Tag: Police Reform

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Strengthens America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Citizens – The White House

EMPOWERING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to empower state and local law enforcement
— Read on www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-strengthens-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/

CPD Officers Would Not Be Banned From Making Traffic Stops to Find Evidence of Unrelated Crimes: Proposed Policy

Chicago police officers would not be banned from making traffic stops based on minor registration or equipment violations that are designed to find evidence of “unrelated” crimes, under a new policy unveiled Thursday by Chicago Police Department leaders.

The proposed policy “acknowledges” that what the department calls “Pretextual Traffic Stops can be perceived by some members of the community as negative, biased or unlawful. Therefore, any such use of lawful Pretextual Traffic Stops as a law enforcement or crime prevention strategy must strike a balance between identifying those engaged in criminal conduct and the community’s sense of fairness.”

Officers who stop drivers for improper or expired registration plates or stickers and headlight, taillight and license plate light offenses “must strike a balance between promoting public safety and building and maintaining community trust,” according to the draft policy.

Read on HERE

Read the proposed policy HERE

Chicago Police Traffic Stop data report HERE

Citizens Police Oversight Commission Releases Annual Report Highlighting Progress Toward Police Accountability, Transparency, and Community Trust | Citizens Police Oversight Commission | City of Philadelphia

The Citizens Police Oversight Commission (CPOC) today announced the release of its 2024 Annual Report, a detailed account of the agency’s growing impact in building a more transparent, accountable, and community-centered system of policing in Philadelphia.

The 2024 Annual Report details a year of significant progress for CPOC, despite a challenging national environment for police oversight agencies. Under the leadership of Executive Director Tonya McClary, Esq., who was appointed in May 2024, CPOC has taken major steps to strengthen its oversight functions, engage the public, and advocate for systemic reforms.

“Even with the challenges we faced in 2024, CPOC remained resolutely committed to fostering transparency, accountability, and trust between the community and law enforcement,” said McClary. “Our work is helping to shape a future that is safer, fairer, and filled with opportunities for every Philadelphian.”

Here is an interesting graphic from the report
— Read on www.phila.gov/2025-04-24-citizens-police-oversight-commission-releases-annual-report-highlighting-progress-toward-police-accountability-transparency-and-community-trust/

Get a .PDF copy of the report HERE

Why doesn’t Texas law regulate police chases? State lawmakers, experts explain

Police chases, at their worst, are deadly. They tend to damage property. They can leave communities grieving. Most states — including Texas — have no idea how many chases happen within their own state beyond how highway troopers engage.

Despite their prominence in policing and the risk they pose, there are no laws dictating how most Texas law enforcement agencies should carry out chases.

In his 12 years as a state representative, Houston Democrat Gene Wu said he hasn’t heard much discussion among his colleagues seeking to address that.

“The way I perceive it is that most cities have good policies on chases because it affects their bottom line,” Wu said. “When those chases go wrong and it kills innocent people, they pay, and they pay a lot. So, I think from my perspective — I won’t speak for everyone — but the perspective is that it seems like something that the cities would take care of themselves to protect themselves.”

KERA News spoke to Wu and other state lawmakers in Austin last month as the clock ran out to file bills in the Texas Legislature. They, along with outside experts, offered some insight into what drives the lawmaking process in Texas and whether police chases – which killed nearly 100 people in Texas in 2022 – will ever be regulated statewide.

Read more HERE

NYPD Vehicle Stops Data – NYCLU

NYPD officers stop over one million New Yorkers in vehicles every year and these stops are likely the largest category of police-civilian interaction. One reason for the enormous number of vehicle stops is that courts have ruled police officers generally have the authority to stop any vehicle as long as they can claim a traffic or vehicle infraction. This standard is so low – especially since it is difficult to drive without violating one of the numerous traffic laws – that it makes it difficult to challenge stops that are made for impermissible reasons, including racial profiling.
— Read on www.nyclu.org/data/nypd-vehicle-stops-data