We Know What Works
After decades of research, there is considerably more evidence about what works to reduce violent crime than there was in the early 1990s. In a new Cambridge University Press review, criminologist Edmund F. McGarrell traces that evolution and finds the strongest results come from focused, data-driven strategies aimed at the relatively small number of people and places driving violence. Research supports hot-spot policing, focused deterrence, problem-oriented policing and targeted enforcement, particularly when strategies are tailored to specific local crime problems. Among the findings: the Kansas City Gun Experiment produced a 49% reduction in gun crime in targeted areas; Boston Ceasefire was followed by a more than 60% decline in youth homicides; and more recent systematic reviews continue to find reductions from focused deterrence and hot-spot policing. McGarrell’s larger point is that there is no single program or technology responsible for reducing violence. The most effective approaches combine precise enforcement with strong analysis, partnerships, community engagement, research and continual evaluation—while concentrating resources where violence is actually occurring. 📄 Full article
Chief Sues “MILF” Mayor
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry has sued Mayor Kaohly Her and the city, alleging sexual harassment and retaliation after he filed a complaint against her. According to NBC News, Henry alleges Her twice grabbed his upper thigh during a police budget meeting, made sexual comments and innuendos to him, described herself as a “MILF,” and later retaliated after he reported her conduct. The 73-page lawsuit also alleges the mayor created a hostile environment for police staff and hired a private public-relations firm to discredit Henry. Her spokesperson denied the major allegations, saying an independent investigation did not substantiate claims of sexual harassment or retaliation, although that investigation concluded Her had engaged in “offensive and inappropriate behavior” with employees. Her has issued two apologies for behavior she characterized in part as attempts at humor. Henry, who has led the department since 2022, is seeking a jury trial and damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress, humiliation and harm to his reputation. ⚖️ Article here
True Crime’s Staying Power
Crime rates may be falling, but America’s appetite for true crime is showing no signs of slowing down. CBS News Sunday Morning examines a genre that now spans streaming shows, podcasts, television, movies and massive gatherings like CrimeCon. “My Favorite Murder,” for example, has surpassed two billion downloads and spawned its own podcast network. But the popularity also raises difficult questions about turning real victims and tragedies into entertainment. Online amateur investigators have sometimes generated useful leads, but 48 Hours correspondent Erin Moriarty warns they can also wrongly accuse innocent people. That tension becomes particularly personal for Steve and Kristi Goncalves, whose daughter Kaylee was one of four University of Idaho students murdered in 2022. The couple has now created the Murder Has a Name foundation to privately fund investigations of unsolved murders. The enduring lesson, according to true-crime scholar Jean Murley, is simple: behind every compelling case is a real person. (Link above)
What Keeps Cops?
A new systematic review suggests keeping police officers is about much more than the paycheck. Researchers Andreas Gierl and Christine Sutter reviewed 20 peer-reviewed studies on police retention and found leadership quality, organizational support and relationships at work were among the most consistent factors associated with officers staying. Supportive, fair and transparent leadership emerged as a key organizational lever, while poor leadership, limited career opportunities, opaque promotion processes, stress and work-life imbalance were associated with greater intentions to leave. Money still matters: one study found agencies with salaries two standard deviations below the average experienced 84% higher voluntary turnover than agencies with above-average compensation. Just published in the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, the review concludes that retention is best approached as an organization-wide challenge involving leadership, career development, work-life balance and organizational support—not simply recruiting replacements for those who leave. 👮♂️ Study here
Chief Defends His Officers
Portland Police Chief Bob Day is facing complaints after publicly challenging a city councilor over past statements critical of police. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, Day issued a Police Bureau press release responding to social media posts Councilor Mitch Green made during the 2020 and 2021 racial justice protests, saying the comments left him without confidence that Green could evaluate the Police Bureau “reasonably and objectively.” Green is now running for reelection, and two supporters have filed complaints alleging Day’s statement amounted to using his public position to oppose a candidate in violation of Oregon election law. They also filed complaints under city rules restricting political activity by employees. The Oregon Secretary of State’s elections division had not yet determined whether it would investigate, and the Police Bureau declined to comment. Green himself faced a political-activity complaint last month involving his city Instagram account, but the city auditor dismissed it. 🔗 More here
Leading Fort Worth Forward
One year into leading the Fort Worth Police Department, Chief Eddie Garcia reflects on falling violent and property crime, the department’s new crime plan, recruiting and growing the force, and the importance of creating a workplace where officers want to stay. He also discusses expanding the department’s real-time crime center, drones and other technology, arguing that technology is essential when agencies cannot put an officer on every street—but that its use must come with appropriate safeguards and accountability. Link above.
