Tag: Research

Resource spotlight: Data projects tracking police misconduct, use of force, and employment histories | Prison Policy Initiative

The need for law enforcement transparency, oversight, and accountability has never been clearer. We highlight data projects that have helped document and investigate misconduct, as …
— Read on www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2026/01/26/police_misconduct/

Reported Flash Mob Shoplifting Incidents: 2020‒2024 U.S. Department of Justice—Federal Bureau of Investigation

The FBI describes a flash mob as a form of shoplifting that occurs when an organized group
selects a specific retail store from which to collectively steal. Flash mob shoplifting is not a
dedicated offense for law enforcement agencies to report in the National Incident-Based
Reporting System (NIBRS) of the FBI’s UCR Program; however, NIBRS data are versatile and
can be used to compile incidents that align with the FBI’s description.

This report defines a flash mob shoplifting incident as one that includes a reported shoplifting
offense occurring at a location defined as a store or otherwise dealing in buying/selling activity,
with six or more offenders, and no more than one business reported as a victim. This study
analyzes shoplifting data over five years, from 2020 through 2024, that meet this constructed
definition for a flash mob.

Get the Report HERE

Universal Mental Health Screening in Schools

Mental health screening in public schools has grown in recent years. As of 2021, nearly one-third of American schools reported that their district mandated student screening.[1] While widespread implementation has occurred somewhat inconspicuously, empirical evidence has shown that universal mental health screening does not improve clinical or academic outcomes and indeed has harmful effects. This […]
— Read on manhattan.institute/article/universal-mental-health-screening-in-schools-a-critical-assessment

The Impact of School Police Reform on Student Safety and School Experiences

Executive Summary

Background

Following widespread calls for police reform in 2020, school districts across California made critical decisions about school policing. This study examined what happened when districts removed police from schools—the first comprehensive research of its kind. Using rigorous quasi-experimental methods, WestEd compared 60 schools from 6 districts that removed Police during 2019–2021 with 120 matched comparison schools from 30 districts that retained police, tracking outcomes through the 2021–22 school year.

Key Findings

Schools that removed police saw significant improvements in how students experienced their school environment. Students reported stronger caring relationships with staff and more meaningful participation in school. Both effects represent medium but substantively important impacts on student well-being. Contrary to concerns, removing police did not lead to increases in violence victimization, harassment or bullying, substance use, delinquency, or suspension rates (overall or by race/ethnicity). Finally, schools with higher student-to-counselor ratios (averaging 488:1, nearly double the recommended 250:1) that retained police showed higher rates of student-reported violence. However, schools that removed police were protected against this negative effect, regardless of counselor ratios.

Read the Final Report HERE

Statistical Transparency of Police. STOP

Executive Summary

House Bill 2355 (2017) mandates all Oregon law enforcement agencies to submit officer-initiated traffic and pedestrian stop data to the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (CJC).

The resulting Oregon Statistical Transparency of Policing (STOP) Program, housed at the CJC, was created with assistance from the Oregon State Police (OSP) and the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). This is the seventh annual report to the Oregon Legislature by the STOP Program examining data submitted by law enforcement agencies.

Table 0.1 reports descriptive statistics for

Tier 1 (100+ officers),

Tier 2 (25 – 99 officers), and

Tier 3 (<25 officers) agency stops.

Most drivers stopped were white and male. All minority races combined accounted for almost 30% of stops by larger (tier 1) agencies and a smaller portion, just over 20%, for smaller agencies, reflecting differences in urban and rural driving populations.

Read the report here:

www.ci.oswego.or.us/sites/default/files/STOP Report 2025.pdf

Crime Known to Law Enforcement, 2023

Description

This report details rates of violent and property crime in the United States based on offenses reported by law enforcement agencies from 2022 to 2023. It presents national and subnational estimates of crime offenses and victimizations for violent and property crime. Findings are based on BJS’s and the FBI’s National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Estimation Program. NIBRS collects detailed information on crime incidents reported to law enforcement throughout the United States. 

Highlights

  • The rate of violent offenses in the United States decreased from 407.3 per 100,000 persons in 2022 to 387.8 per 100,000 in 2023.
  • The rate of property offenses decreased 3% from 2,085.6 per 100,000 persons in 2022 to 2,015.2 per 100,000 in 2023.
  • The rate of violent victimization in 2023 was 395.2 per 100,000 persons, which was not statistically different from the rate in 2022.
  • Males and females both had decreases in the rate of homicide victimization from 2022 to 2023.

Get the report HERE