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This Machine Could Prevent Gun Violence — If Only Cops Used It

Beth Schwartzapfel

October 06, 2016 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

Gun crimes with no leads can torment police investigators and agitate communities. NIBIN is a database that tracks the unique marks that guns leave on shell casings, showing whether that same gun was used in another crime or could lead to evidence.

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The Empathetic Police Academy

Howard Schultz Rajiv Chandrasekaran

October 04, 2016 |

Starbucks Channel |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Burlen, Washington

Susan Rahr, a former sheriff, didn’t agree with the “boot camp atmosphere” of police academies. She also didn’t agree with the tough vigilante, us vs them attitude she observed from her fellow officers, and in school. So, when she became director of the Criminal Justice Training Center she changed the curriculum. The program has become a “national model of how law enforcement officers can be more empathetic to and respectful of the communities they serve without diminishing their own safety.”

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New research shows there's one big change when cops wear cameras

Cassie Werber

September 29, 2016 |

Quartz |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

Cameras worn on police uniforms have been lauded as a possible solution to many of the problems facing officers in the line of duty, from violence against law enforcement to the unnecessary use of force. The US Department of Justice recently announced a plan to spend $20 million on body cameras for cops in 32 states. The cameras are controversial, as all surveillance...

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Oregon Detective Pioneers New Sexual Assault Reporting Program

Avery Lill

September 22, 2016 |

NPR |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Ashland, Oregon

In Ashland, Oregon, the police department has launched a program that better serves sexual assault survivors by putting them at the center. The program, called You Have Options, considers the challenges that survivors face and works to help them through the reporting process, including letting them report anonymously. In its first year, You Have Options saw a 106% increase in sexual assault reporting and departments across the United States are now seeking to implement it.

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How the Chicanas of Eastside Mujeres Network Are Fighting to End Violence Against Women

Jessica Langlois

September 21, 2016 |

LA Weekly |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

The recent revival of feminism, in tandem with increased awareness about violence and sexual abuse, and combined with the power of social media to organize activist groups, is helping various advocacy groups address the serious issues faced by women and minorities, specifically Latina women, in the Los Angeles area. Organizations from anti-gentrification cycling groups to rape crisis hotline dispatchers are combining resources to combat violence against women, provide more comprehensive legal and human services, help victims get a new start, and change the culture of abuse for good.

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A tale of 3 cities: LA and NYC outpace Chicago in curbing violence

Jeremy Gorner Annie Sweeney

September 18, 2016 |

Chicago Tribune |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Adjusting some of the strategies police adopted in New York and Los Angeles can help Chicago reduce it homicide rates which is one of the highest in the country. Some strategies which can be adopted in Chicago are to improve the relationships police have with the community and to increase police presence.

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Can a Fresh Cup of Coffee Help Mend Police-Civilian Relations?

Sarah Baird

September 01, 2016 |

Pacific Standard |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans police adopted a program popular in many other cities called Coffee With A Cop in an effort to foster more normal communication among police and citizens over a cup of Joe. It's a version of community policing, but certainly not a panacea for investing in actual community policing programs and the article points out that the city got rid of some of those programs while it's trying out this new model. It's initial rollout seems to offer hope for better relations between residents and police, while acknowledging the many challenges.

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Abolish the police? Organizers say it's less crazy than it sounds.

Maya Dukmasova

August 25, 2016 |

The Chicago Reader |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Police abolitionism, an idea that strikes many as fanciful and dangerous, lies at the root of many community projects in Chicago that have demonstrated on a small scale the ways that problems can be solved without police involvement. Run by acolytes of Mariame Kaba, these projects provided dispute resolution services, mental health responses, and a bond fund that uses donated money to bail pretrial defendants out of jail. The key idea is to demonstrate ways to scale back police powers, rather than wait for institutions to reform themselves.

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Seattle's Potential Solution for Heroin Epidemic: Places for Legal Drug Use

Jonah Engel Bromwich

August 25, 2016 |

The New York Times |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Seattle, Washington

In Seattle, a heroin epidemic is provoking solutions that go beyond the cities needle exchange program. While controversial, a new proposal recommends safe drug-usage zones for those engaging in drug use.

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Secret Cameras Record Baltimore's Every Move From Above

Monte Reel

August 23, 2016 |

Bloomberg |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

Technology developed in the military to find who was planting roadside bombs to take out American soldiers has been adapted for civilian use by a former member of the Air Force, whose company seeks to work with police departments to use it to solve crimes. The airborne cameras provide hours of consistent surveillance and have proven highly effective at tracking down perpetrators so police can arrest them. But civil libertarians are alarmed what this widespread surveillance means and how it will be used, particularly since Baltimore officials did not tell the public about it for months.

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