Violent crime

VidaNyx Scales to Serve 11,000 US Agencies with Tech CEO at the Helm

Retrieved on:

Friday, June 2, 2023

Survivor, FBC, Crime, New Jersey State Parole Board, Culture, Law enforcement, Violent crime, Organization, Government, DVD, Hospital, Child, Capital, AI, Ecosystem, HIPAA

OMAHA, Neb., June 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VidaNyx Inc., industry-leading govtech evidence platform used by over 11,000 US agencies, announces technology veteran Ben Jackson as CEO. Since 2018, VidaNyx has protected over 200,000 victims and survivors of violent crime, and assisted 45,000 members of law enforcement, prosecutors, hospitals and child advocacy organizations with evidence management. VidaNyx has digitally transformed prosecution and social service agencies nationwide, saving over $31 million in public and nonprofit expenses, replacing outdated DVDs and manual processes with state-of-the-art software.

Key Points:

OMAHA, Neb., June 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VidaNyx Inc., industry-leading govtech evidence platform used by over 11,000 US agencies, announces technology veteran Ben Jackson as CEO.
VidaNyx has digitally transformed prosecution and social service agencies nationwide, saving over $31 million in public and nonprofit expenses, replacing outdated DVDs and manual processes with state-of-the-art software.
Together, we are creating tech for good by protecting evidence and giving real-time visibility to agencies so they can manage cases with laser precision."
VidaNyx Pro allows agencies to send, receive and manage evidence with digital and AI-powered tools to enhance assessment with military-grade security.

Did 'wokeness' cancel Police Ten 7? New research suggests racial stereotyping was the real culprit

Retrieved on:

Thursday, June 1, 2023

Review, Heart, Police Ten 7, TVNZ, Crime, Stereotype, Culture, Police, Calendar, Homicide, Research, Person, Violent crime, Name, Love, Racism, News, Private investigator, Drug, Pasifika

The show’s former host Graham Bell, who described suspects variously as “creeps, halfwits, low-lifes, mongrels and lunatics”, claimed “wokeness killed Police Ten 7”.

Key Points:

The show’s former host Graham Bell, who described suspects variously as “creeps, halfwits, low-lifes, mongrels and lunatics”, claimed “wokeness killed Police Ten 7”.
In 2021, Auckland Councillor Efeso Collins was threatened after tweeting that the show should be scrapped because it “feeds on racial stereotypes”.
The controversy inspired us to analyse Police Ten 7 more closely and measure its treatment of Māori, Pasifika and European suspects – as well as police officers.

Framing the ‘bad guys’

Among other data, we recorded the range of alleged offences and the airtime spent on each suspect.
We then compared our data with 2020 police data on types of crime and ethnicity (including ethnicity of officers).

Suspect airtime

We also looked at the airtime Police Ten 7 gave different suspects, compared to how often police dealt with them according to the data.
Of the total airtime spent on suspects, 62% was spent on Māori or Pasifika, compared to 53% of total police proceedings in 2020.
In comparison, the portion of airtime spent on European suspects (38%) more closely reflected how often police proceeded against Europeans in 2020 (36%).

Types of crime

Over the 12 episodes sampled, 100% of those suspected of violent crime (homicide, sexual assault, endangering persons, property damage) were Polynesian.
By contrast, police statistics show Māori and Pasifika made up 43% of traffic offence suspects, compared to only 6% on Police Ten 7.
Police data show Europeans made up 34% of suspects for violent crime.

Others and ourselves

Consequently, news and entertainment programmes help shape views of the criminal justice system and those involved in it.
After all, the media shape not only how we see others, but also how we see ourselves.
Any future New Zealand reality TV crime or police show would need to be mindful of these pitfalls and effects.

Task Force Members on 21st Century Policing Call for Action on the Third Anniversary of the Murder of George Floyd

Retrieved on:

Thursday, May 25, 2023

On the third anniversary of the death of George Floyd, a Renewed Call to Action from the President's Task Force.