Tempe Chief Pushes Back
Tempe Police Chief Ken McCoy is pushing back against a proposed ordinance that would make Tempe the first Arizona city to ban automated license plate readers. According to ABC15 Arizona, the city canceled its Flock Safety contract last month, a decision McCoy supported, but the chief said the department expected to replace Flock with another ALPR provider operating under appropriate safeguards. McCoy told the council that crimes have gone unsolved since the cameras were decommissioned, pointing to a recent hit-and-run that left a 16-year-old girl hospitalized with a brain injury at an intersection where a Flock camera had been located. “I am confident we would have been able to solve this case a lot sooner if our technology was in place,” McCoy said. Councilmembers supporting the ban cited privacy, vendor practices and the lack of comprehensive data showing how many cases ALPRs helped solve. The proposal would prohibit city and police use of ALPR technology, with limited exceptions, and a final council vote is scheduled for Oct. 15. 🔗 More here
All ALPRs Aren’t the Same
Pinal County Sheriff Ross Teeple is drawing a sharp distinction between automated license plate readers and Flock Safety, arguing that law enforcement should preserve access to ALPR technology while demanding greater transparency from vendors. According to KTAR, Teeple told Congress this week that traditional ALPRs provide valuable investigative leads by capturing license plates, while raising concerns about the amount of additional data he says Flock collects and how that information may be used. Teeple, who announced in August that his office would not renew its Flock contract, said his concern centers on technology capable of tracking an individual’s movements without the warrant his deputies would need to place a GPS tracker on someone. Flock has disputed Teeple’s characterization of its capabilities, including his claims about facial recognition. With Pinal County’s ALPR program currently stalled after county supervisors revoked camera right-of-way permits, Teeple said he remains hopeful the county can find another provider that gives deputies the license-plate information they need without the broader concerns he has raised about Flock. 📸 More here
Oregon Weighs ALPR Ban
Oregon lawmakers could move from regulating automated license plate readers to banning them altogether in 2027, despite opposition from law enforcement leaders who argue the technology is an important crime-fighting tool. According to the Oregon Capital Chronicle, a Democratic and Republican state representative are preparing legislation amid growing bipartisan privacy concerns surrounding Flock Safety. Oregon already enacted legislation this year limiting ALPR data retention to 30 days in most circumstances and allowing lawsuits against vendors—guardrails that received support from the state’s sheriffs and police chiefs associations. Those groups have argued that concerns about one vendor should not cost law enforcement access to ALPR technology generally, saying responsible data sharing improves investigations and public safety. The Portland Police Bureau, for example, has used ALPR technology for more than a decade and says officers must independently establish reasonable suspicion or probable cause before making a stop based on an alert. The emerging debate reflects a growing distinction between concerns about Flock and the broader question of whether law enforcement should retain access to ALPR technology under strong safeguards. 🔗 More here
When Should Police Pursue?
Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd says restrictive pursuit policies do not mean officers simply let dangerous suspects escape. According to cleveland.com, Cleveland officers initiated 184 pursuits through Sept. 9 this year, compared with 212 during the same period in 2025. Department policy generally limits pursuits to violent felonies and suspected drunk drivers, requiring officers to weigh the danger of allowing a suspect to escape against the danger created by a chase. Todd pointed to recent cases involving suspects accused of shootings, carjackings and other violent crimes, saying officers have “a duty to act” when someone presents an ongoing threat to the public. But she also acknowledged the very real risks: five Cleveland officers were injured during one pursuit this year, and Todd has personally seen officers seriously injured and innocent people killed in pursuits. Other Ohio departments are taking different approaches, including Canton, which pursues only violent felons and increasingly relies on license plate readers, cameras and drones to locate fleeing suspects without a high-speed chase. 🔗 More here
New Study on Police Pursuits
A new study finds that dramatically increasing police vehicle pursuits in New York City produced substantially more crashes without credible evidence that it reduced crime. Writing in the Journal of Quantitative Criminology, John Hall and Justin Nix examined the NYPD’s shift beginning in late 2022, when monthly pursuits increased from roughly eight to more than 200 at their peak. Pursuit-related collisions rose with that increase, including an estimated 24.6 additional collisions per month immediately following the policy shift. But when the researchers compared New York’s shooting trends with those in other large U.S. cities, they found no statistically significant evidence that increased pursuits reduced shootings; robbery also showed no deterrent effect. Perhaps most notably, when NYPD tightened its pursuit policy in February 2025 and monthly pursuits subsequently fell by nearly 75%, crime did not increase—robberies fell 8.8%, shootings 25.5%, and overall gun violence 15.9%. The authors estimate the pursuit expansion generated approximately 676 excess collisions, 6.8 additional fatalities and 355 injuries, with estimated societal costs of nearly $169 million. They conclude that agencies considering broader pursuit authority should require evidence of crime-prevention benefits rather than assuming more pursuits will deter crime, particularly when better-supported strategies such as hot-spot policing and focused deterrence are available. 🚓 Study here
Eyes in the Sky
Providence Police are the latest agency to launch a Drone as First Responder program, deploying five drones equipped with cameras and thermal imaging from rooftop stations and operating them remotely through the department’s Real Time Crime Center. According to The Brown Daily Herald, the drones can reach incidents before officers and provide real-time information during calls ranging from missing-person searches and crime-scene documentation to armed suspects and fleeing offenders. Providence has already used the technology to maintain visual contact with an armed suspect and monitor a large pop-up party, while nearby agencies are using drones for tactical operations, serious crashes and searches for people in distress. Police officials say the goal is to give responding officers better information while reducing risk, with department policy prohibiting random surveillance and requiring warrants when officers seek to view areas where people have a reasonable expectation of privacy. 👀 More here