Month: March 2022

Who Gets Caught Doing Crime? | Bureau of Justice Statistics

This is an interesting article that discusses that amount of crime a criminal commits before getting caught. This is an important consideration when discussing recidivism, open cases, and reoffending.

Rand survey respondents were considered to be “high-rate” if they reported committing any one of seven types of crime at rates higher than 70 percent of respondents who also committed that crime. The offenders who are arrested frequently despite their relatively low rate of committing crimes are called “low-rate losers” in this study. The study shows that some arrestees with apparently extensive arrest histories are not high-rate, serious offenders. Rather, they are somewhat inept, unprofessional criminals who may be arrested nearly every time they commit a crime. Based on their arrest record alone, it is practically impossible to distinguish them from offenders who commit crimes at high rates. Based on this finding, the authors caution against trying to use as indicators of high-rate criminal behavior the total number of times individuals have been arrested or convicted as adults.

Who Gets Caught Doing Crime? | Bureau of Justice Statistics
— Read on bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/who-gets-caught-doing-crime-0

Female officers change police culture in Chief Ken Clary’s Bellevue, Nebraska department – Washington Post

As of the post this article is accessible. The Washington Post usually has a pay wall.

An interesting point from the article is when standards were changed they were done because the current standards presented roadblocks to applicants which is one reason to consider changing admissions standards. This article also has a lot of links which gives the reader a lot of resources to “all things women in policing”.

Chief Ken Clary has nearly quadrupled the number of female officers on his force, citing research that shows they are less likely to use force on civilians.
— Read on www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/interactive/2022/women-police-nebraska/

Reforming the police through procedural justice training: A multicity randomized trial at crime hot spots | PNAS

Our study is a randomized trial in policing confirming that intensive training in procedural justice (PJ) can lead to more procedurally just behavior and less disrespectful treatment of people at high-crime places. The fact that the PJ intervention reduced arrests by police officers, positively influenced residents’ perceptions of police harassment and violence, and also reduced crime provides important guidance for police reform in a period of strong criticism of policing. This randomized trial points to the potential for PJ training not simply to encourage fair and respectful policing but also to improve evaluations of the police and crime prevention effectiveness
— Read on www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2118780119

Police Benchmark Cities Survey

Several years ago I accidentally discovered the “benchmark cities survey” and I haven’t heard it talked about in academic and policing circles. It is a fantastic resource. the Survey consists of 5 major areas: Demographics, Budget, General Performance & Service Measures, Crime & Clearance, NIBRS Crime & Clearance, and Traffic Safety. Below are links to a few different years of the survey. This survey would be helpful for police in making knowledge based decisions, students for a police administration course, and academic research.

In 1997, a group of police chiefs from around the country established the benchmark cities survey, which created measurement tool to help ensure police departments provide the best service possible within their respective communities. Overland Park Police Department has taken the lead in compiling the survey results. The survey, updated annually, provides a range of information about each department. With that information, the participating agencies can set better goals and objectives, and compare their performance in the various areas.

The Overland Park Police Department 2021 Survey can be found HERE

The Overland Park Police Department 2020 Survey is HERE

The Olathe Police Department (OPD) has links to the 2019 benchmark city survey – HERE

  • The Lawrence KS PD combined all the PowerPoint presentations into a single presentation report (which is a better format):
    • The 2020 presentation can be accessed HERE
    • The 2019 presentation is HERE
    • The 2018 Presentation is HERE
    • The 2017 Presentation HERE
    • The 2016 report is HERE
    • The 2015 report is HERE
    • The 2014 report can’t be located
    • The 2013 report is HERE
    • Thank you Lawrence PD!!!!!

Detroit Police Department- Community Safety Strategy 2022

This is an interesting approach where DPD has a overall department wide 5-point plan that each precinct discusses how it will apply the plan in its precinct. This way the community can see how crime-fighting will take form in their neighborhood.

See the report below:

detroitmi.gov/sites/detroitmi.localhost/files/2022-03/DPD-community-safety-strategy.pdf

NYC Bail Trends Since 2019 : Office of the New York City Comptroller Brad Lander

Introduction The purpose of bail is to ensure that a person who is arrested returns to court for trial. However, in practice, the impact of bail has been to detain tens of thousands of New Yorkers, presumed innocent, before trial and cost low-income families tens of millions of dollars every…
— Read on comptroller.nyc.gov/reports/nyc-bail-trends-since-2019/

What really happened that night in Louisville and the shooting of Breonna Taylor?

If you only listen to news media reports you get one version of how Breonna Taylor died that night 3-13-2020. Listen to Sgt. John Mattingly on Charlie Kirk’s podcast and the listener is exposed to a vastly different version to what happened that day. One thing for certain is that evening has impacted the Taylor family and the officers at the incident beyond comprehension. What is owed to both is the truth.

The segment on the Charlie Kirk podcast interview of Sgt. John Mattingly begins at about the 15:30 minute mark can be accessed HERE and lasts for about 11 1/2 minutes until the 27:00 minute mark. Sgt. Mattingly sounds professional and believable. Why didn’t this information come out immediately after the incident? Kirk mentions that this incident has impacted police policy across the nation. Especially ending the police use of “No Knock Warrants” which weren’t even in play here. Police decisions based on lies lead to bad policing.

Official police records can be seen HERE.