Broken Windows

Law enforcement’s old guard claims that policing low-level crime protects communities. That’s not just wrong; it’s dangerous.

For far too long, the press has leaned on wrong-headed tough-on-crime officials like the former NYPD commissioner when reporting on the criminal legal system.

Instead of building ‘humane jails’ to replace Rikers Island, let’s push the NYPD to cut down on arrests.

Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed decriminalization legislation that advocates say would curb the discriminatory policing tactics associated with fare evasion enforcement. Today, the D.C. City Council will decide if it will override her veto.

Officers say the language used now is more subtle but still encourages numbers-driven policing.

Activists say a once-radical campaign has been co-opted.

Dispatches is our series from organizers, attorneys, officials, and others working at the frontlines of local criminal justice reform.