Public Safety
Covering topics such as corrections, criminal justice, emergency management, gun control and police/fire/EMS.
Sunset Mesa residents are pushing for fireproof construction with noncombustible materials to shield entire blocks and attract affordable insurance.
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.
In recent years, the public perception of police culture has been defined by acts of violence against citizens. A group of chiefs and sheriffs are working to change the narrative by emphasizing a mission of service.
Preliminary data, which is current through Sept. 30, shows that more than 6,079 residential property and personal motor vehicle claims were filed for losses in West Maui and Upcountry Maui.
Police stations have long served as entry points for Chicagoans in need of social services. As the city tries to maneuver the influx of thousands of migrants, some homeless residents are also using the city’s police stations as shelters.
The state was among 25 states that received an “F” grade for gun safety from the Giffords Law Center; of the Northeastern states, Maine and New Hampshire were the only ones to receive a failing grade.
The results of an audit found a “high likelihood” that hundreds of state troopers falsified tens of thousands of traffic tickets and skewed racial profiling data. Now the department is working to restore public trust and legitimacy.
The city’s police reported using force against Black people 502 times from January through June of this year, which is more than against Hispanic (311), white (223) and Asian (80) people. Black people make up 5 percent of the city’s population.
Two county lawmakers have called for a 12-month moratorium on the construction and siting of battery energy storage systems, citing the fire risks of lithium-ion batteries. Battery energy storage systems have become a growing concern across the state.
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