Nearly Half the People at Crowded Atlanta Jail Haven’t Been Formally Charged With a Crime, ACLU Says
Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat says the county needs more jail beds to fix the jail's crisis. But a new ACLU report says that significant numbers of people in the jail can be released.
FBI Crime Data is Out. Here’s What You Need to Know.
Lies, damned lies, and crime statistics.
DOJ Admits It Has No Idea How Many People Die in Law Enforcement Custody
Thousands of deaths in jails, prisons, and police custody have gone uncounted in recent years. Now the DOJ is calling for changes to federal law.
28 Years, 160 Arrests: What One Man’s Record Reveals About San Diego’s Broken Justice System
What do you do with people who are repeatedly failed by social services and the legal system?
Why the U.S. Marshals Spend Millions on Sex-Offense Registrant Sweeps
The real aim of these operations might be to boost support for cops.
Justice Department Launches Investigation Into NYPD’s Troubled Special Victims Division
The probe will assess whether the SVD engages in a “pattern or practice of gender-biased policing," according to the DOJ.
Man Left Paralyzed After Hospital Denies Care And Calls Police: Lawsuit
Accused of faking his symptoms, Joshua Lee Smith was dragged from his hospital bed, called a “junkie,” and thrown in jail, his lawsuit says. Then, he woke up paralyzed.
Can Residents Trust Durham’s Police Chief After She Cooperated With ICE?
Patrice Andrews once promised she’d never work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. But in 2018, she directly ordered the arrest of immigration activists during an ICE deportation.
More Black Representation on Police Forces Will Not Solve Police Violence
In the wake of more horrific police killings, it’s important to remember that Black cops cannot fix America’s fundamentally broken and racist policing system.
How the NYPD’s Troubled Sex Crimes Unit Is Set Up To Fail Victims
Former top cops say a culture of neglect at the NYPD has left inexperienced and poorly trained officers in charge of some of the department’s most sensitive cases.
Why Atlantans Are Pushing to Stop ‘Cop City’
After the city council passed the ground lease for massive police facility known as “Cop City,” local opposition hasn’t ceased; it’s evolved.
‘Rage Induced Policing’: Hacked Documents Reveal D.C. Police’s Aggressive Robbery Crackdowns
Internal emails and their attachments show that a roving Metropolitan Police Department unit attempted to suppress robberies in 2012 and 2013 by stopping and frisking and surveilling residents of Black neighborhoods.
Meet the California PR Firm Helping Cops Fight Off Bad Press
There’s a growing business crafting law enforcement narratives about police shootings and officer misconduct.
One Rochester Cop’s Abuses Reveal A Culture of Police Impunity
If Officer Matthew Drake had faced serious discipline for his misconduct, he might not have been on duty the night of Tyshon Jones’s death.
Los Angeles County Homeless Residents Say Sheriff’s Department Is Targeting Them
The ACLU of Southern California is suing the city of Lancaster and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for excessively citing people living at desert homeless encampments in the Antelope Valley.
How These Cities Are Breaking Up the Work of Police Departments
As the country reassesses its relationship with law enforcement, Ithaca, New York; Berkeley and Oakland, California; and Austin, Texas, are defunding, replacing, or reducing the scope of their police departments.
The California Attorney General is Investigating Sean Monterrosa’s Killing. His Sisters Are Also Fighting For Systemic Change
Monterrosa, 22, was killed by a police officer who had a history of shooting at civilians. His sisters are pushing for a law they believe could have saved him.
Brooklyn Center Mayor Unveils Plan To Decrease Police Traffic Enforcement Powers
The proposal by Mike Elliott, if passed by City Council, would also create a department of unarmed professionals trained to respond to mental health needs.
Failure To Disclose
Despite a 2019 California law mandating the release of certain records related to police misconduct, law enforcement agencies in the state are still fighting records requests.
San Antonio Activists ‘Cannot in Good Faith’ Support This Year’s Mayoral Candidates
Local activists have soured on incumbent Mayor Ron Nirenberg, and no other candidate offers a compelling alternative.
The Greatest Threat To Defunding The Police? State Pre-emption.
A little-known legal tool allows states to override progressive policies in cities.
Cincinnati’s Upcoming Mayoral Race is ‘Make or Break’ for Policing and Housing
True public safety, advocates say, is one of the most urgent issues facing Cincinnati voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary election.
Lori Lightfoot’s Record Shows the Limits of ‘Police Reform’
In various offices across two decades, Mayor Lightfoot has failed to bring change to the Chicago Police Department.
