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Awards
Conduct & Ethics
Crime & Punishment
Use of Force
Gun Control
Resources, Selection & Training
Strategy & Tactics
Technology & Forensics
Terrorism
Wrongful Conviction
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Awards
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
Top
Conduct and Ethics
The Tip of the Iceberg Hooray for the exonerated! But what about everyone else? (WC)
A Fearful Nation Is extremism in the defense of liberty a virtue? (T)
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (L.A. Edition) Officer missteps carry big price tags (UF)
Wanted: Dead or Alive A reward was offered: now all that’s left is to pay
Quantity, Quality and the NYPD Has a preoccupation with “numbers” compromised craftsmanship? (ST)
DOJ v. Sheriff Joe On a mission to quash illegal immigration, a mercurial Arizona sheriff tangles with the Feds
The More Things Change... Twenty years after the L.A. Riots, are things really better? (ST)
Arresting the Victim A 17-year old girl is arrested for not showing up at the trial of her alleged rapist
A Railroad Job? Dueling experts and manipulative interrogation cast a shadow over a conviction (WC)
The Numbers Game A leaked NYPD internal report confirms that crime stat’s were fudged
Written, Produced and Directed A disturbing legacy of roping in dopes, with no end in sight (T)
Making Sausage Delivering a blow looks nasty, but it can be vastly preferable to the alternatives (UF)
L.A.S.D. Blue “We police ourselves,” insists Sheriff Baca. But running a department takes a lot more.
N.Y.P.D. Blue Allegations of misconduct and corruption beset the nation’s largest police force
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? Part II - Juicing it Up Prosecutors wanted a slam-dunk case. They figured out how to get one. (CP)
The “Witches” of West Memphis Outraged citizens called them killers. They were wrong. (WC)
False Confessions Don’t Just “Happen” When expediency is the more important value, tragedy follows (WC)
Homeless, Mentally Ill, Dead Officers may have beat a troubled man to death. But we all share in the blame. (UF)
Rush to Judgment Did cops and prosecutors in L.A. and New York act too hastily? And if so, why?
The Church, Absolved Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy scream “whitewash” over John Jay’s report (CP)
Meltdown in SoCal When thinking “troubled police,” Southern California doesn’t usually come to mind. Well, think again.
Be Careful What You Wish For Seattle PD chief welcomes DOJ investigation, calls it a “free audit”
Letting Guns Walk Pressed to make a really big case, ATF managers went for broke (GC)
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Hours before leaving office, Schwarzenegger commutes the sentence of a friend’s son
An Epidemic of Busted Tail Lights LAPD struggles over claims of racial profiling (ST)
Answering to a Different Authority When it comes to the death penalty, a would-be Attorney General’s fealty to the law has its limits
Taking Bombs From Strangers How far should the Government go in fighting terrorism? (T)
The Men Who Talked Too Much For those in the Federal bulls-eye the entrapment defense offers little refuge (T)
Never Having to Say You’re Sorry The limits – if any – of prosecutorial immunity are the focus of a new Supreme Court case
Who Deserves a Break? And How Would We Know? A Sheriff’s lieutenant urges cops to consider the individual before making an arrest (CP)
Before JetBlue There Was Major Dymovsky A Russian cop bails out (figuratively) over corruption. Should we pay attention?
Extreme Measures (Part II) Turning cops into immigration agents invites misconduct and corruption
Too Much of a Good Thing? NYPD’s expansive use of stop-and-frisk may threaten the tactic’s long-term viability (ST)
More Labs Under the Gun Resource issues, poor oversight and pressures to produce keep plaguing crime labs (TF)
Not All Cops Are Blue Internal strife besets two well-regarded police departments (RST)
A Cop’s Dilemma When duty and self-interest collide, ethics can fly out the window
A Ticking Time-Bomb Twenty-four years after being let off the hook, a murderous woman goes on a rampage
Liars Figure Pressured by Compstat, police commanders cook the books
Playing With Fire Journalism students double as advocates for the wrongfully convicted (WC)
What If There’s No DNA? When biological evidence is lacking, the wrongfully convicted may be stuck (WC)
Truth or Consequences A Sheriff needlessly entangles himself, and his agency, in a web of deceit
Never Say Die When should prosecutors quit clinging to a case? (WC)
Ignorance is Not Bliss Playing ostrich about officer misconduct doesn’t make it go away
He Said That She Said...But Did She? Does the Cambridge PD report truthfully reflect what a witness said?
When (Very) Hard Heads Collide A professor and a cop revive the race debate. But was it really about that?
