My colleague at John Jay College, James Mulvaney, had a good op-ed in the Washington Post last month about a tragic and unnecessary death in Central Maryland. As both a former police officer and a former movie theater usher, I can’t help but think Prof. Mulvaney get’s it right. You can read it here: Where is the public outrage over…
Speaking of Tragedies…
I don’t think I ever posted about the tragic shooting of a police recruit while in training. Sometimes if you have nothing nice to say, it’s best to say nothing at all. But it was just brought to my attention that the BPD is now on their seventh head of E&T [academy director] in the last 19 months. You think…
On policing and criminal justice
Part One of a interview of me by Michelle Brunet at Criminal Justice Schools Infois online. If they’re nice enough to interview me, I’ll be nice enough to tell you about it!
What I’m Reading: Gun Guys
Gun Guysby Dan Baum. So far so good. Especially if you don’t understand gun guys. Or if you are a gun guy but don’t like the NRA. I’ve written about Baumbefore. Truth be told, I know the guy. Truth be told, sometimes when he’s in town he lets himself into my house and eats my food. But none of that…
Dog Bites Man
“Ex-DEA heads: Feds should nullify state pot laws” Now there’s a headline that doesn’t exactly scream, “Extra, extra, read all about it!”
The Streets of Rome: The Realities of Problem-Oriented Policing, by Peter W. Maher
Back in October, 2012, I had a guest blogger, Jan Haldipur, on “How the iPhone Changed the Way We Do Ethnography: A Methodological Note.” It’s worth a read. Today I proudly feature Peter W. Maher. He completed his undergraduate studies at Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y. (and can be contacted at pmaher@hamilton.edu). Peter did some work with police that is…
Crimes and Cameras
Just one point of data to add to the picture. From the Chicago Sun Times: Even with $26 million in high-resolution cameras finally in full force last year, reported crime at CTA rail stations rose 21 percent, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis shows. And compared with 2010 — well before most of the CTA’s current 3,600 rail station cameras were installed…
Why is Academic Writing So Bad?
Stephen Walt in Foreign Policy: In the end, it comes down to what a scholar is trying to achieve. If the goal is just narrow professional success — getting tenure, earning a decent salary, etc. — then bad writing isn’t a huge handicap and may even confer some advantages. But if the goal is to have impact — both within…
NYC Shootings and Homicides
A short while back I was hit with this little picture: You may look at the stop-and-frisk trend. But what I found more interesting are the shooting numbers. You don’t often see those numbers. Homicides are well tallied by police departments and the Uniform Crime Reports. Shootings less so. I’ve always used homicides as my standard indicator for crime. Homicides…
“A system that is dishonest and fundamentally flawed”
I often (and sincerely) defend Vice Magazine as (on a good day, mind you) the best source of journalism in our fine republic. Last night a friend sent me this link called, “Testilying: Cops Are Liars Who Get Away with Perjury.” OK… so I’m not expecting this to be pro-police. But before I read it, I wrote back saying: “I…