Public Safety
Covering topics such as corrections, criminal justice, emergency management, gun control and police/fire/EMS.
Enhancements and weatherization efforts mean this year’s freezing weather did not overwhelm the state’s electric system. But policymakers face tough decisions as future load projections grow.
The study of more than 6 million cases found that 46 percent of traffic stops were of Black or Hispanic motorists, far more than their share of the state’s population. Officials called the findings “deeply troubling.”
Just 19 percent of the Dallas Police Department’s sworn officers are women, but they hope to establish a support system for each other and to fight the industry’s culture of harassment and sexism.
An elite group of wildland firefighters trained to parachute out of planes and into remote areas to fight blazes, in hopes of quickly stopping fires at their source and preventing further damage.
For Chicago and other cities hit by gun violence, a massive injection of federal grant money will help more programs offer an alternative to law enforcement that, supporters say, gets at the root drivers of violence.
Some worry that the state’s new “sprawl bill” could negatively impact affordable housing, conservation efforts and hurricane evacuation routes by requiring citizens to pay for legal challenges against local governments and developers.
A new audit found that there is a “high likelihood” that hundreds of state troopers collectively falsified tens of thousands of traffic ticket records over the last decade. The state has launched an investigation into the matter.
Mayor Matt Mahan recently held a press conference to further stress the city’s “zero tolerance policy” for public drug crimes and reinforced the need for arrests and treatments. But it remains unclear if the crackdown will make a meaningful impact.
According to the air monitoring website IQAir, the city had the worst air quality out of 95 cities worldwide on Tuesday, June 27. Alerts were issued for parts of the Great Lakes, Lower Mississippi and Ohio valleys.
Law enforcement officials agree that 911 response merits a more nuanced approach. But powerful police unions are against proposals that might reduce their control over 911 operations, and the budget and staff that go with them.
Texas is the most recent state in which regulators have not required companies to offer their outdoor employees rest breaks with shade and water. Heat causes the most deaths of any extreme weather.
Across the Midwest, thousands of miles have been planned to soon have metal pipelines connecting dozens of ethanol plants. Proponents tout the pipes’ financial boon, while critics worry about their environmental impact.
Proponents of the technology claim that it can be used as an important crime-fighting and security tool. But critics argue that mistakes and wrong identifications could put innocent people in prison and threaten data privacy.
Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a law establishing a new state emergency alert system called Athena Alert. Here’s a breakdown of the differences between an Athena Alert, Amber Alert, Clear Alert and more.
Seacliff State Beach near Santa Cruz suffered more than $100 million in damage alone after storms battered its pier in January. The state endured 31 atmospheric rivers this winter, making it one of the coldest and wettest in recorded history.
Public arrest data from 2018 to 2022 revealed that Black people made up 69 percent of arrests for possession of 2 ounces or less of marijuana, but they make up about 24 percent of Dallas’ population.
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