Rope-a-Dope Now that five Liberty City plotters stand convicted, should we feel safer? (T)
Torture: Who Decides? The real dilemma’s not about using torture -- it’s about authorizing it (T)
To Err is Human, to Prevent is Divine Admitting that cops make mistakes can prevent tragedies (UF)
Reversal of Fortune No longer a senator or felon, Ted Stevens chuckles as prosecutors feel the heat
You Can Take the Man Out of Chicago... President Obama’s appointments belie his reformist message
Carona Five, Feds One (But the Feds Won) Convicted of corruption, Orange County’s ex-Sheriff breathes a sigh of relief (CP)
How Many Lawyers Does it Take...? The weight of the Feds falls on a misguided Missouri mom (AP)
What Does it Take to Get Fired? When citizen review panels overrule the Chief, discipline suffers
Troubles at the Top Saying “no” costs Alaska’s top cop his job
Is it Too Easy to Zap? An invaluable tool is threatened by abuse (UF)
Miscarriages of justice: a roadmap for change To prevent wrongful convictions, education is key (WC)
The Ten Deadly Sins Why do miscarriages of justice keep happening? (RST)
Lying: The Gift That Keeps on Giving Deceiving suspects to get them to confess can backfire
Justice Was His Client A prosecutor chooses between what’s right and what’s expedient (RST)
Hoisted by His Own Petard Pornography, a Federal judge discovers, is in the eye of the beholder
Following the Rules Over a Cliff Legal ethics aren’t an end: they’re a means
At least They’re Consistently Lousy Using sworn deputies for custodial work makes for poor cops and lousy jailers (RST)
Keeping our Emperors Clothed What did we know about Eliot Spitzer and Mike Carona? Very little (RST)
Accountability? Not if you’re a Sheriff Popularity contests are no way to select law enforcement officers
Mission not accomplished Supervisors’ refusal to exercise oversight leaves the Sheriff unaccountable
Ex-Commish leaves Carona in the dust How law enforcement executives are selected is crucial
You can’t manage your way out of Rampart Pressures from above and a drive to succeed can distort officer behavior
Flash: Whitehouse tortures Mukasey! For the would-be Attorney General, waterboarding isn’t torture, unless it is
We Get the Cops We Deserve There’s a big difference between working mistakes and willful misconduct
Controlling undercover policing (.pdf)
The craft of policing (.pdf)
Production & craftsmanship in police narcotics enforcement (.pdf)
Top
Crime and Punishment
Is the Pot Debate Coming to a Head? Two states have approved its recreational use. What will the Feds do?
DOJ v. Sheriff Joe On a mission to quash illegal immigration, a mercurial Arizona sheriff tangles with the Feds (CE)
An Inconvenient Truth For some inner cities, The Great Crime Drop is The Great Myth (GC)
Arresting the Victim A 17-year old girl is arrested for not showing up at the trial of her alleged rapist (CE)
Walking While Black (Part II) City officials try to advance a citizen’s implausible self-defense claim (GC)
Walking While Black A Florida CCW permittee avoids arrest after killing a 17-year old he mistook as a threat (GC)
Written, Produced and Directed A disturbing legacy of roping in dopes, with no end in sight (T)
Catch and Release II An “evidence-based” pre-trial release program lands Milwaukee in a pickle (ST)
You Think You’re Upset? Criminologists demand that kingpins be held criminally liable for the financial mess
From Brady to the Confrontation Clause Continuing our roundup of Supreme Court criminal cases in a very busy term
Faster, Cheaper, Worse Rehabilitation doesn’t lend itself to shortcuts. Neither does research and evaluation.
From Eyewitnesses to GPS An unusually rich set of criminal cases are on the Supreme Court’s agenda
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? Part III - A Question of Certainty Controversial recantations and over-reliance on affidavits helped seal Troy Davis’ fate
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? Part II - Juicing it Up Prosecutors wanted a slam-dunk case. They figured out how to get one.
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? (Part I) Deconstructing the murder of a Savannah police officer, with no axe to grind
Don’t Blame the Messenger When jurors say that a case doesn’t add up, we ought to pay attention (TF)
A New Crystal Ball Reliability concerns plague a widely-used test for psychopathy (TF)
The Church, Absolved Victims of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy scream “whitewash” over John Jay’s report
Physician, Heal Thyself Pharmaceuticals are America’s new scourge. So who’s been writing the prescriptions?
Reform and Blowback A bad economy spurs more lenient sentencing. And warnings about its consequences.
The Long Arm of the Law America stings foreign arms and drug traffickers with a powerful narco-terror law (T)
Ignoring the Obvious Is incapacitation passé?
Having Your Cake, and Eating it Too! Two noted economists say we can reduce imprisonment and crime. But what kind of crime? (ST)
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Hours before leaving office, Schwarzenegger commutes the sentence of a friend’s son (CE)
Fighting the Wall Street Mob Feds use wiretaps and “cooperating witnesses” to expose insider trading (ST)
Is the UCR Being Mugged? And if so, by whom? A mayors’ group blasts a publisher for ranking cities by their crime rates
Answering to a Different Authority When it comes to the death penalty, a would-be Attorney General’s fealty to the law has its limits (CE)
Taking Bombs From Strangers How far should the Government go in fighting terrorism? (T)
The Men Who Talked Too Much For those in the Federal bulls-eye the entrapment defense offers little refuge (T)
(Merrily) Slippin’ Down the Slope First out the gate with medical marijuana, California considers legalizing its recreational use
“Modernization” or “Emasculation”? A deceptively entitled bill seeks to eliminate what little gun dealer oversight there is (GC)
Who Deserves a Break? And How Would We Know? A Sheriff’s lieutenant urges cops to consider the individual before making an arrest
Say Something Is society powerless in the face of mass shootings? (GC)
DOJ: Texas Executed an Innocent Man Before a national audience, experts confirm what was long suspected (WC)
A Nation of Liars Mortgage fraud, ordinary people and the Great Recession
Extreme Measures Angry over Federal dithering, Arizona enacts its own immigration laws
Baby Steps Aren’t Enough Protections against miscarriages of justice must be embedded within the system (WC)
A Ticking Time-Bomb Twenty-four years after being let off the hook, a murderous woman goes on a rampage (CE)
Liars Figure Pressured by Compstat, police commanders cook the books (CE)
The Great Debate (Part II) Violence is the problem. Is harsh sentencing the solution?
