police department

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Oklahoma Town's Entire Police Force Quits in One Day

2 of 3 city council members also resigned on the same day

(Newser) - Geary, Oklahoma, lost its entire police force and two-thirds of its city council all on the same day last week. The city's police chief and all four of its patrol officers resigned Thursday, the Oklahoman reports. They turned in their badges without giving an explanation for their departures, KOCO...

911 Calls in NYC Will Soon Draw a New 'First Responder'

NYPD says it plans on deploying drones in response to 'certain' emergency calls

(Newser) - If you call 911 in New York City in the coming months, drones may show up to assist as the NYPD's newest first responders. Per the New York Daily News , station houses in five precincts—including the one that covers Central Park, as well as three in Brooklyn and...

Small Maryland Town Suspends Entire Police Force

Ridgely residents 'blindsided' by move

(Newser) - A small town on Maryland's Eastern Shore has suspended its entire police force pending the results of an investigation by state prosecutors, a largely unexplained decision that has left residents shocked, skeptical, and on edge. With the Ridgely Police Department temporarily defunct, other public safety agencies have agreed to...

Good Samaritan Drags Cop to Safety During Shootout

Man comforted officer, who'd been shot in the leg, until help arrived

(Newser) - A Houston man is being hailed as a hero after pulling a police officer to safety after the officer was shot amid a shootout on a freeway Saturday morning. The situation started when a man carjacked a vehicle Friday; the following day, police spotted the stolen car on the highway...

AI Study Shows What Phrasing Can Tank Solving Rape Crimes

An analysis of police reports found biased language led to more convictions

(Newser) - While AI is often in the news for how it might destroy humankind (or at the very least, take our jobs), it also has potential for good, like helping solve crimes. Per Cleveland.com , a professor published two articles in the Journal of Criminal Justice that demonstrate how she used...

On NYC's Labor Day Weekend, a 'Sci-Fi Inspired Scenario'

NYPD says it will deploy surveillance drones to check on too-large holiday gatherings

(Newser) - Americans across the nation are gearing up for their final summer weekend, but for residents of New York City, there may be what the AP calls "an uninvited guest looming over their festivities." The NYPD announced Thursday it will deploy surveillance drones throughout Labor Day weekend to check...

After 2-Year Probe, a 'Scathing' Report on Minneapolis PD

Investigation finds pattern of racial discrimination

(Newser) - A state investigation launched after George Floyd’s killing in the custody of four Minneapolis police officers has determined that the department engages in a pattern of race discrimination. The state launched its investigation barely a week after Floyd's death on May 25, 2020, and Minnesota's Department of...

After George Floyd, a Big Choice for Minneapolis Voters

Residents to decide whether to replace police department with new public-safety agency

(Newser) - Voters in Minneapolis were deciding Tuesday whether to replace the city's police department with a new Department of Public Safety, more than a year after George Floyd's death under the knee of a white police officer launched a movement to defund or abolish police across the country. The...

Probe: Phoenix Cops Had a Controversial 'Challenge Coin'

Investigation wraps up into cop-shared coins depicting protester getting shot in the groin

(Newser) - Two independent probes into the Phoenix PD have been completed, and its chief has been suspended for a day due to their findings. Per the 37-page report by the Ballard Spahr law firm, released Thursday by City Manager Ed Zuercher, one of the probes confirmed earlier whispers that a "...

Dallas Police Officer Allegedly Ordered 2 Murders

Bryan Riser arrested, charged with capital murder

(Newser) - In 2017, a 30-year-old Texas woman was murdered, as was, in a separate incident, a 60-year-old man from the state. Four years later, a Dallas police officer has been arrested, accused of ordering hits on the two victims. Police say Bryan Riser, 36, paid other men $3,500 to kill...

After George Floyd Death, a Big Ask by Ford Workers

Employee letter wants company to stop making police vehicles; that doesn't look likely

(Newser) - Ford Motor Co. makes about two-thirds of America's police vehicles , so a recent ask by some of the automaker's workers in the wake of protests over the death of George Floyd, racism, and police brutality is a significant one: They want the company to consider not making and...