How Policing Is Shaping the Pittsburgh Mayoral Race
Incumbent Bill Peduto’s policing record is under scrutiny after protests last summer. He is facing what may be his most competitive race yet.
Report Sheds Light On The Pattern Of Over-Policing That Led Cops To Pull Over Daunte Wright
The criminal legal system “relies heavily on collecting money from the very people targeted by the system,” in the process incentivizing police to punish as many people as possible, the authors of the ACLU report write.
Oakland Takes First Steps Toward Directing Some 911 Calls To Community Responders
It will be months before the pilot program is implemented in part of East Oakland, but activists say it’s a move in the right direction.
Philadelphia Police Aren’t Solving Crimes. It’s Time to Divert Their Funding
This budget season, Philadelphia must hold our law enforcement accountable for their failures by redirecting resources to strategies that can help us.
‘Let Me See That Waistband’
A veteran D.C. police officer says the Metropolitan Police Department’s Gun Recovery Unit deploys illegitimate tactics in a war on guns that have fostered an adversarial relationship between the department and the communities they are supposed to serve.
After Daunte Wright’s Death, Advocates Press Leaders to Get Police Out of Traffic Enforcement
Cities across the country must rethink the role of law enforcement, as police continue to brutalize and kill Black men and women during traffic stops, advocates say.
Five Times Miami’s New Police Chief Got It Wrong on Public Safety
Art Acevedo’s recent comments reveal an official who, despite his “good cop” veneer, has played fast and loose with the facts when it comes to addressing public safety.
Austin Uses Money From Police Budget to Fund Substance Use Care
The city will use $1 million in funds diverted from its police budget to expand substance use treatments and harm reduction services for low-income people in Austin and Travis County.
Minneapolis Activists Could Put Police Reform Directly on the Ballot
Yes 4 Minneapolis, a coalition of advocacy organizations, is on track to place a proposed charter amendment on November’s ballot that would fundamentally change policing and public safety in the city.
Children Can Be On Their Own When Grilled By Police. The Push for Protection is Growing
Several states, including Maryland, are considering bills to protect minors from abusive police interrogations.
A California City Is Experiencing An Epidemic of Police Shootings—And Many Of The Victims May Have Been Unarmed
The Appeal examined 17 fatal shootings by the Vallejo police over the last decade and found at least six cases where the person shot may have been unarmed.
Phoenix Wants To Shift Crisis Response Away From Police—While Also Increasing The Police Budget
The trial budget includes a proposal to expand a crisis response program under the fire department, but also includes a $3.7 million increase to the Phoenix Police Department’s $745 million budget.
The Medical Examiner Said He Died of ‘Excited Delirium.’ Medical Experts Say Police Strangled Him to Death.
Sterling Higgins died in a Tennessee jail in 2019 after officers pinned him to the floor. Two new medical experts’ reports describe the incident as homicide.
During the Pandemic, Houston Cops Went Undercover and Arrested a Homeless Man Over 0.6 Grams of Meth
As Texas lifts its COVID-19 restrictions, the city’s jail remains overcrowded and its police and prosecutors continue to operate as normal.
A Florida Lawmaker Introduced Legislation to Remove Traffic Enforcement From Police
Cities across the country have begun exploring traffic enforcement without police. This bill proposes doing so statewide.
Rochester Police Tackle and Pepper-Spray Woman With 3-Year-Old Child
It is the latest incident of violence from a police department already under fire for pepper-spraying a 9-year-old girl and fatally injuring Daniel Prude.
Philly Cops Are Solving Fewer Homicides. The City Keeps Paying Them Millions
Community members and advocates question why Mayor Jim Kenney and the City Council continue to fund the police department at record levels, despite the department’s low murder solve rate.
Berkeley City Council Passes Sweeping Reforms to Limit Police Traffic Stops
In an effort to end systemic racism, the California city will aim to reduce the number of police-involved traffic stops for expired registrations and other small violations.
No Criminal Charges for Cops Involved in Daniel Prude’s Death
New York State Attorney General Letitia James announced today that a grand jury voted not to indict any police officers on charges related to the death of Daniel Prude.
How George Floyd’s Death Is Pushing Minneapolis to Rethink Public Safety
The police killing has accelerated a years-long effort by advocates and lawmakers to shift resources and money away from law enforcement.
New Videos Show Massachusetts Cops Brutalizing George Floyd Protesters
Over two nights last year, police in Boston and Worcester used excessive force—including pushing and tackling—while arbitrarily arresting protesters without apparent cause.
