Climate Change
(8/16/26 #487)

As the planet warms,
arson's consequences
get even grimmer

Try, Then Try Again
(8/3/26 #486)

Should prosecutions be
abandoned when juries lean
strongly to "not guilty"?

"More" Isn't
Always "Better"
(7/17/26 #485)

Chicago-area Federal
prosecutors resign en masse

Jameson
Was a Doodle
(6/26/26 #484)

Were bullets the correct
"solution" to a 106-pound
dog's bounding approach?

The Fewer the Better
(5/29/26 #483)

Flack over D.C.'s 2023 crime
surge led police managers
to adopt an "easy" fix

Who's Minding
the Door?
(5/4/26 #482)

Protective assignments
aren't done until
the protectee's gone

Another
"Straw Purchase,"
Another Massacre
(4/29/26 #481)

A gun changes hands.
Eight children die.

Should Cops
Ever Chase?
(4/15/26 #480)

Risks to innocents
may be unmanageable

Justifiable? Excusable?
Criminal?
(3/16/26 #479)

A father guns down
his child's molester.
He then runs for Sheriff.

Must Impulse Rule?
(2/19/26 #478)

Hasty policing
yields tragic outcomes

What's Up in L.A.?
(1/30/26 #477)

Crime is reportedly down.
But police shootings
are (way) up.

Place Still Matters.
A Lot.
(12/11/25 #476)

A dispute between gangsters
devolves into the massacre
of children

L.A.P.D. Blues
(11/12/25 #475)

Is ideology driving
an ex-cop's prosecution?

Take Over? Take Care!
(Part II)
(10/23/25 #474)

San Francisco lands - for
a time - on the Prez's "hit list"

Take Over? Take Care!
(10/4/25 #473)

Invasions can't fix
what's really broken

Does "Why" Matter?
(8/21/25)

The causes of criminal
violence remain in dispute

A Money Pit
(7/28/25)

Feeding cops and lawyers
is very expensive

Post-Pandemic Blues
(7/7/25)

Thievery, some of it violent, besets our nation's recovery

More Poverty,
Less Trust
(6/23/25)

Citizens who most need the
cops trust them the least

Violence Isn't Down
for the Cops
(5/30/25)

More officers are being murdered. Mostly, with guns.

All in the Family
(5/12/25)

A foot pursuit of hit-and-run
suspects turns into a firefight
with an armed resident

Putting Things Off
(5/30/25)

Pursuits Kill Innocents.
What are the Options?

Gun Control?
What's That?
(4/1/25)

Ideological quarrels beset
gun laws, gun law-making,
and gun law-enforcing

Forewarned is Forearmed
(3/19/25)

Killings of police officers
seem inevitable.
What might help?

Who's Under the Gun?
The ATF
(3/6/25)

Going after gun controllers,
for the usual reasons

Point of View
(1/30/25)

Do scholars really "get"
The Craft of Policing?

All In the Family (II)
(1/6/25)

A decade after Part I,
domestic killings remain commonplace

9/29/26  Ten new gun laws. According to Cal Matters, this package represents outgoing Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom's final stab at gun control. Measures include a requirement that in future years gun purchasers will have to complete a four-hour training course. Persons who possess or transfer guns lacking valid serial numbers would be barred from having guns for ten years. "Red flag" laws that seek to prevent mentally-ill persons from getting guns will also apply to ammunition. 3-D printers must have blocking technology that keeps them from being used to make illegal guns or gun parts. And there's more! Related posts 1   2

Is street lighting a crime solution? Maybe, says an academic study of D.C.'s 2023 conversion to LED lighting. Findings reveal "significant reductions" in nighttime property-related crimes and in some gun- related crimes. Improvements did moderate over time and did not transfer to daylight hours. There was no evidence that crime was displaced elsewhere, and there was no impact on arrest numbers. Bottom line: it was all about deterrence. Related posts 1   2

9/28/26  "Woefully inadequate." That's how L.A. Mayor Karen Bass characterizes the training that LAPD officers receive for dealing with the mentally-ill. But "specialized intervention training" isn't offered to ordinary patrol officers. And while police shootings are down overall, episodes such as the recent killing of a man with a bat have driven the Mayor to request major changes. As has, one supposes, her looming electoral showdown with a notably "liberal" candidate who has long criticized LAPD. Related post

