Police
‘Smash-and-grab’ robberies fuel new laws, but critics question the need
Even before Virginia lawmakers passed a tough new law against organized retail crime earlier this year, Bradley Haywood, a public defender in Arlington, Virginia, challenged the rationale. The idea that retailers in the state had lost billions to organized theft was a myth manufactured by retailers themselves, Haywood argued. Now the outspoken lawyer has fresh […]
Politicians love to cite crime data. It’s often wrong.
When Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced his presidential campaign in May, he proudly told the nation that Florida’s crime rate in 2021 had reached a 50-year low. But really, DeSantis couldn’t say for sure. That’s because fewer than 1 in 10 law enforcement agencies in his state had reported their crime statistics to the […]
Police blame some deaths on ‘excited delirium.’ ER docs consider pulling plug on the term.
The way Sheldon Haleck’s parents see it, the 38-year-old’s only crime was jaywalking. But that March night in 2015, after Honolulu police found him behaving erratically, they pepper-sprayed him, shocked him with a Taser, and restrained him. Haleck became unresponsive and was taken to a hospital. Before his parents could get from their home in […]
Hopkinsville police to undergo diversity training after video stirs controversy
In the wake of an officer’s controversial social media post that drew both support and outrage from community members and tens of thousands of TikTok users, Hopkinsville Police Chief Jason Newby says he’s coordinating plans for all officers to undergo diversity training. Officer Jerimiah Kline came under fire early this month after posting a TikTok […]
One arts gathering flees, another cancels after confrontation in Harlan County
This story has been updated with a statement released Wednesday ?by Pine Mountain Settlement School. An Appalachian arts nonprofit’s gathering at Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County ended abruptly last weekend after local residents objected to the group’s presence in the chapel, raising concerns among attendees about their safety. A statement issued by the […]
Kentucky police union endorses Cameron in gubernatorial race
Members of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron in the 2023 gubernatorial election.? The Kentucky FOP voted on the decision Monday at a biennial national conference in Las Vegas. Results were announced Tuesday morning.? “Attorney General Cameron has been a friend to the FOP since the day he […]
Beshear calls for pay raises for officers, more funding for public safety in new budget plan
Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday called for more money for training, body armor and raises for law enforcement in what he says will be the first of several spending plans he’ll announce over the next month. Beshear acknowledged that governors typically reveal budget proposals around the time lawmakers return to Frankfort in January, but said […]
Kentucky’s annual crime report shows drop in serious offenses
Incidents of violent crime decreased across Kentucky in 2022 compared to the previous year, according to an annual state report released Wednesday.? The 2022 Crime in Kentucky Report showed about a 9.2% drop in the number of reported Group A offenses — which include the state’s most serious offenses including arson, homicide, bribery, burglary, and […]
Cameron calls for $5,000 bonuses for Kentucky police, allowing murder charges in fatal overdoses
LOUISVILLE — Republican Daniel Cameron says that as governor he would oppose subpoena powers for civilian police review boards and support giving Kentucky law enforcement officers a $5,000 bonus to improve recruitment and retention. The proposals are part of a 12-point public safety plan that Cameron unveiled Tuesday and that focuses largely on Louisville.? Cameron’s […]
Mt. Sterling police investigating KKK flyers found in neighborhoods
Following social media posts and local news reports about flyers promoting a white supremacy group in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, police have launched an investigation.? A copy of a flyer posted online shows it is from the Trinity White Knights Ku Klux Klan. It asks residents to report crimes and drug dealers to the group.?? “We […]
Officer Wilt, wounded by mass shooter in Louisville, making ‘remarkable progress,’ family says
A Louisville police officer who was injured while trying to stop a mass shooter in early April is making “remarkable progress,” his family said Thursday.? Officer Nickolas Wilt took a gunshot to the head on April 10 while responding to a shooting at Old National Bank in downtown Louisville.? He was one of nine people […]
Louisville won’t see meaningful change until the city quits defending police use of force
Mayor Greenberg, when will you listen to us? In May 2020, my city came alive in unity and in pain asking, once again, to be heard. Sparked by the unjust murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, hundreds of Louisville residents gathered in peaceful demonstrations to protest police violence against Black people. In our collective […]