Body-worn cameras (BWCs) have become increasingly common in U.S. police departments, but we know little about their use in the field, including the factors related to whether and why police activate them. A new study examined the prevalence and correlates of BWC activation in Phoenix, Arizona. The study found that departmental policy may be the […]
Read the June 2022 newsletter here.
06/24/22-Spectrum NewsBrian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State University, San Bernardino, and CJRA Expert, discusses the role of groups like the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers and why their rhetoric resonates so strongly in places like Southern California.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur from birth to age 17. A new study examined the effect of ACEs on jurors’ sentencing decisions in hypothetical death penalty cases. The study found that defense testimony elicited jurors’ leniency, largely through their responses to ACE evidence. The study, by researchers at Minnesota State […]
06/17/22-Orlando Sentinel“Timing means a lot because the first few hours are critical to hopefully locating that person safely and nearby. As time goes on, the odds of something negative happening increases,” Bryanna Fox, CJRA Expert.
06/11/22-Philadelphia Inquirer“The question is what can we do to prevent an incident like that from happening in the future, to prevent the kind of disorder you’re seeing there. That would call for a solution above and beyond just a policing response. If the police presence is not enough of a deterrent effect then there should […]
06/03/22-National Affairs“Despite the potential symbolic, political, and practical importance of naming a law after a victim, it is unclear whether this practice influences public opinion about the law itself,” Kelly Socia, CJRA Expert.
Naming a law after a victim of crime can boost support for the law by symbolically positioning supporters on the side of the victim. As efforts to pass so-called apostrophe laws (e.g., Caylee’s Laws, Megan’s Law) rise, a new study examined whether naming legislation after a victim boosts public backing for such laws and the […]
Read the May 2022 newsletter here.
05/19/22-KJZZ“Right now what we’re doing is looking at what body worn camera data look like, and how it’s going to benefit the police in terms of decision making in the future. Body worn camera data have all sorts of utility built into it,”Charles Katz CJRA Expert.