"Retiring under protest." That's what former U.S. prosecutor Sheri Mecklenburg wrote in her letter to U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros, who leads Illinois' Northern District. Ms. Mecklenburg accused her former boss of forcing her to prosecute the "Broadview Six" immigration protesters on felony charges instead of the misdemeanors she preferred. That led to the case's failure. But the case fell apart, and she claims that her forced silence and "scapegoating" destroyed her reputation and her career. Related post

Justices Jackson, Kagan and Sotomayor comprise the Supreme Court's well- known liberally-minded cadre of three. And this time they've come together to object to the Trump administration's move to link Social Security information to DHS's SAVE immigration database, which States have long used to probe whether voters are U.S. citizens. Problem is, the other six Justices feel that a D.C. District Judge's order banning the use of Social Security data comes too close to the midterms. So they're staying the ban and, for now, are letting the Feds proceed as they wish. Related post

"Imagine a strip club...I'll leave it at that." A mid- morning fight at a Detroit residence being used for other purposes devolved into a shooting that left three men in their 30's dead and wounded two men and two women. According to the police chief, officers had been called to the venue, which was "under investigation," seven times this year. Related post

"I'm tired of this world." That was the sentiment voiced by 49-year-old New York City resident Pamela Cisneros as she flaunted two large knives that she had used to stab one man dead and wound another. Police officers tried to calm the mentally-disturbed woman, and fired Tasers when their words had no effect. But neither did the Tasers. And as Ms. Cisneros started "quick-stepping" towards a cop, "knives outstretched," two officers pulled their guns and opened fire, killing her. According to the police commissioner, the cops "did exactly what they’re trained to do." Related post

9/25/26  Eleven million dollars. That's what a civil jury awarded the family of a mentally-ill man whom LAPD officers shot and killed two years ago. A 9-1-1 caller reported that a man was chasing someone while wielding a knife, and soon after the cops arrived and took cover Wilver Blanco, 42, came after them as well. So they opened fire. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and the Police Commission deemed their actions justified. But the plaintiffs argued officers could have taken lesser steps, such as using a less-lethal weapon. Related post

Criminal "fraud and official misconduct" charges have been levied against five Indianapolis police officers who allegedly used Flock license-plate readers to track their spouses and acquaintances. One cop resigned; the other four were suspended and are set to be fired. According to the police chief, their activities came to light during a system-wide audit that was prompted by a Washington Post inquiry into one of the officers' use of Flock cameras. Related post

Minnesota demands permits and a 30-day wait. St. Paul and Minneapolis extend the wait to sixty days. But DOJ finds that imposing such conditions on ordinary gun buyers, who don't even plan to carry their guns, is "intolerable under the Constitution." After all, "when a person needs to defend their home, they need to defend it now, not thirty to sixty days from now." So the Feds are suing. Related post

Twenty-five million bucks. That's what the A.G. is offering "state, local and tribal" governments who join the "Assisting Neighborhoods and Governments with Enforcement of Laws" (ANGEL) program. All they need do is have their cops identify, detain and help prosecute illegal aliens who have committed local, state or Federal crimes. Related post

9/24/26   Three renowned policing experts caution that technologies essential to modern policing - gunshot detection, license plate readers, closed-circuit TV, facial recognition, and drones - pose unique threats to human privacy. Unless protections are "built in," abuses are inevitable. Specialized policies and training, access controls, independent confirmation of developed leads, limits on sharing and retaining data, and "real consequences for misuse" are vital. Related post

A long-running scheme by Santa Clara Co. (CA) sheriff's officials to seek bribes for issuing CCW gun permits just led to a guilty plea by former Undersheriff Rick Sung. He's the sixth to be convicted in the affair. Others convicted include former Capt. James Jensen. In 2024 he drew 10 mos. in jail for issuing gun permits in exchange for donations to Sheriff Laurie Smith's reelection campaign. Sheriff Smith was never convicted. But she was adjudged civilly liable in 2022 and forced to resign. Related post

9/23/26  "I'm tired of this." Those are the words that a 60-year-old custodian uttered before opening fire on co-workers at the South L.A. senior living facility where he was employed. Why Darryl Arnette Barnes shot a woman in her forties and a man and a woman in their sixties, leaving one critically injured, hasn't been said. Police officers soon arrived. They arrested Barnes and recovered his handgun without further incident. Related post

