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.
Florida has one of nation’s most stringent building codes, and county rules require owners of older buildings to submit reports from licensed engineers or architects certifying a building’s safety after 40 years.
Amazon warehouse workers in Pennsylvania are twice as likely to have serious injuries than at other warehouses in the region. Last year, the state’s Amazon warehouses reported 7.2 serious incidents per every 200,000 hours worked.
Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely, who has been serving since 1983, will stand trial on five felony charges of using his position for personal gain, five felony counts of theft and one misdemeanor theft charge.
There are high-tech tools that allow inspectors to better analyze a building’s structural integrity, but neither Miami-Dade County nor Florida requires them. Some experts believe they should.
The South Carolina police department has been using the facial recognition software, Clearview AI, for more than a year. Law enforcement officials said that the department has ultimately decided not to use the service.
The gunshot detection technology, ShotSpotter, identified gunfire more than 15,000 times last year in St. Louis and St. Louis County. However, for the large majority of those instances, there were no shootings to investigate.
With 90 percent of the state’s law enforcement agencies using body cameras, the state patrol troopers remain outliers. The department cites cost as an impediment, while advocates say the state should mandate the tech.
The city has approved a two-year budget that will cut millions from the police department budget and reallocate the money to fund violence prevention programs and other social services.
The Board of Aldermen has introduced a bill that would require board approval of any new or expanded police and city surveillance programs. Police claim surveillance technology has helped combat crime.
While California has one of the highest vaccination rates in the nation, the rates for firefighters and police are often much lower. Are unvaccinated safety workers a public health risk?
The new open data portal will be accessible to the public, to increase transparency as the department continues to work towards police reform. Officials hope to develop a long-term public safety plan with the community.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot pledged police reform while campaigning for mayor, but two years later and the Chicago Police Department looks much as it did before she took office. Many are upset with the lack of change.
The City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to regulate the police department’s use of “militarized” gear, and the department will be required to submit reports of equipment use and purchases.
State lawmakers have proposed a 13-bill bipartisan reform package to better address police accountability and improve training, but it's unclear if there will be a vote on the package before the end of session.
Housing and crime round out top urban concerns and mayors are scrambling to use much-needed federal funding as austerity issues recede, according to the latest State of the Cities report from the National League of Cities.
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