This Police Department Disbanded in 2012. Violent Crime Has Plummeted

New force focused on walking beats, talking to residents of Camden, NJ

(Newser) - City Council members in Minneapolis have vowed to "dismantle" the city's police department, which would be an unusual—but not entirely unprecedented—move. CNN looks at the experience of Camden, NJ, which disbanded and replaced its police department in 2012 amid budget woes and corruption that was deemed...

'Defund the Police' Becomes New Mantra
What People Mean
by 'Defund the Police'
the rundown
Jun 8, 2020 7:42 AM CDT

What People Mean by 'Defund the Police'

It varies, but common idea is to divert money from police to social programs, communities

(Newser) - The George Floyd protests have resulted in a new mantra: "Defund the police." But what does that mean exactly? The definitions vary, but the most common one centers on redirecting some of the money that goes to police departments to social programs and marginalized communities, reports CNN . Police...

5 Months After Viral Arrest Video, Cop Fired

Christopher Meyer was caught on tape pointing a gun at couple who had their kids with them

(Newser) - On May 27, a Phoenix police officer was caught on video pointing a gun at a car holding a man, his pregnant fiancee, and their two children, yelling, "You're going to get f---ing shot" and "I'm going to put a cap in your ass." Nearly...

Cops: It's Too Hot to Commit Crime

Police in Braintree, Mass., would appreciate it if you would break the law when it's cooler outside

(Newser) - Baby, it's hot outside and the fine officers at the police department in Braintree, Mass., really do not feel like dealing with your criminal shenanigans until "Monday when it's cooler." CNN reports on the department's cheeky Facebook post, which encouraged "anyone thinking of doing...

Fugitive Says He'll Surrender for 15K Likes on Facebook

Jose Simms promises he'll abide by deal with cops

(Newser) - A Connecticut police department has reached a deal with a fugitive that would have him surrender if enough people respond to a wanted poster on social media, an agreement that at least one expert calls unethical. Jose Simms, 29, who is believed to be somewhere in New York, has seven...

Sessions Makes Big Last-Minute Move
Sessions Makes
Big Last-Minute Move
Nov 9, 2018 10:14 AM CST

Sessions Makes Big Last-Minute Move

Guidelines appear to curtail Justice Department's oversight of police departments

(Newser) - A memo dated Nov. 7 out of the Office of the Attorney General appears to be Jeff Sessions' last hurrah, but civil rights advocates aren't applauding. The New York Times reports that, before he left his post at President Trump's request, Sessions signed off on strict new guidelines...

Town's Entire Police Force Abruptly Resigns

Blandford, Mass., officers say their lives were at risk

(Newser) - The entire four-member police department of a small western Massachusetts town has resigned, citing poor equipment and unsafe working conditions, the AP reports. Interim Police Chief Roberta Sarnacki and three officers submitted their resignations in a letter to Blandford officials on Monday, effective immediately. The officers said the town's...

This May Explain Why Police Chief Was Absent So Often

Was allegedly working 2nd job while supposedly on duty in Southport, NC; department is shut down

(Newser) - Residents of the small coastal town of Southport, North Carolina, won't be seeing any of their local police officers for a while. Instead, Brunswick County deputies will be taking over because the town's entire police department has been shut down amid a corruption scandal, reports WECT . It's...

Michigan Cops Pick 'Pawfficer'
'Pawfficer' Gets Sworn In
May 12, 2018 11:19 AM CDT

'Pawfficer' Gets Sworn In

Michigan police will use it partly for therapeutic purposes

(Newser) - A suburban Detroit police department is giving another cat a chance to take the law into her own paws, the AP reports. A cat named "Pawfficer Donut" was sworn in Friday by a judge, a day after a cat named Badges was removed from the Troy Police Department due...

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