The Great Debate (Part I) Who should go to prison? For how long?
Tinkering With the Machinery of Death Academics prove that the death penalty works. And that it doesn’t.
See No Evil, Speak No Evil Why don’t witnesses come forward? Often, for a very good reason. (ST)
An Illusion of Control Can dangerous out-of-State parolees be adequately supervised?
The New Normal In the industrial belt, poverty and violence are no joke
What Really Went on at Neverland? Distrustful of the State’s witnesses, jurors could only wonder: was Michael Jackson’s home a pedophile’s lair?
With Some Mistakes There’s No Going Back In capital cases finality of the process must take a back seat
When a Pharmacist Kills States that encourage citizens to use lethal force shouldn’t be surprised when they stretch the limits (GC)
What’s the Guvernator Been Smoking? Legalizing marijuana shouldn’t just rest on economics
Reversal of Fortune No longer a senator or felon, Ted Stevens chuckles as prosecutors feel the heat (CE)
Carona Five, Feds One (But the Feds Won) Convicted of corruption, Orange County’s ex-Sheriff breathes a sigh of relief
How Many Lawyers Does it Take...? The weight of the Feds falls on a misguided Missouri mom
Miscarriages of justice: a roadmap for change To prevent wrongful convictions, education is key (WC)
The Ten Deadly Sins Why do miscarriages of justice keep happening? (WC)
A very rightful conviction Crying wolf over a well-deserved conviction (WC)
Justice was his Client A prosecutor chooses between what’s right and what’s expedient (CE)
Following the Rules Over a Cliff Legal ethics aren’t an end: they’re a means (CE)
The Usual Suspects Having a record makes it far more likely to be mistakenly arrested (WC)
Believe It...Or Not! Despite prosecutors’ best efforts, a wrongfully imprisoned woman gets a break (WC)
It’s Good to be Rich When it comes to justice, there’s no substitute for money
Sometimes You Have to Throw Away the Key Violence by the young is still violence
Lock ‘em Up & Send the Bill to Venezuela How mandatory sentencing victimizes the public
Jessica’s Law Sex offender hysteria drains resources
Tookie’s fate is the wrong debate Capital punishment isn’t just wrong: it’s un-American
They Did Their Jobs Jurors freed Michael Jackson for a reason
Science is Back. No, Really! DOJ promises that, henceforth, research will drive crime control policy (ST)
The Face of Evil Holocaust Museum shooter part of an extensive, loosely-federated hate movement (T)
Don’t Blame the NRA America’s gun culture exacts a toll, but it’s only a small part of the problem (GC)
Looking Beyond the Gun Barrel Trying to draw lessons from a wave of senseless shootings
Oakland: How could it happen? Dissecting the murder of four police officers, and its implications (ST)
Cops Matter Sharp cuts in police threaten community safety (RST)
Why the Drop? Crime has been falling. Does anyone know why?
I Drink, You Lose Wine is still alcohol. And alcohol kills.
The Gangs of L.A. To rid a city of gangs, look to the basics first (ST)
Keeping our Emperors Clothed What did we know about Eliot Spitzer and Mike Carona? Very little (RST)
Safe at Home -- Not! The presence of guns can instigate violence
A Tale of Three Cities Declines in manufacturing are associated with crime
Hollywood’s killing us Exposing impressionable youth to violent images for the sake of a buck
Top
Use of Force
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (L.A. Edition) Officer missteps carry big price tags
Three Perfect Storms Scared cops and unruly young men prove a lethal combination
A Dead Marine, and a lot of Questions Failure to properly contain a situation can leave deadly force as the only option
Making Sausage Delivering a blow looks nasty, but it can be vastly preferable to the alternatives
LAPD Got it Right Ousting Occupiers on its own schedule, with sensitivity and attention to detail (ST)
A Delicate Balance Can police best help a democracy flourish by intervening or by artfully holding back? (ST)
Policing is a Contact Sport (Part II) Tasers are useful. But they’re not risk-free, and over-reliance is a problem.
Policing is a Contact Sport (Part I) How did the Taser’s reputation reach such a low point?
Homeless, Mentally Ill, Dead Officers may have beat a troubled man to death. But we all share in the blame.
Be Careful What You Wish For Seattle PD chief welcomes DOJ investigation, calls it a “free audit” (CE)
First, Do No Harm Just how intrusive should patrol be?
Sometimes a Drunk With a Knife is Just That Feel-good rhetoric can’t substitute for deadly-force alternatives and frequent training
Every Cop Needs a Taser There must be a way for three officers to handle a drunk with a knife short of killing him
Dancing With Hooligans For street cops every day’s a reality show. And that reality is often unpleasant.
Is It When to Chase? Or If? Ten days and twenty-five hundred miles apart, two pursuits end in tragedy
Making Time Split-second decisions can end in tragedy
It’s Now L.A.’s Problem A cop’s tragic fumble turns into a cause célèbre. What will happen if he’s acquitted?
The Chase is On Are foot pursuits prone to result in bad shootings?
Kicking a Suspect When He’s Down There may be an explanation for kicking a compliant suspect in the head, but there’s no excuse
Good Cop / Bad Cop NYPD’s handling of a student protest may have missed its mark
To Err is Human, to Prevent is Divine Admitting that cops make mistakes can prevent tragedies
Tasering a Youngster is Wrong, Except When it’s Not Should police have zapped a violent 12-year old?
