To Battle the Bullet, Baltimore Goes After the Bottle

Decades of research has shown that alcohol contributes to violence in a couple of ways. Where alcohol businesses cluster, violence follows. And although most people who consume alcohol do so safely, people who have been drinking are also more prone to conflict. Perpetrators of homicide are rarely apprehended in time to measure their toxicology, but a global meta-analysis found that about half of killers were under the influence of alcohol at the time of their crimes. Data is more reliably collected from the dead, and in Baltimore between 2017 and 2021, nearly a quarter of homicide victims had alcohol in their blood, according to the Maryland Violent Death Reporting System, similar to patterns nationwide.

Excessive drinking is no more common in Baltimore than elsewhere in the state, according to the data. But because the city has long endured an extraordinarily high rate of gun violence, public health scientists there have dug into the role that alcohol sales play in fueling it. And residents and a few policymakers have pushed reforms that are more creative and ambitious than in any other American city. In several neighborhoods that require alcohol outlets to close earlier than the regular call-time of 2 a.m., a recent study suggests, the change may be playing an unheralded role in the city’s decline in homicides.

Full story: To Battle the Bullet, Baltimore Goes After the Bottle

The LAPD’s new chief wants residents to start calling the police again – Los Angeles Times

Crime is trending down in Los Angeles, with homicides alone on track to fall 15% compared to last year, but newly sworn-in LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell is concerned that statistics aren’t telling the full story.

Speaking ahead of the ceremony Thursday to mark his arrival as the city’s 59th chief of police, McDonnell voiced concern about the perception of disorder — and the reality that crimes are going unreported because some believe nothing will be done to investigate.

McDonnell said he would rather see the city’s crime numbers rise because it would give him a real picture of the problem and a better idea of what he must do to handle it.

Full story: The LAPD’s new chief wants residents to start calling the police again – Los Angeles Times

IN-DEPTH: How border communities are preparing for ballot measure giving local police immigration enforcement powers

During the 2024 general election voters in Arizona overwhelmingly supported Proposition 314, a measure that would give the state and local law enforcement agencies the ability to enforce immigration laws.

But some law enforcement leaders voiced concerns about the measure and question why it was allowed on the ballot. If it becomes the law of the land they fear what it would mean for their budget.

Full story: IN-DEPTH: How border communities are preparing for ballot measure giving local police immigration enforcement powers