New York Moves A Step Closer To Decriminalizing Sex Work
After organizing to repeal the “walking while trans” ban, advocates in the state—and around the country—are looking ahead to the next fight.
How the Killing of Breonna Taylor Is Reshaping Louisville Politics
The political paradigm emerging in Louisville is being formed by newcomers to local politics.
Austin To Buy Second Hotel That Will Become Permanent Supportive Housing
The city will use funds diverted from its police budget to set up wraparound services for the people who will live at the hotel.
At Least 5 Capitol Rally Participants Were In A Violent ‘Patriot March’ In San Diego
Right-wingers and ultranationalists convened in the city days after the Washington insurrection, but the police crackdown that day fell on counterprotesters.
Austin Will Use Money Cut From Police Budget To Establish Supportive Housing
The City Council voted to buy one hotel and use funds diverted from its police budget to set up wraparound services for the homeless people who will live there.
Austin May Use Money Cut From Police Budget To Establish Permanent Supportive Housing
The City Council will decide whether to buy two hotels and use funds diverted from its police budget to set up wraparound services for the homeless people who will live there.
‘Captain Taser’
A Vallejo police lieutenant has a long history of excessive force allegations in a department that is under investigation by the California Department of Justice—and he continues to rise in the ranks.
Years After Freddie Gray’s Death, Baltimore Police Misconduct Persists
A new report de-anonymizes hundreds of officers in the city and shows more than 1,800 cops have had complaints filed about them.
Republican Lawmakers Are Using the Capitol Riot to Fuel Anti-BLM Backlash
Some lawmakers are citing the violence in Washington as a reason to pass laws that criminalize protesting, but far-right extremists aren’t the target.
They Took Umbrellas to a Black Lives Matter Protest. The D.A. Hit Them with Gang Charges
Police and prosecutors routinely treat white domestic terrorists with kid gloves, but use the full force of the law against protesters calling for an end to police violence against Black people.
The Cops at the Capitol
Law enforcement officers from around the country attended and supported last week’s rally in support of President Trump that sparked a riot.
What Traffic Enforcement Without Police Could Look Like
Because traffic stops all too often escalate into deadly incidents, calls have grown to disentangle traffic enforcement from police—and a measure to do so has already passed in Berkeley, California.
What Public Safety Without Police Looks Like
From San Francisco to Philadelphia, cities across the country are creating fully unarmed response teams to address emergencies that used to call for cops.
Partners in Crime: The Siege on the Capitol, Police, and White Supremacy
The historical connections were on full display during Wednesday’s violence at the Capitol.
Boston Mayor Vetoes Restrictions on Police Force Against Protesters Despite Controversial Body Camera Video
‘It’s an insult to the activism and organizing that defined 2020, and falls far short of the transformational leadership that Boston deserves,’ one City Council member said.
‘Basically Cyberbullying’: How Cops Abuse Social Media to Publicly Humiliate
Law enforcement agencies are creating online content, often at the expense of people they have arrested.
Bodycam Video Shows ‘Mob Mentality’ Of Boston Police Who Responded To George Floyd Protests, Lawyer Says
Hours of video given exclusively to The Appeal show police officers bragging about attacking protesters and multiple instances of excessive force and the liberal use of pepper spray.
These Cops Lied In Court. But Since The D.A. Isn’t Keeping A Brady List, They Could Testify Again
The case illustrates the importance of keeping lists of police officers with histories of misconduct or dishonesty, the defense lawyer in the case says.
Scandal-Plagued Sacramento Lawmaker and Ex-Cop Considers Run for Sheriff
California Assemblymember Jim Cooper may seek to be Sacramento sheriff once more—despite sexual harassment allegations and a long history of outlandish antics.
America Wants Marijuana Reform. Congress Shouldn’t Stand In The Way.
Investing in local communities and rolling back the criminalization of marijuana is exactly what the country needs right now.
Why Los Angeles Activists Don’t Want Their Mayor In Biden’s Cabinet
Eric Garcetti, who may be considered for a position in the administration, is out of touch with the city’s working class and poor people, activists say. And they fear he’ll bring that sensibility to national politics.
We Can’t Restore The Soul Of The Nation With Rahm Emanuel In Public Office
It doesn’t matter whether it’s Transportation Secretary or Assistant to the Transportation Secretary, Rahm doesn’t belong in any of D.C.’s halls of power.
The Limitations of Police ‘No Chase’ Policies
Two moped riders were left dead or injured after recent police pursuits in Washington, D.C., and Providence, Rhode Island.
