The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸
Social Media Fueling Violence
A new white paper from the Violence Reduction Center argues that social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube are playing an increasingly significant role in driving shootings in underserved Black and Latino communities — a dynamic well known to law enforcement and violence prevention workers but rarely studied or reported on, according to The Guardian. Researcher Thomas Abt found that online disputes, taunts, and music videos trading barbs between rivals are escalating into real-world violence, compounded by algorithms that reward violent content with attention that can be monetized. Abt and his co-authors are calling for social media companies to come to the table and share how their algorithms work, invest in community-led digital monitoring, and develop ethical early warning systems — noting that every major platform was invited to participate in their research symposium but none sent a formal representative.📱More here
Camden’s Crime Turnaround
Once among the most dangerous cities in America with 67 homicides in 2012, Camden, New Jersey achieved its first homicide-free summer in 50 years in 2025 — an 82% reduction in murders over 13 years — according to the New York Times. The turnaround began in 2013 when the city dissolved its troubled police department and replaced it with a new county force built around community policing, extensive surveillance technology, and targeted dismantling of drug trafficking organizations. Community-based violence interruption programs, workforce development initiatives for youth, and the rehabilitation of more than 1,000 vacant properties complemented the policing changes. Residents and officials widely describe the progress as transformational, while acknowledging that poverty persists and that continued investment is needed to sustain the gains. 📉 More here
Focused Deterrence
Salt Lake City police and prosecutors have launched a focused deterrence strategy targeting the 114 individuals identified through three years of crime data as most likely to be involved in future violence, according to Utah News Dispatch. Those on the list received letters in February warning of an accelerated law enforcement response to any new offenses, while also being offered an off-ramp through mental health and substance abuse treatment programs. The program, called the Targeted Offender Partnership Strategy, designates two prosecutors specifically to pursue swift action against any list member on supervised release who picks up new charges — cutting what previously could take weeks down to immediate response. A criminology professor from the University of Texas at San Antonio, who helped develop similar programs in Dallas and Boston, assisted in building the scoring system used to identify the group. 🔗 More here
Oakland Gains, Staffing Crisis
Oakland recorded its lowest homicide count since the late 1960s in 2025 — 56 murders — following back-to-back years of significant reductions driven by the Ceasefire strategy, surveillance technology, and federal law enforcement partnerships, according to The Oaklandside. Interim Police Chief James Beere, who has applied for the permanent position, credited community cooperation and interagency collaboration for the gains, but acknowledged the department is operating with just 500 of an authorized 678 officers and would ideally need 1,200 to sustain long-term crime reduction. 🔗 More here
Bomb Suspect Fled to China
A Florida man accused of planting an explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base has fled to China, while his sister is now in custody after both were charged in connection with the incident, federal officials announced.
Jan. 6 Intelligence Failure
Former U.S. Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund testified before a House subcommittee that the January 6th Capitol attack was an “intelligence failure” that could have been prevented. Sund told lawmakers that significant intelligence existed ahead of the attack indicating individuals were plotting to storm the Capitol, target lawmakers, and discussing shooting officers — but no intelligence agency sounded the alarm. He drew a direct comparison to the intelligence failures preceding the September 11th attacks, warning that if the underlying issues are not identified and corrected, the country risks repeating history. Sund also called on lawmakers to grant the Capitol Police chief greater authority to request assistance from federal law enforcement agencies without having to navigate bureaucratic barriers. 🔗 More here
FirstNet Reauthorization Advances
A House committee voted 51-0 to advance legislation reauthorizing FirstNet — the federally supported communications network built for first responders following communication failures on September 11th — through fiscal 2037, according to CQ Roll Call. The bill includes amendments aimed at balancing oversight by the Commerce Department with FirstNet’s ability to deploy emergency resources and manage its own budget without bureaucratic delays. The reauthorization comes amid scrutiny of the AT&T-run network, including inspector general reports finding insufficient coverage during the 2023 Maui wildfires and attempts by senior officials to interfere with audits. The Fraternal Order of Police opposed the bill, arguing the changes could marginalize frontline input and delay critical decisions. The committee also unanimously advanced the Mystic Alerts Act, which would require wireless emergency alerts to be sent via satellite — named for the Texas summer camp where more than two dozen people died in flooding last summer when traditional networks were unavailable. 📡 More here
Drones: America’s Blind Spot
In an editorial, the Washington Post Editorial Board warns that a series of sophisticated drone incursions over Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana — a critical hub of America’s nuclear bomber fleet — exposes a serious gap in U.S. homeland defense. The drones, which reportedly delayed bombers headed to strike targets in Iran, were likely custom-built and required advanced signals expertise. The board draws on examples from Ukraine and NATO exercises to argue that drone warfare has fundamentally changed the battlefield, noting that Russia is now sharing upgraded Iranian drone designs, satellite imagery, and targeting data to help Iran strike American personnel and bases. The editorial concludes that the U.S. must urgently prioritize drone defense and counter-drone innovation. 🔗 More here
Briefing Room Podcasts
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Sheriff Dennis Lemma, Seminole County (FL) Sheriff’s Office — Service Over Politics: Being a Superhero and Building Safer Communities
Sheriff Mike Chapman, Loudoun County (VA) Sheriff’s Office — From Cocaine Cowboys to County Sheriff
Chief Stephen Redfearn, Boulder (CO) Police Department — From Dispatcher to Chief: Leading Through the Unthinkable
Chief Doreen Jokerst, Overland Park (KS) Police Department — Protecting the Vulnerable and Running to Us for Help
Chief Joe Sullivan, Wichita (KS) Police Department — How Data-Driven Policing Reduces Violence
Chief Darrell Lowe, Redmond (WA) Police Department — Leadership and Accountability in Policing
Kristen Mahoney, Public Safety Leader — Being Curious and Educating the Leaders of Tomorrow
Colonel Michael Rapich, Utah Highway Patrol — What It Means to Serve: Leadership and Legacy
Chief Stacey Graves, Kansas City (MO) Police Department — The Kansas City Chief: Not the Football Team
Chief Lee Bercaw, Tampa (FL) Police Department — How to Reduce Crime
Chief Katherine Lester, Sacramento (CA) Police Department — The Art of Police Leadership
President Patrick Yoes, National Fraternal Order of Police — The Truth About Crime, Police Unions, and Public Safety
Sheriff Mark Lamb, Pinal County (AZ) — Fear Not, Do Right
Chief Renee Hall, Dallas (TX) Police Department — Policing’s Toughest Conversations
Chief Bryan Rippee, Texas Highway Patrol — Protecting Those Who Protect Us
Sheriff John Allen, Bernalillo County (NM) — Common Sense Over Politics
Chief Kevin Davis, Fairfax County (VA) Police Department — Rising Trust and Falling Crime