policing

National

Black Men May Have Cause To Run From Police, Massachusetts High Court Says

7:51pm September 21, 2016

by Bill Chappell

A black man who flees police might be trying "to avoid the recurring indignity of being racially profiled" rather than attempting to hide criminal activity, the court says.

Abby McLean of Northglenn, Colo., stands near the stretch of U.S. 85 in Adams County where she was pulled over for a DUI check in September 2014.

The Difficulty Of Enforcing Laws Against Driving While High

1:11pm September 06, 2016

Five states will vote on legalizing recreational marijuana in November. For police, it's more challenging to assess if people are driving while high than it is to test for the influence of alcohol.

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The aftermath of Michael Brown's shooting in Ferguson, Mo., in August 2014 â and the protests and unrest that followed â continues to reverberate two years later.

National

The Butterfly Effects Of Ferguson

4:02pm August 11, 2016

by Gene Demby

The 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown sparked nationwide protests and a new generation of activism. We look at how Ferguson changed the conversation and the coverage about policing in America.

New York City Police Department Commissioner William Bratton in January 2016.

National

William Bratton To Step Down As New York City Police Commissioner

6:07pm August 02, 2016

by Eyder Peralta

Bratton, who has also served as the police chief in Boston and Los Angeles, will step down in September, likely marking an end to a 45-year career in public life.

A car with "#Justice4Philando" written on it is parked outside the funeral of Philando Castile at the Cathedral of St. Paul.

National

46 Stops: On 'The Driving Life And Death Of Philando Castile'

3:34pm July 20, 2016

by Leah Donnella

Gene Demby talks with NPR's Cheryl Corley and Eyder Peralta, who reported on Philando Castile's encounters with local police — 46 of them — before he was killed during a traffic stop.

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Protesters camped out in front of the Minnesota Governor's Residence, calling for more "judgment" by police officers. Many say officers are too quick to shoot people whom they perceive as threats.

National

Are Police Being Taught To Pull The Trigger Too Fast?

6:46pm July 15, 2016

by Martin Kaste

Critics say training firms use ambush-style videos that make police paranoid and quick to react with force. But not exposing officers to such scenarios puts them at unnecessary risk, trainers say.

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Crime
News

Homicide Rate Jumps In Winston-Salem, But Will It Continue?

12:16pm July 11, 2016

by Eddie Garcia

The homicide rate in Winston-Salem jumped in the first half of 2016. In that period, the city has experienced 14 homicides; in the same six-month window last year, there were just seven.

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People walk by a police car in downtown Newark, N.J., in May 2014.

National

Justice Department Reaches Agreement With Newark, N.J., On Police Overhaul

1:50pm March 30, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

The proposed consent decree comes after civil rights investigators found a pattern of unconstitutional stops and property thefts that disproportionately impacted minorities.

According to the new ruling, police in five Southeastern states cannot use Tasers on nonviolent, noncooperative suspects.

National

Court Gets Unusually Specific On Police Taser Gun Use

9:13pm February 05, 2016

by Martin Kaste

A federal court recently gave strict rulings against police use of Taser guns in five Southeastern states. But court rulings usually aren't this specific, and some experts see this as a problem.

Officers Colin Lewis and Brad Smith (center) on patrol near a park in Huntington Beach, Calif. The area has seen a sharp increase in homelessness and petty thefts, which the officers blame on Proposition 47. But the law's supporters say other California c

National

California Cops Frustrated With 'Catch-And-Release' Crime-Fighting

10:48am January 22, 2016

by Martin Kaste

Prosecutors and some police departments in the state say reducing prison sentences is having an undesired outcome: more property crime. But reform advocates say police are jumping to conclusions.

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