Police Funding Is a Pivotal Issue in Two Austin City Council Runoffs
Incumbents Jimmy Flannigan and Alison Alter have been targeted by conservative challengers because of the council’s votes to cut police funding and repeal a ban on public camping.
Some Texas Elections Suggest Voters Aren’t Afraid of Defunding Police
None of the Austin City Council members who voted to cut police funding lost their elections, but a police union vice president who fearmongered about the defund movement did.
Chicago’s Mayor Turns City’s Infrastructure Into Weapons Against Protesters
When election and racial justice protests rocked the city, Lori Lightfoot used raised bridges and shutdown public transportation as crowd control measures, which harmed the city’s workers.
Police Unions Are Losing The War on Criminal Justice Reform
Law enforcement organizations have long treated mass incarceration as a job creation program. In 2020, the tide began turning against them.
For a Glimpse of the Racial Justice Protests’ Staying Power, Look To Detroit
Under the banner of Detroit Will Breathe, the city’s Black Lives Matter activists have formed a cohesive and lasting local political force.
How One Race Could Change Police Accountability in Arizona
Incumbent Maricopa County Attorney Allister Adel is backed by police unions and has declined to charge officers in high-profile killings. Challenger Julie Gunnigle says she wants to create an independent unit to review police use-of-force cases.
A Trumpist Texas Sheriff is Running for Congress. If He Wins, His Brother Might Take Over the Sheriff’s Office.
Fort Bend Sheriff Troy Nehls wants voters to send him to Congress despite his department’s history of jail deaths and allegations of racial-profiling.
NYPD Unit At Center Of Protest Policing Has Dozens Of Officers With Long Misconduct Histories
Civil liberties experts say the Strategic Response Group’s recent crackdown on ICE protests is the most brutal suppression of protests in decades—and many of its officers are the subject of significant misconduct allegations, including a supervisor with 32 complaints.
The Minneapolis City Council’s Attempt To Defund the Police Was Thwarted By An Unelected Charter Commission
Contrary to reports, most City Council members—who ran and won by pledging to advance racial equity—tried to do the right thing, but were stalled by a charter commission that overstepped its authority.
Florida’s Most Powerful Pro-Police Lobbying Group Is An Anti-Reform Force
The Florida Sheriffs Association gains a third of its multimillion-dollar budget by selling big-ticket items like trucks and mobile command centers to local sheriff’s departments and other government agencies.
Portland Civil Rights Activists Want A Mayor Who Can Stand Up To Police
Mayor Ted Wheeler’s popularity has declined after a summer of protests against police violence in the Oregon city.
Policing Studies Measure Benefits To Crime Reduction—But Not Social Costs
Research has shown only that police can be sufficient, not that they are necessary.
Federal Judge Halts Trump’s Law Enforcement Commission
The ruling said the commission wasn’t diverse enough and gave little voice to communities affected by policing.
Joe Biden Should Use Federal Dollars to Fund Alternatives to Police
If he becomes president and Democrats win the Senate, Biden should push a federal spending bill that includes money for civilian first-responder programs.
With Little Evidence, Pennsylvania State Police Seized $600,000 From Drivers
An investigation by The Appeal and Spotlight PA found that troopers in three counties have taken big money from drivers, many of whom were never charged.
Feuding With Donald Trump Is Not Police Reform
Mayors of liberal cities love to criticize the president’s incendiary law-and-order rhetoric, but do precious little to check police violence and bloated budgets in their own backyards.
Communities Need And Deserve A Reset Of Policing And The Justice System. Trump Has Created A Sham Process that Excludes Them.
Under the guise of restoring public confidence in law enforcement, President Trump’s secretive and regressive Commission on Law Enforcement is stacked with old-guard failed tough-on-crime thinking that precipitated the crisis of confidence we now face.
Chicago Lawmakers Push To Build Team Of Emergency Responders Who Aren’t Police
The proposed legislation would expand the city’s public mental healthcare system using funds reallocated from the police budget.
In a Small Illinois City, A Black Man Died After Officers Shoved A Baton In His Mouth. Black Officers Say They’ve Suffered At The Hands Of The Department, Too.
Lawsuits from Joliet Police Department officers are among at least 12 current federal complaints against the agency. The men say their civil rights lawsuits are part of a decades-long history of discrimination.
Florida Governor’s Bid To Felonize Protesting Is An Attack On Democracy, Justice Advocate Says
Legislation proposed this week by Gov. Ron DeSantis also seeks to withhold state funding from counties that move to decrease police budgets.
