The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸
Crime Low. Nixon Was President
Violent crime in New Orleans has fallen to its lowest level since 1969, with 33 homicides through July 1 — a 15% decline from last year and a dramatic drop from the city's peak of 240 gun-related homicides in 2022, according to WVUE. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick credited a holistic approach that goes beyond arrests. "We're not just about arresting the person. We're talking about breaking that cycle, with new ways of thinking, new ways of dealing with conflicts," she said. Violence intervention nonprofits, the Orleans Parish DA's data-driven NO DICE program, and the NOLA Coalition — which has raised more than $11 million for youth programs since 2022 — have all been credited as key partners in the decline.
Teen Takeovers Test Cities
A wave of large youth gatherings — many coordinated through social media and sometimes turning violent — is forcing cities across the country to balance enforcement with creative alternatives, according to the Washington Post. In Raleigh over the Fourth of July weekend, an estimated 8,000 young people converged on a commercial district, leaving nine people shot, nearly a dozen guns seized, and 29 adults arrested. “What we were not prepared for was the amount of firearms we were recovering off individuals,” Police Chief Rico Boyce said. In Newport Beach, 402 people were arrested after a July 4 social media-organized crowd clashed with police. In Pensacola, a 19-year-old was fatally shot amid a massive late-night gathering. Cities are responding with curfews, increased enforcement, and alternatives — Detroit partnered with teen organizers to host a sanctioned riverside event with food, music and police supervision, while Chicago hosted late-night basketball and Tampa promoted supervised video game competitions. 🏁 More here
Tulsa Targets Domestic Violence
Tulsa Mayor Monroe Nichols has signed an executive order establishing a Domestic Violence Prevention Task Force, citing the city’s and state’s consistently high rates of domestic violence incidents, according to KRMG. The task force will bring together the Tulsa Police Department, the District Attorney’s Office, health departments, tribal partners, advocacy groups, and community organizations to assess existing programs, identify gaps, and recommend evidence-based strategies. A detailed report with findings and priorities is due within one year. “We cannot wait for safety to happen by accident; we must choose to act,” Nichols said. City Councilor Lori Decter Wright specifically called for attention to murder-suicides, strangulation cases, and financial abuse — warning signs she said the city “cannot afford to miss.” 🔗 More here
Oakland Names Police Chief
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee has selected James Beere as the city’s permanent police chief, ending an eight-month search and capping a nearly 30-year career with the department, according to KGO. Beere, who has served as interim chief since December, is a Marine Corps combat veteran, FBI National Academy graduate, and one of the few Oakland leaders with broad support across the city’s often-fractious political landscape. “It’s crazy. Not a lot of people agree on many things in Oakland. But we all agree on Beere,” said City Council President Kevin Jenkins. Beere may also oversee the department’s anticipated exit from more than 20 years of federal oversight later this year. He addressed his longevity directly at Thursday’s announcement: “I’ve had 19 different police chiefs in my 29-year career. What makes me different? I’m still here. And I live in Oakland.” 🔗 More here
San Antonio Names Acting Chief
Assistant Chief Jesse Salame has been named acting chief of the San Antonio Police Department following the retirement of Chief William McManus, with interviews for a permanent chief expected in August and a final appointment anticipated in September, according to Texas Public Radio. Salame, a 26-year SAPD veteran, previously served as deputy chief overseeing Internal Affairs, the Training Academy, and the Public Information Office before being promoted to assistant chief in 2024. McManus, who had handpicked Salame as his preferred successor, was direct in his endorsement: “I think every quality that the next chief should possess, Jesse Salame has got them all.” 🔗 More here
Knoxville Chief Defends LPRs
Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel pushed back on growing privacy concerns about license plate readers, calling them “critical tools” for catching criminals — particularly when suspects flee crime scenes — while insisting the department treats data privacy “very, very seriously,” according to WVLT. Noel said data is purged automatically unless actively in use and that the department follows state retention laws. The comments come amid a national debate over Flock Safety cameras and revelations that the company’s own training videos show police using the system to track suspects across multiple locations — despite the company’s public claims that it doesn’t track people. KPD no longer uses Flock specifically but operates similar license plate reader technology. 📸 More here
Houston Leaders Demand ICE Probe
Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz are calling for an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent, after emerging details raised serious questions about what happened, according to KPRC. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia said the acting ICE director told her Salgado Araujo was not the intended target of the operation, the vehicles used had no body cameras, dash cameras, markings, sirens, or lights, and witnesses detained at the scene say an ICE agent was never in front of Salgado Araujo’s van — and that he may not have been in the vehicle when he was shot. The FBI has secured the scene and controls all evidence. Whitmire, who said the incident was the most egregious he had seen in 30 years of criminal justice work, said HPD had no involvement but is ready to assist. “We are not settling to wait for an FBI report that for all we know could take a year,” Whitmire said. Chief Diaz said the shifting facts warranted escalating the call for scrutiny: “Those facts weren’t available then, so as we move forward we will continue to listen to the community.” 🔗 More here
Road Rage Deaths
A new analysis of federal crash data finds Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Jersey rank as the three deadliest states for fatal crashes tied to aggressive or careless driving, according to the Asbury Park Press. Nationally, male drivers account for nearly 4 in 5 fatal road rage crashes, and younger drivers are disproportionately involved — millennials and Gen Z together accounted for nearly 60% of fatal crashes in this category in 2024. The Chevrolet Silverado, Ford F-150, and Toyota Camry were the vehicles most commonly involved. Utah, Maine, and California ranked among the states with the lowest road rage fatalities. Analysts note that dense traffic, long commutes, and high driver frustration create the conditions where aggressive driving is most likely to turn deadly. 💥 More here
Waymo Helps Bust Teens
Waymo helped California police apprehend two teenagers who were shooting objects from inside one of its robotaxis by faking a mechanical malfunction to stop the vehicle, according to Automotive News. The July 6 incident in San Mateo illustrated a little-known reality of autonomous vehicles — even without a driver, a human operator may be monitoring the ride remotely. 🤖 More here