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.
Racial impact statements can provide state legislators with a way to evaluate the impact of proposed legislation on sentencing and incarceration. Nine states have adopted them, and more should follow.
The city’s Finance Committee has rebuffed three budget amendments that would have redirected $750,000 of the police department’s budget to fund a newly established team of mental health first responders.
The state Supreme Court will determine if police should be allowed to track people via their cellphone location without a court-issued warrant. The court will deliver a decision in the coming months.
One day after the city’s vaccine mandate went into effect, police officers and firefighters are unable to report to work for not being vaccinated. Some have filed for an exemption while others are facing separation.
After a summer of devastating wildfires, many parts of California are expecting rain over the next several weeks. The early precipitation would end the fire season but could cause severe flooding.
Baltimore City and County vaccine mandate has gone into effect, but vaccine rate information for several police and fire departments in the area is incomplete or unavailable. Maryland’s vaccination rate is at more than 80 percent.
A preliminary estimate shows that the Caldor Fire cost tens of millions in lost economic activity. Wildfires, and the economic disruption they cause, have a large economic impact. But right now, California has a mostly incomplete picture of how much fires cost the state each year.
The current system does not service many jurisdictions in the area and isn’t capable of handling the growing demand for mental health response systems. The city will switch away from its current model in 2024.
A coalition of police officers, firefighters and other city employees have claimed that the city’s COVID-19 vaccine and testing rules are discriminatory. The city has a vaccination rate of approximately 78 percent.
Despite having less bike infrastructure than other neighborhoods, Chicago police issued citations for biking on the sidewalk eight and three times more often in Black and Latino neighborhoods, respectively.
The Ohio city hopes to receive a $222,000 grant to cover most of the costs required to outfit 19 patrol officers over the next five years. It would cost $55,000 annually to maintain the technology after implementation.
Four years after Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico, federal money to rebuild its electricity system is finally about to flow. But it may not deliver what islanders want.
The law affecting nondisclosure agreements also prevents employers from offering severance agreements that block displaced workers from talking about unlawful acts in the workplace. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.
The police department has started implementing drones to track stolen and illegal vehicles, search for missing people and manage large crowds; the technology will only be used for specific events and not regular patrols.
A two-person kidnapping situation reinforced the need for Tucson to develop a co-response model in which mental health professionals and 911 dispatchers would be able to share information and respond to incidents together.
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