Oakland BART Shooting: A Tragedy, Yes -- But is it Murder? It’s not the first time that a cop accidentally drew a gun
Is it Too Easy to Zap? An invaluable tool is threatened by abuse
When Cops Kill (Part II) Why are some officers repetitively involved in questionable shootings?
When Cops Kill Individual differences are key to understanding why some cops shoot
Assisted suicide is not police work! Less-than-lethal weapons can keep cops from becoming executioners
Who rioted in MacArthur Park? Bratton, who wasn’t there, moves swiftly to censure those who were (ST)
Top
Gun Control
Half-Hearted Measures Are No Solution Legislative proposals ignore fundamental issues
An Inconvenient Truth For some inner cities, The Great Crime Drop is The Great Myth
Three Perfect Storms Scared cops and unruly young men prove a lethal combination (UF)
Walking While Black (Part II) City officials try to advance a citizen’s implausible self-defense claim
Walking While Black A Florida CCW permittee avoids arrest after killing a 17-year old he mistook as a threat
Turn Off the Spigot As guns flood our communities, trying to change hearts and minds is a non-starter
There’s No Escaping the Gun A prosperous community discovers that mass murder is an equal opportunity threat
Letting Guns Walk Pressed to make a really big case, ATF managers went for broke
The Elephant in the Room Restrict the possession of “ordinary” guns or get used to regular massacres
“Modernization” or “Emasculation”? A deceptively entitled bill seeks to eliminate what little gun dealer oversight there is
Say Something Is society powerless in the face of mass shootings?
Bigger Guns Aren’t Enough Cops need protection from rifle rounds, not just the ability to shoot back
Closing the “Terror Gap” Concerns about gun rights trump worries about terrorism (T)
Is This What the Framers Intended? Economic woes and inflammatory rhetoric feed a resurgence of extremism (T)
Gun Crazy Welcome to Starbucks. Would you like a box of nine mm’s with your latte?
Shootout at Times Square As the Supreme Court gets set to expand firearms rights, an out-of-State gun brings havoc to the Big Apple
Gun Show and Tell New York City sent private eyes to gun shows. What did they find?
When a Pharmacist Kills States that encourage citizens to use lethal force shouldn’t be surprised when they stretch the limits
America, Gun Purveyor to the Cartels Enforcing the weak-kneed laws that exist is hardly a solution
Don’t Blame the NRA America’s gun culture exacts a toll, but it’s only a small part of the problem
Looking Beyond the Gun Barrel Trying to draw lessons from a wave of senseless shootings (CP)
Reviving an Illusion Reinstating the (original) Federal assault weapons ban is a poor idea
Where Do They Come From? Most guns used in crime aren’t stolen; neither did they fall from the sky
Long Live Gun Control Combatting gun trafficking and tightening dealer oversight are key
Gun Control is Dead Gun laws are way down the new Administration’s list of priorities
Who’s Paul D. Clement? Caught up in the gun-rights debate, the Solicitor-General punts
Safe at Home -- Not! The presence of guns can instigate violence (CP)
Hillary: “I Shot a Duck” Why arming the public is no solution
There’s no easy solution The domestic arms race has made police work exceedingly risky (ST)
Shoot first...then reload! State “castle laws” greatly expand the meaning of self-defense
Disturbed person + gun = killer, disturbed person + assault rifle = mass murderer Neither SWAT nor armed citizens are a solution to the threat posed by assault weapons
The Pistol That Killed Officer Heim (.pdf)
Crime gun sources in Los Angeles (.pdf)
Gun control: facts and myths (.pdf)
Assault weapons: lethality (.pdf)
Insta-check and waiting periods (.pdf)
Top
Resources, Selection & Training
Catch and Release Sometimes there really is no substitute for common sense (ST)
L.A.S.D. Blue “We police ourselves,” insists Sheriff Baca. But running a department takes a lot more. (CE)
Forty Years After Kansas City Specialized teams may be dandy, but patrol still counts (ST)
“Teaching” Police Departments? That’s Right, Teaching Medical education is advanced as an appropriate model for the police
Meltdown in SoCal When thinking “troubled police,” Southern California doesn’t usually come to mind. Well, think again (CE).
New Jersey Blues How is the Garden State responding to increased violence? By shedding cops.
Reform and Blowback A bad economy spurs more lenient sentencing. And warnings about its consequences. (CP)
Which Way, C.J.? Two John Jay scholars propose that Criminal Justice programs emphasize methodology
Is the Sky About to Fall? Chiefs warn that police cutbacks will lead to a resurgence of crime. Are they right?
Sometimes a Drunk With a Knife is Just That Feel-good rhetoric can’t substitute for deadly-force alternatives and frequent training (UF)
Before JetBlue There Was Major Dymovsky A Russian cop bails out (figuratively) over corruption. Should we pay attention? (CE)
Extreme Measures (Part II) Turning cops into immigration agents invites misconduct and corruption (CE)
A Nation of Liars Mortgage fraud, ordinary people and the Great Recession (CP)
Making Time Split-second decisions can end in tragedy (UF)
Not All Cops Are Blue Internal strife besets two well-regarded police departments
The Chase is On Are foot pursuits prone to result in bad shootings? (UF)
A Larger Force, But At What Cost? As crime falls, LAPD’s growth threatens other city services
To Err is Human, to Prevent is Divine Admitting that cops make mistakes can prevent tragedies (UF)
You Can Take the Man Out of Chicago.. President Obama’s appointments belie his reformist message (CE)
Carona Five, Feds One (But the Feds Won) Convicted of corruption, Orange County’s ex-Sheriff breathes a sigh of relief (CP)
Sheriff Baca’s “Police Academy” TV reality shows and police training don’t mix
Cops Matter Sharp cuts in police threaten community safety
What Should It Take to Be Hired? Loose hiring standards and City Hall interference produce inferior recruits
Why the Drop? Crime has been falling. Does anyone know why? (CP)
A Town Without Pity Seattle lures police candidates from other cities
At least They’re Consistently Lousy Using sworn deputies for custodial work makes for poor cops and lousy jailers
Keeping our Emperors Clothed What did we know about Eliot Spitzer and Mike Carona? Very little.
