By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Beyond the headlines, every October when the FBI releases its annual report on crime in America is real information that should be used in developing criminal justice policy. While there is a sense that crime is on the rise, resulting in greater fear among the public, we need to Read more »
Month: October 2023
It’s Crime (Stats) Time Again
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D Each October the FBI releases its annual crime report, known as the UCR. It may not tell us as much as we think. The main benefit of the Uniform Crime Report is the year to year comparison since 1930. While the UCR statistics can be an important barometer of Read more »
The National Police Association Supports Baltimore County Officer’s Use of Deadly Force Against Armed Subject in the Maryland Supreme Court
INDIANAPOLIS, October 29, 2023 –In a friend-of-the-court brief filed with the Maryland Supreme Court, the National Police Association argued that qualified immunity, applied properly, should be granted to a Maryland police officer who used deadly force against an armed suspect during a standoff that ensued from a routine warrant execution. The NPA contends that the Read more »
Pride in Policing
By Stephen Owsinski I started seeing more posts from police organizations heralding their officers for staying the course, for dutifully braving the frontlines in the incendiary face of anarchy and malevolence beefed up by antithetical government policies and putrid anti-police messaging. This material is not only to honor those cops who attended a roll call Read more »
Missouri Judge’s Baffling Bond Decision Turns Deadly
By Doug Wyllie The Honorable Bruce Hilton presently serves as Assistant Presiding Circuit Judge for Division 13 of the 21st Circuit Civil and Criminal Court in St. Louis County, Missouri. We’re absolutely certain of every last word of that sentence—we looked it up—with the exception of one important element: we’re still undecided—and leaning in the Read more »
Constitutional Policing: What Chicago’s New Police Superintendent Reminds Us
By Steve Pomper What is constitutional policing? The concept may sound daunting, but it’s really simple. It’s coppin’ with American liberty—and everything that represents—uppermost in mind. In my first book, I wrote about a Dutch cop who did a ride-along with us. My partner and I were discussing whether we should stop a driver we saw Read more »
From the Public Safety Cockpit
By Stephen Owsinski One other advantage of body-worn cameras (BWCs) used by law enforcement officers for varying purposes is the unique ability to be a vicarious spectator witnessing major police actions unfold…and all the supersensory stimuli that go with it. Such a hair-raising scene experienced by law enforcement officers is the mobile police pursuit whereby Read more »
Faith and Blue: Policing and Higher Power
By Stephen Owsinski The annual Faith and Blue weekend transpired recently, with community members and the clergy meeting and praying over cops and forging formidable bonds. Among many just like it, the following gratitude for cops’ blessings was published by the Whittier Police Department crimefighters: “Happy Faith and Blue Weekend! We are thankful to all Read more »
Houstonians Grow Increasingly Impatient with Pro-Criminal Judges Like DaSean Jones
By Doug Wyllie DaSean Jones is an elected judge presently presiding over the 180th Criminal State District Court in Harris County, Texas. In the 2018 general election, Jones—a member of the Houston Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—defeated incumbent Republican Catherine Evans by a tally of roughly 54 to 46 percent. In a hotly contested 2022 Read more »
The Many Reasons for a Dwindling Pool of Potential Police Recruits
By Steve Pomper Jim Glennon: “In 1970, 12% of the population was considered obese. By 2016, that number rose to 37% based on the… same criteria.” I wanted to revisit a question. Is it that cops don’t want to do the job? No. That’s not it. Is it that they can’t do the job because officials Read more »