Her Lawyers Say She Was Coerced To Plead Guilty To A Crime That Never Happened
Accused of shaking a baby to death and facing the death penalty, Amy Wilkerson says she is innocent, but pleaded guilty to spare her life.
How Protests Over Police Violence Are Changing A City Where Officers Kill With Near-Impunity
As protests against racism and police violence were sweeping the country, a Vallejo, California detective shot and killed Sean Monterrosa. His death has galvanized a community.
After Atlanta Teen Is Injured in a Police Encounter, Lawyers Call for Change
The 17-year-old, who his lawyers say was pushed off a fence by a police officer, survived the fall but suffered serious injuries.
Arizona Man Faces 8 Years in Prison For Not Returning Rental Car on Time
Brian Stepter, a 61-year-old with chronic respiratory problems, has struggled with substance use for decades. Police and prosecutors sought the harshest sentence possible after he failed to return the car.
The Pervasive Violence of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department
Several recent killings have put the spotlight on the largest sheriff’s department in the U.S., but many of the LASD’s abuses go unseen, advocates say.
It’s Time To Form A Community-Led Citizen Review Board For The Cedar Rapids Police
Now is the time to act. If we have learned anything since George Floyd’s death, it is that we cannot keep waiting for change.
Texas Family Wants Justice For Deadly No-Knock Drug Raid
In February 2019, police officers in Killeen shot James Scott Reed in his home. One officer entered a guilty plea to evidence tampering, but Reed’s family is still suing the city and several officers in federal court.
Pennsylvania Inspector General Reviewing State Police Traffic Stop Tactics
The review follows an investigation by The Appeal and Spotlight PA, which found that troopers were using minor traffic stops to illegally detain and search motorists along highways.
Lori Lightfoot’s Actions Don’t Match Her Rhetoric About Police
Like her Democratic mayoral counterparts in Portland, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York, Lightfoot has condemned police violence outside her borders, while using law enforcement to suppress demonstrations in her own city.
His Brother Called For Help After He Was Acting Strangely. Police Knelt On Him Until He Was Brain Dead.
Body camera video shows that Daniel Prude was complying with police when they knelt on his back and pushed his face to the ground for so long that he stopped breathing.
Highway Stop-And-Frisk: How Pennsylvania State Troopers Conduct Illegal Traffic Searches
A review of five years of cases that arose from traffic stops in the south-central region of the state shows that police used underhand tactics to justify holding and searching drivers illegally.
Support The NBA Strike, Boycott The Police
Athletes should demand more than prosecutions of police officers who kill Black people. The criminal legal system is a guilty system responsible for our oppression. It cannot also be the guardian of our liberation. Here are three racial justice demands that athletes can support right now.
NYPD Expands Use Of Controversial Subpoenas To Criminal Cases
Administrative subpoenas—which do not require a judge’s approval—are typically used for the department’s internal investigations, but The Appeal has learned that they are being used in criminal cases.
Want Prosecutorial Reform? Start With Curtailing The Influence Of Police Unions.
Removing police union influence from the prosecutor’s office is a critical first step towards building a system that is safe, just, and fair for all.
The Enduring, Pernicious Whiteness Of True Crime
White voices and victims dominate the genre, which can skew the perception of what constitutes a crime.
Social Workers Are Rejecting Calls For Them to Replace Police
Some say their roles are already too close to those of law enforcement and are organizing for a radical rethinking of the profession.
What ‘Defund The Police’ Means In A New York Neighborhood With High Homicide Rates and a History of Struggling for Justice
Although there’s a diversity of views about law enforcement in Brownsville, Brooklyn, there’s widespread agreement that the community is still fighting to obtain all the resources it needs to thrive and police itself.
Officers Involved In Notorious Wrongful Conviction Aren’t On Prosecutor’s Do-Not-Call List
A state investigation found that Detroit police officers fabricated evidence that helped convict a 14-year-old boy. A judge threw out his conviction after he spent nine years in prison, but the officers are still on the job and haven’t been flagged as unreliable to testify in court.
Operation Legend Is Another Attempt to ‘Federalize’ Policing. Organizers Are Pushing Back.
President Trump and the DOJ are funding federal policing programs in cities like Detroit, Chicago, and Baltimore, but advocates say they’re unnecessary, harmful, and ineffective.
Austin Cuts Its Police Budget by About A Third
The City Council passed a budget that cut nearly $150 million from the Austin Police Department. Millions will be reinvested in services like violence prevention and supportive housing.
After Recent Unrest, Chicago Leaders Are Pointing Fingers In All The Wrong Places
In difficult moments like this, we can’t let bad faith attacks set our community back. What our families need are resources and investment, not more police on the streets.
