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A judge dismissed all charges, including a murder count, against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver who had a knife, agreeing with defense lawyers who said the officer could have feared for his life. The municipal judge ruled after a courtroom packed with police and relatives of Eddie Irizarry watched about…

Rich Alteri has been busy. Every week, he combs through research, meets with local leaders in juvenile outreach, social services and justice reform while building new relationships with law enforcement agencies across Ramsey County. A commander for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Alteri has been working at the County Attorney’s Office since March through part…

The Hillsboro P.D. has launched a new program with the potential to assist individuals in addressing vehicle issues at a discounted rate and even possibly escape a ticket… Full story: Hillsboro police introduce ‘Fix-A-Fine’ voucher program

Fentanyl use is increasingly out in the open, and increasingly fatal. But New Yorkers are divided over what to do: decriminalize it or make more arrests? Full story: A Day Care Death and the Dilemma Over How to Crack Down on Drugs – The New York Times

Former Miami-Dade Police director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez was outspoken about the need for police to have mental health support, joining a movement that has taken hold in just the last decade. “Our officers face the worst of humanity on a daily basis, and when they return home, it can be hard for them to leave…

A statewide report and public dashboard on police officers’ use of force, a requirement set under Colorado’s sweeping police accountability reforms, is set to be published by the end of fall, months after its original deadline. The report, which will include data from 270 law enforcement agencies in Colorado, will show the number of incidents…

In several California counties, new mental health courts open up in October. Officials hope to persuade people with psychosis to accept treatment. Critics say, it looks more like coercion… Full story: California’s controversial mental health courts to start up in October : Shots – Health News : NPR

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday rolled out what it is calling a comprehensive guide to combating illicit opioids from coming into the country. The report, titled “Strategy for Combating Illicit Opioids,” outlines four goals the Department hopes will stop opioids from coming into the country. Primary elements of the strategy include: Reducing the…

In a pair of articles published in the September issue of the Journal of Criminal Justice, professor Rachel Lovell detailed how she used a computer to analyze thousands of incident reports written by Cleveland police officers over two decades in response to sexual assault. Specifically, Lovell programmed the computer to measure officer bias in each…

A national policing policy think tank is advocating that policing agencies prohibit pursuits unless a suspect committed a violent crime or there’s imminent danger to the community… Full story: New report recommends limiting police pursuits to violent crimes after rise in fatalities | AP News