violence prevention. Last year, a regional trauma center treated 502 gunshot victims, compared to just 283 in 2019.
The state executed four people this year, while Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama executed a total of 20 others. Forty states have abolished the death penalty, paused executions or have not executed anyone in the past 10 years.
The City Council voted unanimously to equip about 810 sworn police officers with body cameras next year, making a summertime pilot program permanent. However only 297 of the patrol officers will be required to wear them routinely.
The warrior mentality is perpetuated from generation to generation. An ex-cop’s thoughtful new book suggests pathways for reform.
The proposed legislation, which is waiting for a signature from the Texas governor, could cost taxpayers almost $380 per arrest if unlawful entry into the country by undocumented migrants becomes a state law and is locally enforceable.
Over three-quarters, or more than 500 dorms, of state-run correctional housing units don’t have air conditioning, but proposed legislation would make it a requirement to provide some cool air to the units by July 1.
Fatalities increased 18 percent from 2019 to 2022, despite the fact that the overall number of miles traveled decreased by 3 percent. Policymakers are trying to find ways to curb speeding and reckless driving.
Los Angeles spends millions on body cameras to help provide transparency and accountability, but most of the footage never gets seen. Now department leaders are wondering if artificial intelligence can help solve the issue.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission is able to examine the conduct of officers and issue discipline, regardless of whether or not they are found at fault by their peers. The discipline can be anything from retraining to decertification.
After Gov. Greg Abbott signs the legislation, state and local police will be allowed to enforce a new state crime, illegal entry from a foreign nation, and allows state judges to order migrants back to the country of entry.
The City Council approved the network that will cost $12 million over the next five years, will be made up of 500 cameras equipped with license plate reading technology, and could be implemented as soon as January.
Heat and flood warnings mixed with mounting political pressure make life for the city’s unhoused population especially challenging. Earlier this year, a grand jury found the city’s homelessness solutions ineffective.
The pervasive problem has forced several stations to temporarily close due to lack of ladder trucks and other vehicles. The city has approved a multimillion-dollar purchase of goods, but it’s unclear when they will arrive.
An audit from earlier this year found that, across 46 states, state agencies failed to report an estimated 34,000 cases of missing foster kids, including children who ran away multiple times.
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