By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D One way to reduce crime rates is to redefine it so that it is no longer a crime. Want to eliminate arrests for armed robbery? Make stealing things from people by threatening them with violence a social problem, mental health issue, or public health concern, but not a crime. Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski On Thursday, Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz took to the podium on the Hill during a hearing combing through several police-funding bills, and he unloosed what many public safety-minded Americans are thinking. In a brief excerpt from Rep. Gaetz’s speech, he threw Missouri Rep. Cori Bush under the bus for her ongoing clamor Read more »
By Steve Pomper Pretending she is tough on crime, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced the state will be installing 6,400 security cameras in NYC’s subway cars. According to the AP, this is happening “as officials work to rebuild riders’ faith in the system’s safety.” Does anyone else see the glaring disconnect here? I’m sure the NYPD Read more »
By Steve Pomper Much has been written about the continuing national law enforcement officer hiring/retention crisis. And a lot more will be written—beginning right now. Too many people seem to feel we’ll eventually find a resolution to this crisis, and they put it out of their minds. I’m an optimist, but eventually will likely take at Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D With murder rates spiking and fear of crime growing across the country, there is some good news and bad news about the role of teenage offenders. According to a Department of Justice report recently released, violent crime among youth has declined from previous levels. Juvenile arrests for violence peaked Read more »
By Steve Pomper I try to vary the topics and people I address here to keep things fresh for NPA’s supportive and discerning readers. And though I wrote an article only a few weeks ago involving The Seattle Times’ police critic Mike Carter’s contributions to the “Blueprint for De-Policing,” he’s at it again—So… so am I. I Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski While we digest the latest batch of mass shootings occurring in target-rich venues and continue to read the foolishness of defunding the police, thereby reducing the numbers of sworn cops and equipment they need to combat assailants of any kind anywhere, the nation’s largest teachers’ union has voted almost unanimously (93%) to Read more »
By Stephen Owsinski In a recent article here on NPA, I briefly mentioned an experience I had as a midnight-shift cop working in upper temps and being instructed to “park” the police cruiser as much as possible, due to price-at-the-pump predicament. In other words, significantly reduce fuel consumption by standing idle, parked, or immobile, kinda Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D The term “mission creep” came into the American vocabulary in the early 1990s in the context of U.S. military intervention. The classic example, and perhaps among the first use of the term, is America’s involvement in Somalia where President Bush sent in 30,000 troops on a mission under the Read more »
By Chief Joel F. Shults, Ed.D In the ancient world, those who were appointed as special protectors were highly regarded and feared. From ancient Babylon to ancient Greece, agents of kings and courts were given broad powers to investigate, enforce, and even execute. It was likely Augusts Caesar who made one of the first police Read more »