Orlando Sheriff, Who Is Running for Re-Election, Shot a Teen to Death in 1999
The boy’s mother says Orange County Sheriff John Mina has still never spoken to her after more than 20 years. And in the wake of the George Floyd uprisings, local activists are asking why Mina deserves to keep his job.
Austin May Cut Police Budget by Nearly $150 Million
The City Council will pass a budget this week that could cut nearly $150 million in funding from the Austin Police Department. The proposal appears to have majority support.
The Role of Police in Gentrification
A lawsuit alleges Breonna Taylor died because Louisville was trying to arrest its way toward economic redevelopment. Research shows this is common.
Police Violence Was a Problem In Portland Long Before Federal Agents Arrived
Local law enforcement tear-gassed and beat protesters and journalists.
To Cut Police Budgets, Start in Public Schools
The presence of police in schools is emblematic of America’s carceral approach to governing.
After Woman’s Arrest in Unmarked Van, New York City Activists Fear Targeting by NYPD
Protesters believe law enforcement is looking for retribution after police arrested a woman Tuesday night and placed her in an unmarked van, a callback to recent events in Portland, Oregon.
Seattle Mayor Known As ‘Tear Gas Jenny’ For Police Treatment Of Protesters Has Troubled History As A Federal Prosecutor
As U.S. attorney in Seattle, Durkan prosecuted a severely mentally ill man in a terrorism case using an informant convicted of child sex abuse—and claimed to have reformed the same Seattle Police Department that has tear-gassed peaceful protesters for weeks.
The Defund Movement Aims to Change the Policing and Prosecution of Domestic Violence
Though domestic violence is often cited as a reason to maintain the carceral status quo, advocates say there are more humane—and effective—alternatives.
The Feds Have A Long History Of Snatching People Up. Only Now They Are Targeting Middle-Class White People
Federal agents have been unfairly arresting Black and brown people for decades. Now that white Portlanders are seeing it up close and personal, they are outraged. Better late than never.
Impunity for Law Enforcement Must End. That Includes Officers in Jails and Prisons.
Qualified immunity is just one obstacle of many that incarcerated people face when seeking to hold correctional officers accountable for misconduct.
San Francisco Voters Will Decide On Abolishing Mandatory Staffing Levels For Police
Under current law, established during the "tough on crime" era, San Francisco mandated at least 1,971 full-time police officers. Voters will now have the opportunity to reconsider that mandate.
It’s Time To Defund The University of Mississippi Police Department
From crackdowns on Black students decades ago to more recent arrests during protests against neo-Confederates, the department has served as a tool for enforcing white supremacy.
10 Ways To Reduce Our Reliance On Policing And Make Our Communities Safer For Everyone
Police should no longer occupy all of our vital support systems in our communities.
In This Moment Of Reckoning Around Police Violence, Don’t Forget The Unseen Abuses Of People Who Are Incarcerated
Excessive force against people being arrested, falsification of evidence against suspects, and brutality by guards against prisoners — these are all just different forms of the same problem.
The Case For Racism Response Funds – A Collective Response To Racist Acts
Through this mechanism, communities can accept accountability for the racism they allow to flourish by failing to disrupt it.
Reimagining A Future With Less Policing Means Asking Tough Questions About the Powers We Assign To Law Enforcement
As criminal justice reformers take steps to defund police departments and limit qualified immunity, it’s important to consider the role of universal and special duties in policing.
How Prison Abolitionists Are Meeting The Moment
The COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide protests over police brutality are strengthening the case against mass incarceration, advocates argue.
Will Maryland Lawmakers Come Back to Work?
In a moment of crisis, the state Senate and House are slated to be in recess until January.
People In Crisis Need Social Workers, Not Cops
Social Workers address crises regularly and without an armed police officer standing in front of us. Often, the presence of an armed officer escalates a crisis that could have been better handled by mental health professionals alone.
Police at Polling Places Could Intimidate Voters This November, Advocates Warn
This year’s presidential contest will be the first since a federal judge lifted a decades-old consent decree barring the Republican National Committee from engaging in “ballot security,” or voter intimidation at the polls.
LAPD Officer Who Killed Man in Mental Health Crisis Is a Gun-Toting Social Media Star
In late April, officer Toni McBride shot Daniel Hernandez to death after a suicide call. His attorney and grieving family say videos posted on social media of McBride gleefully firing high-powered weapons show that she’s a trigger-happy officer.
