Public Safety
Covering topics such as corrections, criminal justice, emergency management, gun control and police/fire/EMS.
A recent survey finds over a third of households with children lacked enough food as federal support for food programs falters.
Local government agencies are working to reform building inspection requirements after a condo building collapsed in Surfside, Fla., last year, but some engineering experts say the proposed packages aren’t strong enough.
New data from the Governors Highway Safety Association reports an additional 507 people were struck and killed by U.S. drivers in the first half of the year, continuing a decadelong trend of increasing pedestrian deaths.
The city has become the state’s most watched police department with both a federal monitor and strong civilian oversight. After a scandal exposed abuses, Oakland’s civilians have the power to overrule the police department.
Often overshadowed by its neighbor Minneapolis, the other twin city has survived the pandemic and racial tensions and is ready to move on. Governing talked to Mayor Carter, early in his second term, about the city’s new momentum.
The ballot initiative would tax residents making more than $2 million a year and use the funds to help the state curb wildfire, smoke and other air pollution. But some say the measure is overkill, given the state’s ambitious climate plans.
Without any documented potential crime or policies with instructions, officers collected and stored personal data and social media posts about demonstrators who participated in the 2020 racial justice protests.
Despite medical risks and a department policy that requires officers to assist injured people, Los Angeles police officers will often wait several minutes before approaching a person they’ve just shot.
Eight jurisdictions say they have either approved or installed automatic license plate readers, nine reported having no plans to consider the devices and three are still undecided.
California has the nation’s strictest gun control laws, yet the state’s capital city experienced its deadliest shooting ever this weekend, leaving six dead and 12 wounded. Gun control activists wonder what more can be done.
Mayor Ted Wheeler suggested that the Committee on Community-Engaged Policing “take a breather” to allow the city to hire more support staff, provide more training and find facilitators. The group only has seven of 13 seats filled.
The new commission, which was first proposed two years ago in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, will have subpoena power, access to crime scenes and records and will conduct a variety of investigations.
The billing would happen when private ambulance services are overwhelmed and the city’s fire department has to fill the gap. Residents already receive a bill from private firms, such as AMR. Staffing shortages are behind the problem.
In a vote along party lines, the state Senate rejected $20 million in matching grants to equip local and county police agencies with body and/or dashboard cameras, with Republicans claiming the bill was premature and open-ended.
The Alabama city voted unanimously to install cameras to support ShotSpotter, an auditory gunshot detection technology, which has raised concerns about potential governmental monitoring and data collection.
A new report found that while harmful police tactics were reduced overall, there are still inequities. Last year the city’s police still used force on Black people 12 times more than white people and five times more than Hispanic people.
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