Criminal Justice 2023 was a terrible year for crime in D.C. Crime is down across the United States, with a likely record drop in homicides, yet crime in the nation's capital is trending in the wrong direction.
Policing Rethinking police pursuit rules: is it a matter of law or policy? Without proper guidance, officers are in a catch-22, pitting public safety against criminal accountability.
Criminal Justice Should police be paid more to wear body cameras? Whether or not cities offer "accountability pay" with their body cameras, it is important they implement sound, transparent policies to govern their use.
Criminal Justice National homicide rates on pace for record one-year reduction Overall crime trends are more ambiguous—including a shocking rise in auto thefts—but there is good reason to be optimistic.
Criminal Justice Prioritizing public service over arrests can reduce crime Recent research shows how police officers can de-escalate encounters with the public without sacrificing public safety.
Criminal Justice Black communities are both underpoliced and overpoliced Police sow mistrust with intrusive and humiliating roadside searches of the innocent, leading to less cooperation—and more crime.
Criminal Justice Police and prisons can only do so much about gun violence Policymakers must recognize the limits of relying solely on criminal enforcement to disarm young men at risk.
Policing Counterproductive special units led to Tyre Nichols’ death Dismantling special units can improve public safety by putting police officers where they’re most needed.
Policing Making communities safer sometimes means more police Addressing problems like joblessness and poverty can be a long-term anti-crime strategy, but in the short term, police need to deter crime and arrest violent offenders.
Policing Trump’s misguided approach to real crime problems The politics of punishment will not make Americans safer.
Policing New federal police database looks to keep ‘bad apples’ off the street If implemented and maintained well, the National Law Enforcement Accountability Database could improve the composition of police departments.
Policing Minneapolis P.D. must eliminate bad apples An investigation of the MPD reveals an unaccountable culture rife with abusive practices.
Policing The conspicuous lack of reliable crime and police data As homicides rose in 2021, many police departments failed to submit data needed to identify crime trends.
Criminal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson brings a new perspective to the Supreme Court Judge Jackson would be the first former public defender to sit on the high court.
Criminal Justice Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker moves to end probationer and parolee fees After the incarcerated have paid their debt to society, they often face additional hurdles that make it hard for them to begin a normal life.
Criminal Justice Putting capital punishment on trial If we come to understand the death penalty for what it is—not what we’d like or imagine it to be—we will put it behind us.
Policing Pew: 'Defund the Police' loses political support How police departments allocate their resources is more important than debating whether or not cities should defund them.
Policing An illegitimate critique of police legitimacy Tactics that erode citizens’ trust in the police make it harder for officers to do their jobs.
Policing The limits of federal police reform Qualified immunity is off the table in Congress, but there is far more to meaningful police reform.
Criminal Justice Did ‘defunding’ the police cause the homicide spike? Reduced police budgets are not the cause of increased homicides. But police effectiveness has been hampered by the deep mistrust expressed in recent protests.
Criminal Justice Chauvin guilty on all counts Former police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. But this awful episode is emblematic of why our current national situation is untenable.
Criminal Justice On Daunte Wright, George Floyd, and Philando Castile The more unnecessary stops a police department makes, the more likely tragedies like the killings of Daunte Wright and Philando Castile happen.