Jacklean Davis Was The First Black Woman To Serve As a Homicide Detective in New Orleans. Did A Now Disbarred Prosecutor Bring About Her Fall?
In the 1990s, Davis was a policing superstar, hailed as the best crime solver the Crescent City had ever seen. But a dispute over a paid detail at a festival turned into a major federal case against her, brought by a prosecutor involved whose conduct in other cases was called ‘grotesque.’
Amid Calls to Reform Police, New York Activists and Lawmakers Demand An Elected Civilian Complaint Review Board
A representative board is needed to check the power of the NYPD and appropriately discipline officers for misconduct, they argue.
Philadelphia Police Make Hundreds of Looting Arrests, Leave Many More Violent Crime Cases Unsolved
The city’s clearance rate for murder, whose victims are disproportionately Black, has hovered around 40 percent for the last several years.
‘No Cop Money’ Pledge Should Extend To Consultants And Law Enforcement Super PACs
Law enforcement super PACs are spending big money on district attorney races and local elections from California to New York—and respected Democratic consulting firms are helping them.
Defund The Police. Our Lives Depend On It.
Safe and healthy communities start with less police and more investment in community services that work.
How the Federal Government Lost Track of Deaths in Custody
The Department of Justice is leaving researchers, policymakers, and advocates in the dark about deaths in police custody, prisons, and jails.
Activists Say Chicago Mayor’s Police Reform Promises Ring Hollow
Mayor Lori Lightfoot has hampered the process of installing a police oversight council, activists say, despite making it a major part of her public safety platform during her mayoral run.
The Supreme Court’s War on Miranda Rights in America
For decades, the Court has been carving out generous exceptions and crafting new rules that limit the Miranda warning’s real-world impact.
Protesters Say Hamilton County Sheriff Held Them Overnight Without Food, Water, Bathrooms
Two people, arrested and detained in Cincinnati after protesting the police killing of George Floyd, recall being held at the jail, outside, for hours.
The Bumpy Road to Police Abolition
Protesters and activists have categorically changed the national conversation about public safety. Now they have to figure out how to change public policy.
Family of Man Who Died at California Jail After Shouting ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Demands Answers From Sheriff
In October 2018, Marshall Miles died at the Sacramento County jail after struggling with deputies. His lawyers say a deposition scheduled for next month will force the sheriff to answer for the in-custody death.
Portland City Council Votes to Cut $15 Million From Police Budget
The cuts will defund a controversial gang policing unit and end the city’s policing partnership with TriMet, the regional transit agency.
Family of Black Mississippi Man Killed By Police Receives Narrow Explanation For Dropped Manslaughter Case
A lawyer with the state attorney general’s office omitted key evidence in a meeting with the family of Ricky Ball, who Canyon Boykin shot and killed in 2015.
American Democracy Cannot Breathe
Yes, we must radically transform policing in America. But we cannot stop there. We must transform the pervasive systems of economic and carceral injustice that are choking our common life.
How the Phoenix Police Department Spends Its $745 Million Budget
The city wants to give the force an additional $24 million. But the department is still failing to solve crimes, and officers have shot 212 people between 2011 and 2018, killing about half.
U.N. to Hold Debate On U.S. Police Violence
After families of people killed by police asked the organization to investigate racist American policing, 54 African nations called for a debate on the treatment of Black Americans. The debate will happen today.
Massachusetts Court Won’t Block Access To Reports On Who Boston Police May Have Targeted on Social Media
District Attorney Rachael Rollins sought to block the disclosure of records that could show Boston police used Snapchat to target people who are Black or Latinx.
Cops, Climate, COVID: Why There Is Only One Crisis
Although the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis are both provoked by natural phenomena, the dangers they present are just as political as the crisis of police violence.
The NYPD ‘Cancelled’ Police Court Appearances, Leaving People to Sit in Jail
Memos obtained by The Appeal and anecdotes from public defenders reveal how, for a week during protests over police brutality, the NYPD stalled cases by directing officers not to testify in court.
Suit Seeks $10 Million For ‘Senseless, Avoidable Death’ Of Tennessee Man In Custody
Sterling Higgins called 911 in March 2019 seeking help during a mental health crisis. Police took him to Obion County Jail, where he died after officers pinned him to a floor.
For Essential Workers, New York City’s Curfew Meant Fear, Harassment, and Arrest
Essential workers say curfews put them at risk of police violence, even though they were exempt.
Houston Police Chief’s Speeches Supporting Protesters Were Widely Circulated—But Video Proves His Officers Cracked Down on Them
Videos contradict officers’ claims that they didn’t ‘kettle’ protesters.
