Tag: Research

Police Use of Force Policies Across America – Stanford Center for Racial Justice – Stanford Law School

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Five years after George Floyd’s killing sparked unprecedented demands for police reform, questions persist about the changes that have—and haven’t—been made to American policing. Many Americans may be surprised to learn that policing rules vary significantly across jurisdictions, with stark differences in how officers are permitted to use force. One city may require officers to try de-escalating a traffic stop before using any force, while another city may permit officers to immediately draw their weapons without attempting alternatives.
— Read on law.stanford.edu/2025/06/25/police-use-of-force-policies-across-america/

Province Commits to Public Safety Improvements Following Policing Review | Government of Nova Scotia News Releases

The Province released the findings of the comprehensive policing review today, June 25.

The government will introduce six foundational changes and expand the role of the provincial police to improve public safety.

“Today marks a pivotal moment for the future of policing in Nova Scotia,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan. “We accept the recommendations that Deloitte Canada has brought forward and we are taking action to ensure every Nova Scotian – regardless of where they live – has access to high-quality, modern policing services.”
— Read on news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/06/25/province-commits-public-safety-improvements-following-policing-review

get the Comprehensive Nova Scotia Policing Review

Consulting Group Presents Results of Millburn Police Department Staffing Analysis

MILLBURN, NJ – John Scruggs, Manager of Matrix Consulting Group, presented the results of their police staffing study last week. He began by saying that they have been in business for 23 years and have worked in 45 states. He added that their work is fact and data-based. Matrix used the police’s Computer Dispatch Data (CAD) for 2023.
“We also looked at their caseloads, fixed payroll, income reports and those kinds of things. We do all this data collection at the same time, and we’re also doing a bunch of interviews. So, we interviewed many members of the police department, asked them about their civic roles, things they are doing, and the programs the police department is involved in.”
Scruggs mentioned that his company implemented an anonymous online survey. He noted that the analysis also covered future needs, projecting out to 2034. Please click HERE to see the entire slideshow.
Read the article HERE
You can view the entire slideshow HERE and/or watch the presentation HERE.

Get a .PDF copy of the study HERE.

Crime Is Down in 2025. Trump Doesn’t Deserve Credit. | Vera Institute

For the past year, Donald Trump has been saying that “homicides are skyrocketing” and the country is “breaking down” with violence even as the data told a much different story. Now, as crime keeps declining, even Trump is finally changing his tune. Data and analysis from the FBI, Council on Criminal Justice, and Major Cities Chiefs Association all show that, overall, crime went down significantly in 2024, with violent crime largely returning to pre-pandemic levels. The good news defies expectations: homicide rates in Baltimore, Detroit, and St. Louis declined even beyond pre-pandemic levels to historically low 2014 rates. Now, early data suggests that the crime drop is continuing under Trump’s second term. It is still too early in the year to talk with confidence about crime trends in 2025, but at least one researcher projects that 2025 is on track to follow 2024 in terms of continued declines in homicides and violent crime.
— Read on www.vera.org/news/crime-is-down-in-2025-trump-doesnt-deserve-credit

State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies’ Training Topics and Instructors, 2022 – Statistical Tables | Bureau of Justice Statistics

Description
This report describes the number and types of basic training curricula of state and local law enforcement training academies in the United States in 2022. Conducted periodically since 2002, the findings in the report are based primarily on BJS’s 2022 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies (CLETA), the fifth iteration of the data collection.
— Read on bjs.ojp.gov/library/publications/state-local-law-enforcement-training-academies-training-topics-instructors-2022-statistical-tables

“Police Misconduct: Combatting the Complicity Crisis” by Eric Arnold

Abstract
This Comment explores the current state of police reform in the city of Chicago, with a special focus on the various oversight agencies currently in force. Chicago has a long history of police misconduct, and the city has tried to make changes over the years to restore the community’s trust in policing. The police reform movement became especially prevalent in recent years following the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago Police Officer in 2014. This Comment will show why the current mechanisms in place are insufficient to bring the needed change to the Chicago Police Department, and that the Chicago Police Department has shown time and time again they are unable to police themselves. While there have been some effective changes to the city’s policing efforts in recent years, considerable room for improvement remains.
— Read on scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/jclc/vol115/iss1/4/