9/22/26  An analysis of 197 U.S. mass shootings between 1966-2025 revealed that lethality was not simply a product of cartridge energy. Instead, it was the combination of an AR-15-pattern rifle firing a rifle-class cartridge that really mattered. High-capacity magazines also figured, on their own. AR-15's may have figured strongly in massacres because of their accuracy, lower recoil, robust aftermarket, and special appeal to the ill-intentioned. Related posts 1   2

Three Northern California police agencies arrested Derek Spencer, 44, three times earlier this month: first for "felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest," then for "suspicion of burglary," and finally for "suspicion of stealing a car." Each time he was released O.R. or on bond. He then embarked on a final "spree," flaunting a gun, shooting at a car and killing a woman in her home. A chase by deputies ended in a gun battle, during which the fugitive set a brush fire. He was ultimately shot dead. Related post

9/21/26  Federal law that bars gun dealers from selling handguns to 18 to 20-year-old persons (922[b][1]) has been declared unconstitutional by DOJ. Federal law that bars sale or, except under adult supervision, possession of handguns by persons under 18 (922[x]) remains in effect. Related posts 1   2

Over the years, Bailee Lynn Rios had logged "more than a dozen" arrests by suburban L.A.-area police for drug possession. Thanks to Prop. 47, none was filed as a felony, and all led to diversion and orders for drug treatment. And on Sept. 17, Ms. Rios, who was driving in the wrong direction, barreled her SUV full-speed into an intersection. Her vehicle slammed into the middle of a transit bus, killing two passengers and injuring six. She has been charged with reckless driving, DUI and second-degree murder. (A news helicopter covering the event crashed, killing its two occupants and a person on the ground.) Related posts 1   2

"I didn’t have any doubts." That's what the lone holdout juror (he voted to convict) told reporters after the Sept. 4 mistrial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother who strangled her three children to death in 2023. Michael Desronvil insists that Clancy "knew what she was doing" and denies having "any doubts" about her guilt. Desronvil is currently under an (apparently, domestic) restraining order and had once been charged (but not convicted) of domestic violence. He presently faces eviction from his apartment for unpaid rent. Related post

Twelve U.S. states have laws banning assault weapons says the New York Times. They include Calif. and Wash. in the West, Illinois in the North-Central region, and N.Y., R.I., Mass., N.J., Conn., Md., Del. and D.C. in the East. Virginia also has a ban but a judge has for now declared it void. New Jersey's ban was also recently declared unconstitutional by the Third Circuit. (Hawaii has a ban, but it's limited to assault pistols.) Each of these states, including Hawaii, also bans high-capacity magazines. They're joined in the West by Ore. and Colo., and in the East by Vermont. Related posts 1   2

9/18/26  Just released, Tulane University's 2025 national violence survey found that younger, poorer, non-white, and less educated persons were significantly more likely to have experienced physical violence. For example, 8% of Black adults and 3% of White adults reported being victims of a physical assault. Nine percent of the respondents in the poorest quintile said they had been assaulted. That compared with three percent of those in the two wealthiest categories and five percent of those in the middle-income tier. Related post

In 2025 the gun homicide victimization rate for teens ages 15-19 came in at 8.1 percent. That placed them in second-worst position, just slightly better than 20-24 year-old youths, whose rate was 8.6 percent. Problem is, gun homicides for the 15-19 year-olds only fell a tiny two percent between 2019-2025. Improvements in each of the other three young-person categories were far more substantial: 22% for the 30-34 year-olds, 30% for ages 20-24, and a notable 36% for ages 25-29. Related post

9/8/26  Lindsay Clancy admits she killed her three children, ages 8 mos., three years and five years. She insists it was driven by psychosis. But the Plymouth County, MA D.A. disagrees. Her murder trial, though, just ended in a mistrial. Despite three attempts to reach a unanimous verdict, jurors remained deadlocked 11-1 (reportedly, for acquittal.) And the D.A. has not yet said whether the case will be retried. Ms. Clancy, who is paralyzed from the waist down - she jumped from a 2nd.-floor window after strangling her kids - is back at the mental hospital where she's been long confined. Related post

While jailed after murdering the deputy, Kevin Eduardo Cataneo Salazar was taped admitting that he'd long wanted to kill an officer. And he never contested being the one who pulled the trigger as L.A. County Sheriff's deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer sat in his patrol car on that fateful day in 2023. Cataneo-Salazar's claim of insanity was just rejected by a jury. And the 32-year-old local man will spend the rest of his days in prison. Related post