Ex-Commish leaves Carona in the dust How law enforcement executives are selected is crucial (CE)
LAPD’s thin blue line How many cops does L.A. need? How many can it afford?
The next chief of police should be, first and foremost, a cop
Top
Strategy & Tactics
The Tip of the Iceberg Hooray for the exonerated! But what about everyone else? (WC)
A Fearful Nation Is extremism in the defense of liberty a virtue? (T)
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (L.A. Edition) Officer missteps carry big price tags (UF)
Quantity, Quality and the NYPD Has a preoccupation with “numbers” compromised craftsmanship?
The More Things Change... Twenty years after the L.A. Riots, are things really better?
Arresting the Victim A 17-year old girl is arrested for not showing up at the trial of her alleged rapist (CE)
Three Perfect Storms Scared cops and unruly young men prove a lethal combination (UF)
A Railroad Job? Dueling experts and manipulative interrogation cast a shadow over a conviction (WC)
Turn Off the Spigot As guns flood our communities, trying to change hearts and minds is a non-starter (GC)
Written, Produced and Directed A disturbing legacy of roping in dopes, with no end in sight (T)
A Dead Marine, and a lot of Questions Failure to properly contain a situation can leave deadly force as the only option (UF)
Catch and Release II An “evidence-based” pre-trial release program lands Milwaukee in a pickle
You Think You’re Upset? Criminologists demand that kingpins be held criminally liable for the financial mess (CP)
From Brady to the Confrontation Clause Continuing our roundup of Supreme Court criminal cases in a very busy term (CP)
Making Sausage Delivering a blow looks nasty, but it can be vastly preferable to the alternatives (UF)
Murder, Interrupted? Searching for violence-reduction strategies other than hard-nosed policing
Catch and Release Sometimes there really is no substitute for common sense
Faster, Cheaper, Worse Rehabilitation doesn’t lend itself to shortcuts. Neither does research and evaluation. (CP)
LAPD Got it Right Ousting Occupiers on its own schedule, with sensitivity and attention to detail
From Eyewitnesses to GPS An unusually rich set of criminal cases are on the Supreme Court’s agenda (CP)
A Delicate Balance Can police best help a democracy flourish by intervening or by artfully holding back?
When One Goof is One Too Many Pilots use checklists. Physicians, too. Why not detectives?
A Day Late, a Warrant Short An investigative delay puts warrantless electronic tracking in front of the Supremes (TF)
Forty Years After Kansas City Specialized teams may be dandy, but patrol still counts
Policing is a Contact Sport (Part II) Tasers are useful. But they’re not risk-free, and over-reliance is a problem. (UF)
Policing is a Contact Sport (Part I) How did the Taser’s reputation reach such a low point? (UF)
False Confessions Don’t Just “Happen” When expediency is the more important value, tragedy follows (WC)
Homeless, Mentally Ill, Dead Officers may have beat a troubled man to death. But we all share in the blame. (UF)
Rush to Judgment (Part II) By now, every cop knows that witness ID can be chancy. Right? (WC)
Don’t Blame the Messenger When jurors say that a case doesn’t add up, we ought to pay attention (TF)
Rush to Judgment Did cops and prosecutors in L.A. and New York act too hastily? And if so, why? (CE)
Translational? That’s Right, Translational A new paradigm seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice
The Long Arm of the Law America stings foreign arms and drug traffickers with a powerful narco-terror law (T)
Risky Business Warrant service is killing cops
Ignoring the Obvious Is incapacitation passé? (CP)
Letting Guns Walk Pressed to make a really big case, ATF managers went for broke (GC)
A Dangerous Loser Did a Saudi student come to America with murder in his heart? (T)
Lessons of St. Pete Police tactics remain stagnant while officer killings continue to rise
Having Your Cake, and Eating it Too! Two noted economists say we can reduce imprisonment and crime. But what kind of crime?