The Camden Police Department Is Not A Model For Policing In The Post-George Floyd Era
The New Jersey department received slavish media praise after it was disbanded and reoriented toward community policing. But behind the reformist mask was an embrace of surveillance and broken windows policing.
Louisville Metro Council Bans No-Knock Raids Following The Police Killing of Breonna Taylor
Breonna Taylor was killed nearly three months ago during a no-knock raid. All 26 members of the Metro Council have signed on as co-sponsors to “Breonna’s Law,” which would ban them.
Atlanta’s Mayor Wants $13 Million More For Police. Four Officers Were Just Fired For Using Excessive Force.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has asked for the budget increase amid ongoing local and national reports of police violence against protesters.
George Floyd’s Death Puts Spotlight On Controversial Syndrome Called ‘Excited Delirium’
Coroners and police departments have cited the condition in cases across the country, often clearing officers of wrongdoing when people die in their custody. In Floyd’s case, experts say, the diagnosis is irrelevant to his death.
The Toll That Curfews Have Taken On Homeless Americans
The country’s homeless population was already struggling to access services during the pandemic.
West Virginia Cities Use Evictions To Combat The Opioid Epidemic
The ‘drug house’ ordinances that force landlords to kick out tenants are mostly compounding the overdose crisis, critics say.
Police Killings Bring Out Tensions Within The Labor Movement
Some unions and labor activists are calling for the AFL-CIO to expel police unions.
Pennsylvania House Democrats Refocus on Police Reform, But Face an Uphill Fight
Democrats have introduced and reintroduced bills that have languished in the Judiciary Committee, which must approve them before they reach the full House.
Minneapolis City Council Members Announce Intent To Disband The Police Department, Invest In Proven Community-Led Public Safety
The move follows the police killing of George Floyd and more than a week of uprisings, where hundreds of thousands of people around the world have protested against police violence, and abusive police responses to the protests.
On The Day Of George Floyd’s Death, An Arizona State Trooper Killed A Man In Phoenix
Dion Johnson’s family wants answers about the last moments of his life.
Police Departments Have Failed Black And Latinx Communities. It Will Take Deliberate Work To Earn Back Their Trust.
The use of excessive force against nonwhite communities and people protesting police brutality is further eroding public confidence in policing.
L.A. Mayor’s Reaction to Protests Proves He’s Unfit to Govern
This weekend’s string of errors is just the latest in his career of cruelty.
New York Protests Could Finally Push Through Increased Police Transparency
Lawmakers are targeting a statute that has been used as a cudgel to bat away almost any inquiries into police misconduct.
Too Little Has Changed About American Policing In the Last Few Decades. It’s Time For Something Different.
The killing of George Floyd demonstrates that incremental police reforms are insufficient in the absence of a comprehensive plan to transform law enforcement and its stated purpose.
For Trump, There Is No Policing Without Violence
A president who openly endorses police brutality struggles with a nation rejecting it.
No More ‘COPS’
Under the HEROES Act, the Community Oriented Policing Services program would receive $300 million to fund the hiring of more police. Democratic and Republican leaders alike remain committed to the ideology of increased funding, even under the guise of reform.
New York Legislators Pledge to Reject Campaign Donations From Law Enforcement
State Assembly members, senators, and city council members have said they will decline and donate funds from police and corrections officers as New Yorkers fill the streets to protest recent violence by law enforcement.
Don’t Let Cops Join Our Protests
Cops who turn marches against police violence into parades don’t actually want substantial changes to policing.
Mississippi Attorney General Won’t Pursue Case Against White Officer for Killing Black Man
Canyon Boykin was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing Ricky Ball during a traffic stop in 2015.
Defund the Police Now
More training, more equipment, and more officers will not stop police from killing Black people.
Honolulu Police Keep Putting Homeless People in Jail
The city is flouting CDC guidance by continuing to dismantle homeless encampments during the COVID-19 pandemic, though it does not have nearly enough shelter space.
New Documentary Reveals Silicon Valley’s Role in Notorious Bronx Gang Raid
On the pretext of conducting ‘transnational gang operations,’ ICE raids have swept up thousands of U.S. citizens.
Despite Coronavirus Warnings, Miami Area Police Are Still Arresting Hundreds of Homeless People
As of April 30, one in three unsheltered people have been arrested in Miami-Dade County since a local state of emergency was declared in March.
The Carceral Kings of New York
As COVID-19 spreads, Andrew Cuomo and Bill de Blasio are slashing budgets, but leaving funding for police and prisons largely untouched.