Liz Oyer was a Federal Pardon attorney when President Trump began his second term. And two months later - in March, 2025 - she was summarily fired. Her lawyers (yes, she's now suing) allege that Ms. Oyer was let go because she had denied an application by actor Mel Gibson to have his Federal gun rights restored. He lost them in 2011 after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence. And in April 2025 - one month after Ms. Oyer was fired - he got them back. Related post

Nevada has been beset by wildfires. Last weekend Sheriff's deputies patrolling brushland near Reno happened upon a small blaze that had just broken out. A small pile of logs marked the point of origin. A car had just left the area, and it was promptly stopped. It contained "multiple split wooden logs, matches, lighters, charcoal lighter fluid and tumbleweed fire starters." Its driver, Damien Pineda-Contreras, 29, was arrested. He's been charged with third-degree arson. Related post

"A massive street takeover." That's what LAPD officers encountered in a commercial neighborhood during the early morning hours of Sept. 5. "Droves" of officers from multiple agencies surrounded the area. Dozens of revelers were arrested and a stunning 160 cars were impounded. Drivers were "booked" and everyone else was cited. Six guns were confiscated. Related post

9/4/26   Jimmy Steverson shot himself dead as South Carolina officers closed in. The 23-year-old man was fleeing from Warm Springs, Georgia, where he had just shot and killed police officer Chris Fisher as he sat in his car. Days earlier, Officer Fisher had arrested Steverson at a gas station for having marijuana and "AR style rifles." During the encounter Steverson punched the officer, and was charged with that as well. But he quickly bonded out. Related post

Thirty-five-year old Minneapolis man Carlton Johnson II opened fire in an apartment building, killing two fellow tenants and wounding three police officers. He then committed suicide. Johnson had a long court record, but his only convictions were for domestic assault, both misdemeanors. Johnson had a gun-carry permit, and did so openly. But tenants complained that he had threatened them with the gun, and there was a forthcoming court date over his impending eviction. Related post

Reckless homicide. That's the crime that former Columbus, OH police officer Ricky Anderson just pled guilty to committing during the early morning hours of August 30, 2022. Anderson and a partner were at the residence of Donovan Lewis to arrest him on gun and domestic violence charges. But when Lewis awakened, he reportedly raised his hand. Anderson instantly fired, killing the 20-year-old man. But all Lewis had was a vape pen. Anderson faces up to four years imprisonment. Related post

In January, ICE Agent Christian Castro fired through the front door of a Minnesota residence, wounding Julio Sosa-Celis, an illegal immigrant whom agents sought to arrest. ICE accused Castro and his partner of lying about their actions and placed them on leave. Minnesota charged Castro with assault, and he was arrested in Texas. But it released Castro and has refused to extradite. However, Castro was just Federally indicted for making false statements. The first-ever Federal prosecution of an ICE agent will soon be underway. Related post

9/3/26  "Devastating to local businesses." That's how a Memphis citizen group characterizes the effects of the Memphis Safe Task Force. Begun by President Trump, it pairs agents from Immigration, the FBI and other Federal agencies with local and state police to patrol the streets of the crime-beset city. But their aggressive approach and frequent breach of public and commercial space have upset many ordinary members of the community. As have two recent shootings: one, of an allegedly armed man by a National Guard member, and another by a DEA agent serving an arrest warrant. Related posts 1   2

Every State is funded under the Federal "TANF" and "SSI" programs to provide financial assistance to needy families and individuals. But a new DOJ ruling requires that to continue receiving these funds, States must henceforth "report individuals known to be not lawfully present in the United States" to Homeland Security. If they don't, the money (it's a huge amount) will be cut off. A 1998 Clinton Administration opinion to the contrary has been officially rescinded. And the fight is on. Related post

They're not "school" shootings. Instead, they're shootings near schools, "in the neighborhoods where students live, walk, play and learn." And between 2017-2025 the two large cities with the worst rates also happened to be two of our "usual suspects" crime-wise. Baltimore had 4,722 (rate 91/100,000) and Milwaukee had 4,147 (rate 81). And, yes, Washington D.C. came in third, with 4,017 shootings (rate 66). Rounding out the "top 10", in order, are Oakland, Minneapolis, Memphis, Detroit, Atlanta, Louisville and Miami. Related post

