Public Safety
A boy’s bicycling death haunts a Black neighborhood. 35 years later, there’s still no sidewalk.
Pedestrian deaths are highest in formerly redlined areas, neighborhoods where Black people lived because of discriminatory federal mortgage lending practices. The lack of sidewalks, damaged walkways and roads in these communities are creating a little-recognized public health crisis.
Crime is down, FBI says, but politicians still choose statistics to fit their narratives
Murder in the United States fell nearly 12% in 2023 compared with 2022.
Move over! Two map apps to notify drivers when state police are stopped ahead
The Illinois State Police is using Waze and Google Maps to alert drivers in real time about roadside personnel in an effort to cut down on injuries.
Local 911 systems face a national emergency
Call takers and dispatchers are working with technology from the 1980s, experts say. But there’s a possible solution.
Six months later, what did cities learn from the solar eclipse? Plan, plan, plan.
Communities in the path of totality look back at the lessons learned. Preparing for the worst and biggest impacts is worth it, they say.
Mayors rally to support Springfield amid 'unprecedented' situation
Local leaders have experience responding to crises that attract national attention, from natural disasters to shootings, but the politics and threats of violence in the central Ohio town make this situation different.
These counties are recruiting teenagers to shore up a corrections guard shortage
Two counties in Texas house training programs in local high schools as officials pitch corrections jobs as gateways to criminal justice careers.
A national blueprint for taking money out of justice
COMMENTARY | A year ago, Illinois became the first state to abolish cash bail. Critics argued this reform would result in an increase in crime—they were wrong.
Study finds prevalence of firearms is driving soaring gun deaths in U.S.—not mental illness
Researchers compared the U.S. to 40 countries and found that Americans are 20 times more likely to die by firearms, even with a similar rate of mental health illness.
Dark highways, fast cars, few sidewalks—and more pedestrian deaths
More than three-fourths of counties with the highest pedestrian death rates also had persistently high poverty rates.
Hundreds of cities get federal help to make streets safer
The $1 billion funding announcement is the second round of grants this year. To date, the federal government has provided money for safer streets to nearly three-quarters of the country.
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Cities are increasingly embracing violence interventions programs to control deadly violence
Initial research indicates the approach is working—saving lives and money. But supporters admit more analysis is needed.
State dam safety programs could get new look after summer storms
The pressure is on aging dams as climate change fuels more intense weather, but it often takes high-profile incidents to focus lawmakers and other officials on the problem.
Data shows rural disparities in traffic deaths
An analysis of federal highway data shows that rural counties have higher traffic death rates compared to their urban counterparts.
Louisiana's First Amendment 'buffer zone' wipes out police accountability
COMMENTARY | A state law, which took effect on Aug. 1, 2024, makes it a misdemeanor for anyone to be within 25 feet of a law enforcement officer who orders them back.
Cars that talk: Feds announce plan to accelerate connected vehicle deployment
The U.S. Department of Transportation aims to have vehicle-to-everything tech deployed nationwide by 2036, and said it will offer grants and support to help states get there.
Michigan to hunt down sexual offenders who fled the state
The operation is a partnership with county prosecutors and the U.S. Marshals Service to locate and return fugitive sexual offenders with outstanding warrants to Michigan. It is the first partnership of its kind in the county—one Michigan hopes other states will replicate.
What cities should know about ShotSpotter technology
COMMENTARY | ShotSpotter may have benefits for improved gun shot detection and response, one expert says, but it offers little benefit for enforcement and did not reduce gunshot victimization.
The nation’s 911 system is on the brink of its own emergency
Federal legislation that could steer billions of dollars into modernizing the patchwork 911 system remains waylaid in Congress.
New report: School cops double student arrest rates and race, gender key factors
Government watchdog reveals students twice as likely to be arrested when officers are present and their race, gender and disability play pivotal role.
This housing fix could help build more homes. But firefighters are sounding the alarm.
At the center of the housing debate are building codes, and whether states’ bids to update them to address the affordable housing crises poses safety risks to the individuals they are trying to help.