First, Do No Harm Just how intrusive should patrol be? (UF)
They Didn’t Read Police Issues Two more wannabe Jihadists accept bombs from the FBI (T)
Fighting the Wall Street Mob Feds use wiretaps and “cooperating witnesses” to expose insider trading
An Epidemic of Busted Tail Lights LAPD struggles over claims of racial profiling
Taking Bombs From Strangers How far should the Government go in fighting terrorism? (T)
Sometimes a Drunk With a Knife is Just That Feel-good rhetoric can’t substitute for deadly-force alternatives and frequent training (UF)
Every Cop Needs a Taser There must be a way for three officers to handle a drunk with a knife short of killing him (UF)
Predictive Policing: Rhetoric or Reality? New data-mining techniques promise to reinvent policing. Again. (TF)
Who Deserves a Break? And How Would We Know? A Sheriff’s lieutenant urges cops to consider the individual before making an arrest (CP)
Say Something Is society powerless in the face of mass shootings? (GC)
Dancing With Hooligans For street cops every day’s a reality show. And that reality is often unpleasant (UF)
R.I.P. Community Policing? Reclaiming professionalism sounds great, but it begs an underlying issue
Extreme Measures (Part II) Turning cops into immigration agents invites misconduct and corruption (CE)
The Killers of L.A. DNA nabs three serial killers in four years, most recently through a familial search (TF)
What’s More Lethal Than a Gun? Officers have more to fear from accidents than from criminals
Is It When to Chase? Or If? Ten days and twenty-five hundred miles apart, two pursuits end in tragedy (UF)
Bigger Guns Aren’t Enough Cops need protection from rifle rounds, not just the ability to shoot back
Too Much of a Good Thing? NYPD’s expansive use of stop-and-frisk may threaten the tactic’s long-term viability
Flying Under the Radar Can terrorists be caught before they act? (T)
Extreme Measures Angry over Federal dithering, Arizona enacts its own immigration laws (CP)
Making Time Split-second decisions can end in tragedy (UF)
Baby Steps Aren’t Enough Protections against miscarriages of justice must be embedded within the system (WC)
A Ticking Time-Bomb Twenty-four years after being let off the hook, a murderous woman goes on a rampage (CE)
Liars Figure Pressured by Compstat, police commanders cook the books (CE)
See No Evil, Speak No Evil Why don’t witnesses come forward? Often, for a very good reason.
It’s Now L.A.’s Problem A cop’s tragic fumble turns into a cause célèbre. What will happen if he’s acquitted? (UF)
Doing Nothing, Redux What’s more frightening than terrorism? Relying on analysts to prevent it. (T)
A Very Dubious Achievement Camden PD fights crime and violence. And its own officers.
An Illusion of Control Can dangerous out-of-State parolees be adequately supervised? (CP)
Missed Signals In hindsight everything’s simple. But policing takes a lot more than hindsight.
Would You Bet Your Freedom on a Dog’s Nose? Dog scent evidence comes under fire (TF)
What If There’s No DNA? When biological evidence is lacking, the wrongfully convicted may be stuck (WC)
Dopes, Not Roped More losers get hurled, or hurl themselves, at America. Should we tremble? (T)
The Chase is On Are foot pursuits prone to result in bad shootings? (UF)
Hidden in Plain Sight The unintended consequences of sloppy policing
Slapping Lipstick on the Pig (Part III) Simple policing strategies are the best
Slapping Lipstick on the Pig (Part II) “Proving” that crime-control strategies work is laden with pitfalls
Slapping Lipstick on the Pig (Part I) Do elaborate violence-reduction initiatives make a difference?
Science is Back. No, Really! DOJ promises that, henceforth, research will drive crime control policy
Rope-a-Dope Now that five Liberty City plotters stand convicted, should we feel safer? (T)
Kicking a Suspect When He’s Down There may be an explanation for kicking a compliant suspect in the head, but there’s no excuse (UF)
America, Gun Purveyor to the Cartels Enforcing the weak-kneed laws that exist is hardly a solution (GC)
Good Cop / Bad Cop NYPD’s handling of a student protest may have missed its mark (UF)
Looking Beyond the Gun Barrel Trying to draw lessons from a wave of senseless shootings (CP)
Oakland: How could it happen? Dissecting the murder of four police officers, and its implications
A Larger Force, But At What Cost? As crime falls, LAPD’s growth threatens other city services (RST)
Tasering a Youngster is Wrong, Except When it’s Not Should police have zapped a violent 12-year old? (UF)
Who’s Guarding the Henhouse? (Part II) The devastating legacy of Al Gore’s reinvention movement
What Can Cops Really Do? Specialized teams can help, but their officers must come from somewhere
Who’s Guarding the Henhouse? While Madoff pulled off the heist of the century, who was watching?
Can We Outlaw Wrongful Convictions (Part II)? Legislator proposes banning showups and recording all interrogations (WC)
Can We Outlaw Wrongful Convictions? Are sequential, double-blind lineups really the answer? (RST)
Crime-Fighting on a Budget When money’s tight can we afford specialized units?
Is it Too Easy to Zap? An invaluable tool is threatened by abuse (UF)
Miscarriages of justice: a roadmap for change To prevent wrongful convictions, education is key (WC)
The Ten Deadly Sins Why do miscarriages of justice keep happening? (WC)
Near Misses Six chilling examples of an imperfect criminal justice system (WC)
When Cops Kill (Part II) Why are some officers repetitively involved in questionable shootings? (UF)
Lying: The Gift That Keeps on Giving Deceiving suspects to get them to confess can backfire
Intrusions “Happen,” Good Police Work Doesn’t Home intrusions by homicidal strangers may be more common than police imagine
Why the Drop? Crime has been falling. Does anyone know why? (CP)
Damned if they do, even if they could Pressures to make arrests distract FBI agents from pursuing worthwhile targets
When Cops Kill Individual differences are key to understanding why some cops shoot (UF)
The Gangs of L.A. To rid a city of gangs, look to the basics first
There’s no easy solution The domestic arms race has made police work exceedingly risky
Of Hot Spots and Band-Aids Intensively policing troubled areas isn’t a lasting remedy
To Discover the Truth When kids tell tall tales the consequences can be grave
Your Lying Eyes Poor witness ID + pressure to solve a crime = tragedy (WC)
Disturbed person + gun = killer, disturbed person + assault rifle = mass murderer Neither SWAT nor armed citizens are a solution to the threat posed by assault weapons (GC)
Justice Was His Client A prosecutor chooses between what’s right and what’s expedient (CE)
The myth of profiling Pop psychology can lead investigators astray (TF)
Love your brother -- and frisk him, too! Aggressive patrol strategies have costs other than money
Who rioted in MacArthur Park? Bratton, who wasn’t there, moves swiftly to censure those who were
Governor to CCFAJ: drop dead Bowing to cops and victim groups, the Guvernator nixes justice reforms (WC)
Assisted suicide is not police work! Less-than-lethal weapons can keep cops from becoming executioners (UF)
Making terrorists (Part II) Relaxing the standards for electronic interceptions can be a good idea (T)
If You Can’t Find a Terrorist, Make One! Encouraging Jihadist wannabees is the wrong approach (WC)
The craft of policing (.pdf)
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Technology & Forensics
The Tip of the Iceberg Hooray for the exonerated! But what about everyone else? (WC)
Freedom From the Press Encryption keeps police radio traffic from prying ears. Including the media’s.
