Tag: Policy

One in Five: Disparities in Crime and Policing

As you read this report draw your own conclusions but I must highlight that the usual attacks are made on police. It almost amounts to “nothing works” in policing in it’s current state which is absolutely false. The usual attacks are: racial disparities in policing are driven solely by racism and nothing to do with offender accountability, police tactics like pedestrian and vehicle stops are bad, police in schools are bad, broken windows doesn’t work, reduce police use of force (not that it’s a function of police being attacked), Increase police oversight (where members have personal agendas that conflict with the community and police goals). This list of grievances is a broken record without viable or proven examples of what works without policing. Nonetheless I present their argument.

Executive Summary

This report interrogates the large footprint of policing—particularly of Black Americans— as, in part, a failed response to racial disparities in serious crimes.  The wide net that police cast across people of color is at odds with advancing safety because excessive police contact often fails to intercept serious criminal activity and diminishes the perceived legitimacy of law enforcement. Excessive policing also distracts policymakers from making investments to promote community safety without the harms of policing and incarceration. In addition, the large footprint of policing gets in the way of, as the National Academies of Sciences has called for, needed “durable investments in disadvantaged urban neighborhoods that match the persistent and longstanding nature of institutional disinvestment that such neighborhoods have endured over many years.”

Nate: There are several parts to this series.

Read more here: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/one-in-five-disparities-in-crime-and-policing/

Get a .PDF of the report here: https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/10/One-in-Five-Disparities-in-Crime-and-Policing.pdf

One in Five: Ending Racial Inequity in Incarceration

Executive Summary

Following a massive, four-decade-long buildup of incarceration disproportionately impacting people of color, a growing reform movement has made important inroads. The 21st century has witnessed progress both in reducing the U.S. prison population and its racial and ethnic disparities. The total prison population has declined by 25% after reaching its peak level in 2009. While all major racial and ethnic groups experienced decarceration, the Black prison population has downsized the most. The number of imprisoned Black Americans decreased 39% since its peak in 2002.  Despite this progress, imprisonment levels remain too high nationwide, particularly for Black Americans.

NOTE: This is one article of a several part series.

Read on here: https://www.sentencingproject.org/reports/one-in-five-ending-racial-inequity-in-incarceration/

Get a .pdf of the REPORT here: https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/10/One-in-Five-Ending-Racial-Inequity-in-Incarceration.pdf

School-to-Prison Pipeline — Back to School with ACLU of North Carolina

The Consequences of Cops
in North Carolina Schools
Despite clear evidence regarding the negative impact of police on students and school environments, North Carolina continues to devote millions of dollars to placing armed law enforcement officers in schools. But prioritizing funding for police officers over funding for other school staff and community-based supports is a policy choice that has had grave consequences for North Carolina’s children, especially Black youth and students with disabilities.
— Read on www.acluofnorthcarolina-bts.org/cops-in-schools

See the report HERE

Chicago police officers with ties to extremist Oath Keepers stay on the force. Some have troubling records. – Chicago Sun-Times

An investigation by WBEZ, Chicago Sun-Times and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found allegations of excessive force, improper searches and racist comments on the job.
— Read on graphics.suntimes.com/extremism-ranks/2023/oathkeepers-investigation-chicago-police-extremism-insurrection/

Moncton Dieppe RiverviewPublic SafetyPolicing Services Study

The idea of this report was to assist in making a determination whether to continue to maintain police services from the local police departments or to use the services or the RCMP. There are tradeoffs that can’t be measured by a study without being specific in it’s purpose. There are benefits have the police live in the community they patrol. Having a police force committed solely to the community that it patrols. Then there are the community networking and knowledge of the community that is important. Intimate knowledge of the local crime issues and the local criminals, which the RCMP officers probably would be less aware about. Lastly there is a tendency to for the RCMP to deploy minimal resources and to draw resources from neighboring areas when needed even for routine matters. This will decrease police sevices overall.

Executive Summary

The focus of the Study is to determine the requirements for a modern public safety police service and to compare and contrast the delivery of policing services by either the current Codiac Regional Police – a contracted RCMP model, or a regional municipal police force, or a
combination of RCMP and municipal services.

The methodology included:

  • an analysis and measurement of the Codiac policing workload
  • comparisons with other Canadian police agencies
  • research of policing initiatives and approaches across Canada, the US, and the UK
  • interviews with Tri-Community elected officials and administrative staff, and with senior Codiac Regional Police officers and RCMP ‘J’ Division
  • interviews with the New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety Canada staff
  • a Space Analysis of existing and future facility needs
  • a site visit by eight members of the Study team
  • a literature review of the public safety issues under study
  • a review of the Final Report of the Mass Casualty Commission

The Study identified significant costs, challenges, and risk in considering a move to create a
regional municipal police force, and a combined model is not considered feasible. A transition
plan to a regional municipal police force would require – most importantly – a long-term
agreement and commitment by all stakeholders: the community, councils, the Department of
Justice, and Public Safety Canada to move ahead with a change in service provider.

A .pdf of the report can be downloaded HERE

Philly police want to relax reading and fitness requirements for new cops

Standards & Policy don’t change because of an emergency situation. This will only create a problem.

City leaders wrote to state officials that Philadelphia should be permitted for three years to set its own reading and fitness standards that are less stringent than the ones dictated by the state.
— Read on www.inquirer.com/news/philly-police-reading-fitness-test-recruiting-20231013.html