Democrats should cue up a more enlightened sequel full of popular ideas that will make communities safer without resorting to simply locking more Americans up. Think summer jobs for teens. Think funding for drug rehab centers. And yes, maybe think about more money for better-trained police. Continue reading Slate Magazine — It’s Time for a New Crime Bill
Jeffrey Butts interviewed as part of a story about the New York Governor’s announcement of gun violence prevention initiatives. Continue reading Univision — Cuomo Declara una Emergencia por la Violencia Armada en Nueva York
“We were already in a weakened condition when the pandemic hit — class divisions, overt racism, partisanship, a really poor social support infrastructure — so if you think about the effect of the pandemic on an ‘epidemic’ of shootings — it’s like the immune system of the United States was already suppressed,” Jeffrey Butts, director of the research and evaluation center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told ABC News. Continue reading ABC News — Feds Warned Last Spring of Spike in Violence and Extremism During Pandemic: Memo
Investing in policing may reduce rates of victimization. But it does so at a price not captured in any fiscal budget: the needless deaths caused by trigger-happy officers; young Black men’s routine experience of harassment, discrimination, and/or nonlethal forms of police violence, and the physical and emotional toll of those experiences. Continue reading New York Magazine — Progressives Don’t Need to Downplay Rising Homicides
Jeffrey Butts interviewed by Andrea Linares about violent crime surges around the U.S. as President Biden unveils his plan to reduce nationwide violence. Continue reading Univision News — Increases in Violent Crime
What has led to the historic rise in gun violence and what can be done about it? KGW Investigates spent the last two months talking to families, law enforcement officers, and community leaders to try and answer those questions. Everyone we spoke to agreed on two things: the pandemic has played a significant role and long-term solutions will require investment in communities. Continue reading KGW Portland — Gun violence is Surging in Portland. What Can be Done to Stop it?