From Eyewitnesses to GPS An unusually rich set of criminal cases are on the Supreme Court’s agenda (CP)
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? Part II - Juicing it Up Prosecutors wanted a slam-dunk case. They figured out how to get one. (CP)
A Day Late, a Warrant Short An investigative delay puts warrantless electronic tracking in front of the Supremes
Policing is a Contact Sport (Part II) Tasers are useful. But they’re not risk-free, and over-reliance is a problem. (UF)
Policing is a Contact Sport (Part I) How did the Taser’s reputation reach such a low point? (UF)
Don’t Blame the Messenger When jurors say that a case doesn’t add up, we ought to pay attention
A New Crystal Ball Reliability concerns plague a widely-used test for psychopathy
One Size Doesn’t Fit All Overuse of Shaken Baby Syndrome may have led to many miscarriages of justice
Sometimes a Drunk With a Knife is Just That Feel-good rhetoric can’t substitute for deadly-force alternatives and frequent training (UF)
Every Cop Needs a Taser There must be a way for three officers to handle a drunk with a knife short of killing him (UF)
Predictive Policing: Rhetoric or Reality? New data-mining techniques promise to reinvent policing. Again.
The Killers of L.A. DNA nabs three serial killers in four years, most recently through a familial search
DOJ: Texas Executed an Innocent Man Before a national audience, experts confirm what was long suspected (WC)
Bigger Guns Aren’t Enough Cops need protection from rifle rounds, not just the ability to shoot back (GC)
More Labs Under the Gun Resource issues, poor oversight and pressures to produce keep plaguing crime labs
DNA: Proceed With Caution Subjectivity can affect the interpretation of mixed samples
Would You Bet Your Freedom on a Dog’s Nose? Dog scent evidence comes under fire
What’s the D.A. Want From the Sheriff? The DNA lab, of course. Or if he can get it, everything.
DNA’s Dandy, But What About Body Armor? As lethal threats to police increase, protection languishes -- but there’s hope
Tasering a Youngster is Wrong, Except When it’s Not Should police have zapped a violent 12-year old? (UF)
N.A.S. to C.S.I.: Shape Up! Putting the “science” back in forensics won’t be simple
Oakland BART Shooting: A Tragedy, Yes -- But is it Murder? It’s not the first time that a cop accidentally drew a gun (UF)
Forensics Under the Gun Commonly accepted techniques may lack scientific value
Labs Under the Gun Can police crime laboratories be trusted?
Mindboarding Is brain scanning the new polygraph?
Is it Too Easy to Zap? An invaluable tool is threatened by abuse (UF)
The Ten Deadly Sins Why do miscarriages of justice keep happening? (WC)
Beat the Odds, Go to Jail DNA random match probabilities may be overstated
Believe It...Or Not! Despite prosecutors’ best efforts, a wrongfully imprisoned woman gets a break (WC)
If it Doesn’t Fit... Why do prosecutors resist post-conviction DNA analysis? (WC)
Your Lying Eyes Poor witness ID + pressure to solve a crime = tragedy (WC)
C.S.I. They’re Not Lab goofs and dueling “experts” give forensics a black eye
Polygraph: science or sorcery? Its usefulness is mostly as a prop
The Myth of Profiling Pop psychology can lead investigators astray
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Terrorism
A Fearful Nation Is extremism in the defense of liberty a virtue?
Written, Produced and Directed A disturbing legacy of roping in dopes, with no end in sight
The Long Arm of the Law America stings foreign arms and drug traffickers with a powerful narco-terror law
A Dangerous Loser Did a Saudi student come to America with murder in his heart?
They Didn’t Read Police Issues Two more wannabe Jihadists accept bombs from the FBI
Taking Bombs From Strangers How far should the Government go in fighting terrorism? (T)
The Men Who Talked Too Much For those in the Federal bulls-eye the entrapment defense offers little refuge
Closing the “Terror Gap” Concerns about gun rights trump worries about terrorism
Flying Under the Radar Can terrorists be caught before they act?
Is This What the Framers Intended? Economic woes and inflammatory rhetoric feed a resurgence of extremism
Doing Nothing, Redux What’s more frightening than terrorism? Relying on analysts to prevent it.
