The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸
Terror Down Under
A mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach killed at least 15 people and wounded dozens after two assailants — identified by authorities as a father and son — allegedly opened fire on a crowd of more than 1,000 people and prepared an improvised explosive device, according to CBS News. Australian officials described the attack as a targeted assault on the Jewish community, occurring amid a documented spike in antisemitic incidents following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Authorities said the suspects legally purchased multiple firearms, and intelligence agencies are investigating potential foreign influence after previous antisemitic arson attacks in Australia were linked to Iran. 🔗 More here
Australia’s Gun Reality
According to Forbes, Australia recorded just 31 gun-related murders between July 2023 and June 2024—about 0.09 per 100,000 people—compared with roughly 18,000 gun homicides in the U.S. in 2023, or 5.6 per 100,000. Australia has reported relatively few mass shootings since enacting strict gun laws after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. 🔗 More here
Brown Shooter in Custody
A person of interest is in custody following a mass shooting at Brown University that killed at least two students and injured nine others during final exams, according to USA TODAY. Authorities said the individual, a man in his 20s, was detained early Sunday at a hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, after investigators used cellular geolocation data to track him. Police said they are not searching for additional suspects, have not filed charges, and have not yet identified the victims, as not all families have been notified. Officials confirmed one injured person has been released from the hospital, one remains in critical condition, and seven are in stable condition, while law enforcement continues to review surveillance footage, collect evidence, and coordinate with prosecutors. 🔗 More here
Design and Safety
Philadelphia has seen sustained reductions in gun violence alongside targeted environmental design interventions, including cleaning vacant lots, installing warmer LED streetlights, and developing community gardens. According to The New York Times, research from the University of Pennsylvania Crime and Justice Policy Lab found nighttime gun violence fell 21% after streetlight upgrades and declined 39% near remediated abandoned buildings, with studies controlling for displacement effects. City funding has supported these efforts through housing and blight-reduction programs, while residents report increased social cohesion and informal guardianship as neighbors spend more time outside. Researchers note these interventions are not a standalone solution but function as a complementary strategy alongside enforcement and broader violence-reduction efforts. 🏙️ More here
New Police Tech Surcharge
Colorado Springs approved a new “police technology surcharge” to create a dedicated funding stream for the Colorado Springs Police Department as technology costs rise. The $20 fee will be added to municipal court convictions for criminal ordinance violations and most municipal traffic ordinance violations (excluding parking, red light camera, and speed safety camera cases). The city says the revenue must be used for CSPD technology systems. CSPD said recent investments include body-worn cameras, Tasers, a digital evidence platform, drone program expansion, a Real-Time Crime Center, and vehicle intelligence cameras. The surcharge takes effect in January, according to FOX21 News Colorado. 🖥️ More here
Fiery Street Takeover
Instagram Safety Loophole
A Wall Street Journal investigation found that despite Instagram’s new protections that make teen accounts private by default, adults can still reach teens through a workaround: when a teen comments on a public post or reel, an adult account can reply publicly, send a follow request, and—if accepted—move the interaction into private direct messages. Tests conducted by ParentsTogether Action showed that this pathway allowed adult accounts to exchange messages and even explicit images with teen accounts. Meta said it relies on signals such as account age, behavior, and location to block suspicious actors and warns teens about potential scams, but acknowledged that accounts not flagged as suspicious may still interact. The reporting highlights how sextortion schemes, often originating overseas, can exploit social media interactions even as platforms add new safeguards. 📲 More here
Going Home to Help
Jason Lando — a Pittsburgh native and longtime Pittsburgh Police commander who’s been leading a smaller, well-supported department in Frederick, Maryland — is trading a stable “wins-and-resources” environment for a Pittsburgh Bureau of Police dealing with severe staffing shortages, budget and fleet strain, and leadership churn. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the bet is that the leadership approach credited with “changing policing” in Frederick translates to Pittsburgh: more public transparency when force incidents arise, deeper community-embedded legitimacy work (advisory councils, high-touch presence at neighborhood events), and crisis-response innovation like a “crisis car” that pairs an officer with medical and behavioral health professionals to handle mental-health calls that can otherwise consume patrol and escalate. The throughline, the paper reports, is why he’s coming back: Pittsburgh is “the only job” he’d leave for — “going home to try and help.” 👮♂️ More here
DC Police Chief Steps Down
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith will step down effective Dec. 31 after roughly two and a half years leading the department, citing personal and family reasons. Smith, appointed in 2023 and the first Black woman to serve as DC police chief, oversaw a period in which violent crime and homicides declined sharply after a 2023 spike, including a drop in the homicide rate to its lowest level in eight years. Mayor Muriel Bowser credited Smith with driving down crime and expanding initiatives such as the city’s Real-Time Crime Center, while Smith said the department is in a strong position to continue its public safety work. According to NBC4 Washington, Smith said her decision was not related to recent political or investigative pressures and described the move as “simply time” after nearly three decades in law enforcement. 🔗 More here
NJSP Superintendent Retires
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that State Police Superintendent Col. Patrick J. Callahan will retire at the end of the year, ending a 31-year career in the division. Callahan said he will step down as colonel and “will not be renominated by the incoming administration.” He thanked troopers, partners, and the public while pledging support for the transition. Murphy praised Callahan’s leadership through major statewide crises, including Superstorm Sandy and the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Insider NJ, Callahan was sworn in as Acting Superintendent on Oct. 31, 2017 by then-Gov. Chris Christie. 🔗 More here
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