Month: December 2022

High on their list of concerns were items such as shrinking budgets and increasing anti-police sentiment. Another point of interest is the escalating pressure to place greater emphasis on de-escalation training.

Another predictable conclusion was the nearly universal agreement that the staffing crisis—both recruiting new officers and retaining those already in the ranks—was the most difficult challenge police leaders and trainers faced in 2022…

Full story: 2022 in Review: 3 Police Leaders’ Thoughts on the Recruiting & Retention Crisis – Patrol – POLICE Magazine

Spokane County has to pay a former Sheriff’s Office deputy and his wife $19.5 million in damages after a Superior Court jury on Friday determined he was wrongfully fired and defamed by Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.

Knezovich fired Sgt. Jeff Thurman in 2019. In a news conference, the sheriff said he made the decision after an internal affairs investigation found Thurman used the N-word while on the phone with other deputies, talked about killing Black people and sexually harassed a female deputy. Thurman sued Knezovich later that year.

Full story: Spokane County jury awards $19.5 million to former sheriff’s deputy and his wife in defamation case

Community members receive a link to a survey that asks questions like “Did the officer treat you with respect?” and “Did you receive the services you needed?”

Full story: Ill. police to send ‘how was our service’ text messages after 911 calls

Officer Terry Cherry, a recruiter for the Charleston Police Department said exits aren’t always bad, especially because police culture typically resists change.

“Sometimes that leaving an organization makes way for new ideas and different types of thinking,” she said. “So you have these new people coming in, they’re excited. They’re excited because they’ve seen the world. They know about Ferguson. They know about George Floyd. They know about body cameras…”

Full story: Police reform: As officers quit, departments see chance for change

Authorities have stopped more than 6,000 firearms from going through airport security checkpoints so far this year, the most in the history of the Transportation Security Administration, officials said…

Full story: TSA has stopped record number of guns at airport security checkpoints in 2022 – Los Angeles Times

A former Texas police officer who fatally shot Atatiana Jefferson through a rear window of her home in 2019 was sentenced on Tuesday to 11 years and 10 months in prison for his manslaughter conviction…

Full story: Former officer who killed Atatiana Jefferson sentenced to nearly 12 years | PBS NewsHour

Doctors picked by the police union had diagnosed several hundred officers as being so injured that they couldn’t even testify in court…

Full story: Number of Philly cops out injured drops 31% after Inquirer investigation uncovers abuse

Killings of children and teenagers under 18 increased sharply in 2020, federal researchers reported. Black communities were disproportionately affected…

Full story: Homicides of Children Soared in the Pandemic’s First Year, CDC Reports – The New York Times

“[T]hese findings suggest that if a law enforcement officer does not or cannot take pre-emptive measures to avoid or control the situation, they simply lack sufficient time to react and respond to the stimulus, prior to taking fire…” “Therefore, we reiterate the need to incorporate these studies in police tactical training so officers may be better informed and subsequently make decisions that have increased potential to mitigate dangerous situations.”

Full story: Force Science validates legacy research findings

As the public pressure mounts to reform policing in America, examples have cropped up across the country that indicate the power dynamic with some police unions has shifted – whether by choice or force. Some union leaders have taken up reins to try to lead change, and others have made concessions after facing public backlash. And some unions are fighting to maintain their power as outside groups try to strip them of their control.

Full story: How the push and pull of unions is hindering police reform around the country