police

Police statistics are used to sway major policy decisions and channel billions of dollars in funding. The statistics can boost or undermine police legitimacy—an important predictor of crime. And they can be used by the public to force police departments to change their practices. But the numbers are often incomplete or misleading. Virtually all common […]

The homicide rate soared last year at a speed unseen since 1968, shows FBI data released on Sept. 26. Almost 15,700 people fell victim to homicide in 2015, an increase of more than 10 percent (1,532 homicides) over the year before. Fifteen cities were responsible for almost 40 percent of the increase, most notably Baltimore […]

An Alabama teen was severely beaten in an empty parking lot—in an attack that his mother claims was a hate crime. Speaking with Fox affiliate WBRC, Brandi Allen said her son, Brian Ogle, suffered a skull fracture in the beating after a Friday football game. “Apparently he was hit with something—what is presumed to be the butt […]

A mob of angry people surrounded a California police vehicle after the officer responded to calls of illegal street racing and reckless driving—and it was captured on video. The footage shows a crowd of people hitting and kicking the vehicle as he sits inside. The incident occurred on Sept. 25. “[expletive] the police, we run […]

A California Police Association collectively raised money to purchase a bicycle for a teenager who has been trekking eight miles to work everyday. Corporal Kirk Keffer of the Benicia Police Department spotted Jourdan Duncan, 19, walking home late at night and offered to give him a ride, the Benicia Police Officers’ Association wrote in a […]

The recent fatal police shootings that occurred in Tulsa and Charlotte are sobering reminders of the critical importance of building trust to enhance police-community unity in America. Police-community collaboration is one of the hot buttons of the presidential campaign trail, with both candidates continually arguing their proposals. The issue took center stage on Sept. 26 […]

An Ohio patrolman who went the distance—literally—has changed one motorist’s perception of law enforcement. Mark Ross was a passenger in a car en route to Detroit, Michigan from Indiana when they were pulled over for a speeding violation in Ohio on Sept. 25. It was just a few hours prior at 3 a.m. when Ross […]

The recent terror attacks in New York, New Jersey, and Minnesota are a chilling reminder to America of the contemptuous realities that some are referring to as “the new normal.” After three attacks in just 12 hours, with explosions in New York City and New Jersey communities, and a bloody stabbing rampage in a Minnesota […]

PHILADELPHIA—Authorities say police officers came under fire in Philadelphia for the second night in a row, but no one was injured. Police says officers noticed two men apparently smoking marijuana late Saturday in an area of central Philadelphia that’s packed with restaurants, shops and clubs. They pursued the men to a nearby street, where authorities […]

DENVER—Police locked down a Denver hospital complex Friday amid reports that gunshots were fired and a man was seen carrying a rifle on the grounds. Officer Tyrone Campbell said a room-by-room search of Rose Medical Center was completed Friday night, and everyone who was told to shelter in place has been allowed to go home. […]

NEW YORK—Justin Douglas had a security guard job interview at 2 World Trade Center on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. But, he overslept—he was still in bed when terrorists struck the Twin Towers with hijacked jetliners. Then 19, Douglas didn’t have big career plans. Instead, in the aftermath of 9/11, the demand for security […]

A routine traffic stop unveiled a shocking image for one West Virginia state trooper. When trooper B.R. Wood with the Princeton detachment arrested a woman for Driving Under the Influence on Aug. 23, he found a baby in the back seat in a less-than-hygienic state. “We made an arrest for DUI,” Wood told the Bluefield Daily […]

Prior to his forthcoming retirement from the NYPD, Commissioner Bill Bratton deserves a commendation for enhancing community policing. This enhancement includes improved training for officers, better patrol strategies emphasizing a positive interaction with the public, and sharpening officer’s problem-solving skills. Bratton recently memorialized his philosophy with these words, “We want to develop well-rounded, highly skilled […]

A New Mexico police officer was gunned down during a traffic stop and a motorist was shot during a rest stop carjacking before authorities were able to chase down three suspects and take them into custody, Dona Ana County law enforcement officials say.

It's not gang members bringing in guns—it's more the "grandma found a gun" scenario.

Many police departments are reaching for body cameras to boost transparency as scrutiny over bias and brutality intensifies. And while opponents of police violence are seeking better access to body cam footage, privacy advocates are warning about the risks of increased surveillance. Most of the country’s major city police departments, 45 out of 68, already […]

Police officers in Rome were called to the home of a distraught elderly couple then stuck around to console the husband and wife and make them a meal.

At a time when the New York Police Department (NYPD) is encouraging beat cops to be more approachable to law-abiding citizens, it's also equipping them to do combat with rampaging shooters.

A surveillance video showing the controversial arrest of a black social worker in Houston has been released. In March, the woman, Earledreka White, was pulled over by officer Gentian Luca for crossing over a solid white line in the southwest part of the city. After disputing the issue with the officer, she called 911, claiming he was […]

A bulletin has been sent to law enforcement outlets across the United States, warning of a threat of attacks against police officers and prison guards. The bulletin was obtained by a reporter with San Francisco-based KGO-TV, and it details so-called “Black August” attacks against police. The bulletin—from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Sacramento Intelligence Unit, […]