Tag: Criminal Justice System

Buffalo to pay $700k in lawsuit involving police union president : Investigative Post

The City of Buffalo’s law department this week asked the Common Council to approve $1.68 million in settlements to lawsuits against the city — most stemming from encounters between police and civilians.

The largest of the settlements — $700,000 — stems from an incident nearly seven years ago involving the current president of the city’s police union and his partner. 

On Memorial Day 2019, Bruce McNeil was stopped while driving down Broadway by Officer John Davidson — now the president of the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association — and his partner, Officer Patrick Garry. The officers wouldn’t tell him the reason for the stop, according to McNeil’s court papers, but pulled him out of the car, handcuffed him, put him in the back of their patrol car and searched his vehicle. They found no contraband and let him go.
— Read on investigativepost.org/2026/03/20/city-to-pay-700k-in-police-misconduct-lawsuit/

Escape from New York

“Escape From New York” by Jarrod Shanahan analyzes the 1970s New York City carceral crisis, centering on prisoner-led resistance against the Department of Correction. The text highlights how alleged liberal reforms fueled the expansion of mass incarceration while documenting heroic, rebellious actions from within facilities like Rikers Island.

Read on HERE

Hiring and Retention of State and Local Law Enforcement Officers, 2020

In 2020, general-purpose law enforcement agencies hired 55,000 full-time sworn personnel, but lost 57,400 through resignations, retirements, and other types of separations, resulting in a net loss of 2,400 officers (figure 1). A net loss of 1,500 officers also occurred in 2013, while agencies had net gains in 2003, 2008, and 2016. The largest number of hires occurred in 2016 (63,600), resulting in a net gain of 9,300 officers

Get the report HERE

Rochester’s Police Accountability Board presents report on local policing technology

Rochester, N.Y. — Rochester’s Police Accountability Board presented a new report on Thursday examining how policing technology is being used around the city.

— Read on 13wham.com/news/local/rochesters-police-accountability-board-presents-report-on-local-policing-technology

Get a .PDF of the report HERE

Science-based Interviewing to Improve Investigative Outcomes | RTI

Key Takeaways

Science-based interviewing (SBI) is an evidence-based approach to investigative interviewing that prioritizes cooperation and gathering accurate, detailed information to advance a case over obtaining a confession.
Techniques characteristic of SBI include rapport-building, the use of memory-enhancing techniques, the strategic use of evidence, and assessing deception through statement-evidence inconsistencies rather than non-verbal behaviors. 
SBI is not a passive or permissive approach. It provides structured control. The investigator makes informed, intentional decisions that guide the conversation, manage the flow of information, and determine the timing of questions and evidence disclosure.
— Read on www.rti.org/insights/science-based-interviewing-law-enforcement

Have Racial Disparities in Law Enforcement Stops Narrowed? – Public Policy Institute of California

California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA) requires detailed reporting on all pedestrian and traffic stops. Recent RIPA data from the state’s largest law enforcement agencies points to a reduction in the overall number of stops—but we do not see a substantial narrowing of racial/ethnic disparities in intrusive experiences during stops.
— Read on www.ppic.org/publication/have-racial-disparities-in-law-enforcement-stops-narrowed/