Missed Signals In hindsight everything’s simple. But policing takes a lot more than hindsight (ST)
Dopes, Not Roped More losers get hurled, or hurl themselves, at America. Should we tremble?
The Face of Evil Holocaust Museum shooter part of an extensive, loosely-federated hate movement
Rope-a-Dope Now that five Liberty City plotters stand convicted, should we feel safer?
Torture: Who Decides? The real dilemma’s not about using torture -- it’s about authorizing it
Damned if they do, even if they could Pressures to make arrests distract FBI agents from pursuing worthwhile targets
Making terrorists (Part II) Change the law! Relaxing the standards for electronic interceptions can be a good idea
If You Can’t Find a Terrorist, Make One! Encouraging Jihadist wannabees is the wrong approach
Flash: Whitehouse Tortures Mukasey! For the would-be Attorney General, waterboarding isn’t torture, unless it is (CE)
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Wrongful Conviction
The Tip of the Iceberg Hooray for the exonerated! But what about everyone else?
A Railroad Job? Dueling experts and manipulative interrogation cast a shadow over a conviction
From Eyewitnesses to GPS An unusually rich set of criminal cases are on the Supreme Court’s agenda (CP)
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? Part III - A Question of Certainty Controversial recantations and over-reliance on affidavits helped seal Troy Davis’ fate (CP)
When One Goof is One Too Many Pilots use checklists. Physicians, too. Why not detectives? (ST)
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? Part II - Juicing it Up Prosecutors wanted a slam-dunk case. They figured out how to get one. (CP)
Did Georgia Execute an Innocent Man? (Part I) Deconstructing the murder of a Savannah police officer, with no axe to grind (CP)
The “Witches” of West Memphis Outraged citizens called them killers. They were wrong.
False Confessions Don’t Just “Happen” When expediency is the more important value, tragedy follows
Rush to Judgment (Part II) By now, every cop knows that witness ID can be chancy. Right?
Rush to Judgment Did cops and prosecutors in L.A. and New York act too hastily? And if so, why? (CE)
Time or Money If you haven’t the bucks for a good lawyer, get ready to do the time
No End in Sight DNA exonerations of the wrongfully convicted continue as non-DNA work heats up
One Size Doesn’t Fit All Overuse of Shaken Baby Syndrome may have led to many miscarriages of justice (TF)
Dead Man Walking Kevin Cooper has had his appeals. Guilty or not, he will soon meet his maker.
Never Having to Say You’re Sorry The limits – if any – of prosecutorial immunity are the focus of a new Supreme Court case (CE)
The Killers of L.A. DNA nabs three serial killers in four years, most recently through a familial search (TF)
DOJ: Texas Executed an Innocent Man Before a national audience, experts confirm what was long suspected
More Labs Under the Gun Resource issues, poor oversight and pressures to produce keep plaguing crime labs (TF)
DNA: Proceed With Caution Subjectivity can affect the interpretation of mixed samples (TF)
Baby Steps Aren’t Enough Protections against miscarriages of justice must be embedded within the system
Tinkering With the Machinery of Death Academics prove that the death penalty works. And that it doesn’t. (CP)
Playing With Fire Journalism students double as advocates for the wrongfully convicted
Would You Bet Your Freedom on a Dog’s Nose? Dog scent evidence comes under fire (TF)
What If There’s No DNA? When biological evidence is lacking, the wrongfully convicted may be stuck
House of Cards Evidence isn’t better just because there’s lots of it: it must also be true
Never Say Die When should prosecutors quit clinging to a case?
With Some Mistakes There’s No Going Back In capital cases finality of the process must take a back seat (CP)
Reversal of Fortune No longer a senator or felon, Ted Stevens chuckles as prosecutors feel the heat (CE)
N.A.S. to C.S.I.: Shape Up! Putting the “science” back in forensics won’t be simple (TF)
Can We Outlaw Wrongful Convictions (Part II)? Legislator proposes banning showups and recording all interrogations
Can We Outlaw Wrongful Convictions? Are sequential, double-blind lineups really the answer?
Forensics Under the Gun Commonly accepted techniques may lack scientific value (TF)
Labs Under the Gun Can police crime laboratories be trusted? (TF)
Miscarriages of justice: a roadmap for change To prevent wrongful convictions, education is key
The Ten Deadly Sins Why do miscarriages of justice keep happening?
Near Misses Six chilling examples of an imperfect criminal justice system
Intrusions “Happen,” Good Police Work Doesn’t Home intrusions by homicidal strangers may be more common than police imagine (ST)
A very rightful conviction Crying wolf over a well-deserved conviction
Justice Was His Client A prosecutor chooses between what’s right and what’s expedient (CE)
Following the Rules Over a Cliff Legal ethics aren’t an end: they’re a means (CE)
Beat the Odds, Go to Jail DNA random match probabilities may be overstated (TF)
The Usual Suspects Having a record makes it far more likely to be mistakenly arrested
.027 Rules! How many wrongful convictions have there been? A lot more than what’s known!
Believe It...Or Not! Despite prosecutors’ best efforts, a wrongfully imprisoned woman gets a break
It’s Good to be Rich When it comes to justice, there’s no substitute for money (CP)
If it Doesn’t Fit... Why do prosecutors resist post-conviction DNA analysis?
Your Lying Eyes Poor witness ID + pressure to solve a crime = tragedy
To Discover the Truth When kids tell tall tales the consequences can be grave (ST)
Governor to CCFAJ: drop dead Bowing to cops and victim groups, the Guvernator nixes justice reforms
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