"Distract law enforcement." That's the purpose that the Governor of a Colombia region beset by wildfires attributes to criminal gangs whom she accuses of setting the blazes. According to Gov. Adriana Matiz, videos depict "men on motorcycles" committing the foul deeds, and a fire department confirms that gasoline was used to start one. Gangs are said to be illegally mining gold and extorting legitimate miners. And the profits surpass those from growing coca. Related post

9/2/26  "The officer was a safe distance from Pysher behind a car, and the victim had his hands in the air and did not possess any type of weapon." Along with his failure to use non-lethal tools, that's why small-town Pennsylvania cop Sean Farrell was charged with voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 22-year old college student who accidentally went to the wrong house to meet up with friends. Glenwood Pysher didn't "drop to the ground" when ordered, and he was 17-20 feet away and walking towards the officer when he was shot. Related post

Homicides are down. But traffic deaths are up. Might the plunge in police traffic enforcement be to blame? That's one of the questions addressed by the L.A. Times, which has long criticized LAPD's specialized crime-fighting units for making pretextual traffic stops. This practice, which agency overseers sought to ban, seems to have waned. At the same time, personnel shortages have led to fewer cops being assigned to "legitimate" traffic work. Has a lessened fear of being ticketed made L.A.'s streets more dangerous? Related post

The National Guard recently left New Orleans. According to the city's crime commission, their presence, which was authorized by the Trump Administration, helped drive down crime, both directly and by helping city cops do their jobs. That assistance was particularly evident in the crime-beset French Quarter. This area will continue to get special attention. New inter-agency partnerships and the arrival of sixty recruits who are presently in the academy should also help. Related post

Very "Blue-ish" New York state just passed a law that prohibits local law enforcement agencies from entering into "287g" agreements with ICE to help enforce immigration laws. And that just led a coalition of fifteen sheriffs to sue. They're seeking to protect existing agreements and to block the formation of the state's new "Office of Immigrant Trust." Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby, for one, insists that working with ICE is vital for holding down crime. Like struggles are underway in Maryland, New Mexico and Virginia. Related post

9/1/26  Seeking to make even bigger and more solid criminal cases, in 2024 DEA dropped a policy that required agents to promptly seize fentanyl. And in 2025 this "letting drugs walk" approach helped make "the largest fentanyl bust in history." But it also let 100,000 pills hit the streets. Distraught DEA employees blew the whistle, and both Congress and DOJ are examining whether like practices are being used elsewhere. Related posts 1   2

In 2024, after nine years of back-and-forth between a series of prosecutors, newly-elected D.A. George Gascon charged ex-LAPD cop Clifford Proctor with murder for needlessly shooting and killing a man during a 2015 struggle. But two months ago, Judge Ronald Coen dismissed the case for a lack of evidence. Proctor, though, was just re-indicted. And again, it's for murder. Related post

8/31/26  It was a "plastic fork." But a first-year LAPD rookie thought it was a weapon. And when Jason Maccani wasn't brought down by a less-lethal round and charged at the cops, Officer Caleb Garcia-Alamilla opened fire, killing the mentally-disturbed man. Police had responded to the skid-row warehouse on an "assault with a deadly weapon call". But Maccani had none, and Officer Garcia-Alamilla's actions were ruled "out of policy." He's no longer with LAPD. And Maccani's relatives just settled their lawsuit against the city for $5.8 million. Related post

Accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed still awaits trial. His initial confessions while held overseas can't be used as they were the product of torture. And a military judge just ruled that his statements while at Guantanamo were also produced through coercion. What's more, the FBI never told Mohammed that he could keep quiet. His confessions are reportedly key to the case, and military prosecutors must now decide what to do. Mohammed's trial is set for June, 2028. Related post

After a struggle and the use of tear gas, LAPD officers arrested Jose Carlos Hoyos-Munoz for stabbing his mother and a relative at the family home. Two days later, while the mentally-ill 58-year-old man was in a jail cell, he began pounding on the door. As an LAPD video shows, multiple officers went in, piled on and delivered a series of blows. Hoyos-Munoz became seemingly unresponsive. He was handcuffed and proned out on his bunk. And when officers returned to check on the man, they found him dead. Related post