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Thousands of Complaints Do Little to Change Police Ways

Shaila Dewan Serge Kovaleski

May 30, 2020 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Derek Chauvin's journey through the Minneapolis Police Department’s officer-disciplinary system illustrates the weaknesses of that system and the failure of efforts to fix it. Chauvin, the officer charged in the death of George Floyd, survived at least 17 misconduct complaints before he was fired for killing Floyd by kneeling on his neck. Critics charge the department never complied with recommendations by federal analysts to improve the tracking and disciplining of problem officers. That and other administrative failures are coupled with political and cultural barriers to neuter many reform ideas.

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Before George Floyd's Death, Minneapolis Police Failed to Adopt Reforms, Remove Bad Officers

Simone Weichselbaum Jamiles Lartey

May 28, 2020 |

The Marshall Project |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Minneapolis Police Department’s repeated failures to reform a broken police-discipline system underscore the lack of public trust that exploded in local and nationwide protests after an officer with a troubled record killed a handcuffed suspect. An analysis of police-reform efforts in the city, and statewide, show how vows to do better have been undermined by official reluctance to remove bad officers from duty, either through administrative or legislative failure. Among the unaddressed problems: a "coaching" system that allows officers to avoid suspension but is riddled with problems.

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Arrests decrease under diversion program

Ryan Lowery

May 28, 2020 |

Las Vegas Optic |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Alamosa, Colorado

Alamosa, Colorado has lowered its jail population and the number of felony cases and arrests, and has broken the cycle of repeat offending, by diverting people with drug problems from prosecution into treatment. The local version of a national program called Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) was modeled on one in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which worked best when people in the program maintained a close relationship with their case workers. One of many problems those relationships solved: the high number of missed court dates, which result in arrest warrants.

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How police forces in western Canada are working to speed up ballistic imaging to solve gun crimes quicker

Marsha McLeod

May 27, 2020 |

The Globe and Mail |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Edmonton, Alberta

As Canada sees an increase in gun violence, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) are increasing their capacity to do ballistic imaging – an analysis that is able to potentially connect multiple crimes. Across the country, individual police agencies are developing their own way of conducting this analysis or working with the RCMP, which has access to an integrated network of crime information, to expedite the process.

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KCPD crime-fighting strategy sees success in first year

Andres Gutierrez

April 30, 2020 |

KSHB-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City Police Department used a crime-prevention strategy called the risk-terrain model to target and neutralize crime magnets, a low-cost approach associated with a 24% decrease in violence in areas where it was used in its first year. The method blends data sophistication with support from other agencies and community groups to modify environmental features that make crime more likely, say a bus stop notorious for drug dealing. Researchers from Rutgers University documented the city’s savings from the crime reduction at $3 million.

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As more Mass. first responders test positive for COVID-19, police and fire departments lean on each other to maintain services

Scott J. Croteau

March 26, 2020 |

MassLive |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Massachusetts

As communities work to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the risk for emergency responders to contract the illness is high; but in Massachusetts, departments are putting new practices and plans into place to address this. From changing the way police respond to calls, to creating a backfill system if or when officers are quarantined, the departments are working to keep both their responders and their communities healthy.

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Inmates Released, Deputies Get COVID-19 Gear

Sheena Elzie

March 20, 2020 |

Spectrum News 1 Ohio |

Broadcast TV News |

Under 3 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Hamilton, Ohio

In Butler County, Ohio, law enforcement and jails are adapting quickly as the COVID19 pandemic continues on. They’re working with courts and judges to allow low-level and non-violent offenders to be released and have stopped allowing visitations. Officers also get full protective gear for responding to possible coronavirus cases, although many reports have been taken over the phone lately, instead of in person.

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“We Are Not Lost Causes”

Mark Obbie

March 05, 2020 |

Longreads |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Rochester, New York

In Rochester, NY, the Center for Teen Empowerment, a nonprofit that trains youth in community organizing, personal development, and anti-violence, is working to bring kids off the street and into safety. The program, which started in Boston, is centered on four ideas: jobs (paying the youth hired as organizers), teamwork, agency (letting them build their own activist agendas), and peer influence. While hard to evaluate because of its situational, qualitative nature, city officials, including law enforcement, point to the program as a factor in the decrease in violence across the city.

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City watchdog says Chicago's arrest diversion program for youth can't be evaluated due to poor record keeping and lack of collaboration

Annie Sweeney

February 25, 2020 |

Chicago Tribune |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Over the past 14 years, the city of Chicago has been running a Juvenile Intervention and Support Center (JISC) to help divert youth away from the criminal justice system. The goal of the program, which took a $5 million investment, was to connect them with social services, favoring rehabilitation over punitive measures. But because of record destruction, lack of record keeping, and an inability by the police and Department of Family and Support Services to collaborate, a recent audit has proved unable to determine the success of the JISC.

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Case-By-Case, Gun-By-Gun: Denver Investigator Is Removing Firearms From Domestic Abusers

Leigh Paterson

February 23, 2020 |

KUNC |

Radio |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

The Denver, Colorado, district attorney’s office assigned an investigator to methodically search for signs that domestic abusers possessed prohibited guns, and then uses that information to take the guns away. Firearm prohibitions are required by federal law or through protective orders issued by courts. But enforcement in many places is spotty to nonexistent. By taking an active rather than passive approach to enforcement, the office has confiscated dozen of guns from people deemed a threat.

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