police officers

Gerry Realin (left) and his wife Jessica are working to get first responders workers' compensation benefits in Florida.

A Pulse Nightclub Responder Confronts A New Crisis: PTSD

5:01am June 12, 2017

by Abe Aboraya

The Pulse Nightclub shootings in Orlando a year ago killed 49 people. It was a horrific scene for first responders, and some are still struggling to cope with what they saw that night.

Tomiko Shine holds up a picture of Tamir Rice during a protest in Washington, D.C.

Opinion: How Policing Black Boys Leads To The Conditioning Of Black Men

3:08pm May 23, 2017

Two criminal defense attorneys weigh in on the reasons for and impact of over-policing black boys.

A group of people walk on Castro Street, in the downtown portion of the Silicon Valley town of Mountain View, California, August 24, 2016. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).

When Policing And Race Cross Paths In Silicon Valley

12:12pm March 16, 2017

by Vignesh Ramachandran

In California, officers undergo cultural diversity and discrimination training, which includes understanding the cultural composition of the state and discussing the impact of racial profiling.

National

Police Say High-Profile Fatalities, Protests Have Made Their Jobs Harder

4:14pm January 11, 2017

by Camila Domonoske

Pew surveyed nearly 8,000 officers. Among other things, the group asked about recent killings of black civilians by police and the protests that followed. Officers said they now feel less safe.

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Police watch activists gather in front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art on July 7, as they march up Fifth Avenue in response to two recent fatal shootings of black men by police. Later, after a peaceful march in Dallas, a sniper targeting police killed f

National

How The Perceived 'War On Cops' Plays Into Politics And Policing

7:25am December 29, 2016

by Martin Kaste

Many cops believe they're being targeted. But while more officers were killed in ambushes, statistically it is a small number. Still, as one former cop says, pulling up a spreadsheet doesn't help.

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A white Marine-turned-cop was fired after he did not shoot a black man who had a gun. According to his Marine training, he saw no clear hostile intent. However, his bosses say he put other officers' lives at risk.

National

Military-Trained Police May Be Less Hasty To Shoot, But That Got This Vet Fired

8:26am December 08, 2016

A Marine-turned-cop was fired after he did not shoot a man who had a gun. His Marine training led him to believe there wasn't clear hostile intent; his bosses say he risked other officers' lives.

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As head of the LGBT Liaison Unit, Sgt. Jessica Hawkins trains officers how to respond to crimes involving LGBT people and does community outreach.

National

For D.C.'s LGBT Community, A Police Liaison Who Can Relate

9:55am October 06, 2016

by Gabriela Saldivia

Sgt. Jessica Hawkins was a cop for 20 years before she transitioned. Getting through that first day at work after she came out was hard — but it turned out to just be the start.

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While more than 60 percent of Bridgeport, Conn.'s residents identify as black or Hispanic, the city's police department is majority white. So officials changed the written test and Bridgeport residents got a 15 percent bonus on their scores.

National

Bridgeport Officials Want The Police Department To Look Like Its Residents

7:24am October 04, 2016

by Jeff Cohen

City officials redesigned their test for police officers and give extra points to city residents who take it. They want the makeup of the department to hew more closely to the city's demographics.

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Trainees participate in a tactical defense class at the Dallas Police Basic Training Academy. The officer deaths in July strengthened the camaraderie among recruits training at the academy.

National

After Attack On Dallas Police, Recruits More Committed To Law Enforcement

2:50pm September 06, 2016

by Yvonne Muther

Police academy trainees say when a gunman targeted and killed law enforcement officers during a peaceful protest in their city in July, it strengthened their resolve to become officers.

The Justice Department released a report Wednesday morning that was highly critical of the Baltimore Police Department for systematically stopping, searching and arresting the city's black residents, frequently without grounds for doing so.

DOJ's Withering Baltimore Report Says 'What Black Folks Have Been Saying For Decades'

6:45pm August 12, 2016

by Leah Donnella

"I don't know people who weren't aware of the stats that were just published. ... We already know the score," says D. Watkins, an author and journalist who grew up in the city.