Key Points:

On the third anniversary of the death of George Floyd, a Renewed Call to Action from the President's Task Force.
The President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, was first convened by President Obama in 2014 and ended in May 2015.
Recommendations in the Renewed Call to Action included:
Establish a holistic role and mission of policing to help define community safety.
The recommendations have a series of action steps that when implemented, could better define community expectations and create accountability with police.

Exploring the Dark Side: Upgraded Points Ranks the Best U.S. Cities for True Crime Tourism in Latest Study

Retrieved on:

Monday, May 22, 2023

AUSTIN, Texas, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest study by Upgraded Points is exploring one of America's favorite new obsessions: true crime tourism.

Key Points:

AUSTIN, Texas, May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest study by Upgraded Points is exploring one of America's favorite new obsessions: true crime tourism.
"While it's certainly not for the faint-hearted, true crime tourism allows travelers to explore the darker side of history," said Alex Miller, Founder of Upgraded Points.
The study featured 50 cities that were compiled using lists about the most dangerous cities in the U.S., the top U.S. cities for true crime tourists, and the most notorious true crime in every state.
Each city received a score from 0 to 10, with a score of 10 signaling the most favorable conditions for true crime travelers.

Next wave of life expectancy gains is on the horizon, says Swiss Re report

Retrieved on:

Monday, May 22, 2023

Paul Murray, Swiss Re's CEO of L&H Reinsurance, explains: "While people continue to dream of life expectancy surpassing 100 years, the gains of the last century are under threat.

Key Points:

Paul Murray, Swiss Re's CEO of L&H Reinsurance, explains: "While people continue to dream of life expectancy surpassing 100 years, the gains of the last century are under threat.
Life expectancy improvements typically come in waves following major medical breakthroughs or large-scale social trends, such as smoking cessation.
In the twentieth century, pharmaceutical innovations which lowered blood pressure and cholesterol triggered a steep improvement in life expectancy.
According to Swiss Re's report, advances in cancer treatments and diagnosis have the highest potential to kickstart life expectancy improvements.

Flock Safety Reveals Expanded Product Suite, Bringing Vehicular, Audio, and Video Evidence Under One Public Safety Platform

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Continuously striving to provide more evidence beyond the license plate, Flock Safety reveals Flock Safety Condor™, a groundbreaking live and recorded video subscription service.

Key Points:

Continuously striving to provide more evidence beyond the license plate, Flock Safety reveals Flock Safety Condor™, a groundbreaking live and recorded video subscription service.
Today, in a webinar keynote by Flock Safety Founder and CEO Garrett Langley, the Flock Safety Platform was revealed as a comprehensive, city-wide solution for eliminating crime.
The Flock Safety Platform brings a turnkey, scalable evidence-gathering solution to cities of any shape and size, increasing case clearance rates and improving officer safety for better overall public safety outcomes.
Like all Flock Safety devices, both Falcon SR and Falcon LR are solar or AC-powered, infrastructure-free, and fully maintained by Flock Safety.

Strengthening Canada's bail system to help keep communities safe

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

There are specific challenges facing our bail system posed by repeat violent offending, firearms, and other dangerous weapons that need to be addressed.

Key Points:

There are specific challenges facing our bail system posed by repeat violent offending, firearms, and other dangerous weapons that need to be addressed.
Bill C-48 proposes to make targeted changes to the Criminal Code's bail regime to ensure our communities stay safe.
It is making significant investments to prevent crime and keep communities safe, and address the causes of crime as well.
Canadians deserve to be safe and feel safe in their communities and to have confidence that the criminal justice system will protect them and work as intended.

BUILDING HOPE AWARDS $175,000 IN IMPACT GRANTS TO 12 INSPIRATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS LEADING THE WAY IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATIONAL INNOVATION, STUDENT EMPOWERMENT, AND CHARTER SCHOOL LEADERSHIP

Retrieved on:

Friday, May 5, 2023

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Leaders from 12 inspirational charter schools and 3 charter volunteer leaders from across the country accepted a total of $175,000 in grant awards last night in recognition of their school's exceptional impact on community engagement, educational innovation, student empowerment, and charter school leadership. Building Hope, a non-profit foundation dedicated to creating high-quality K-12 charter school opportunities for students through its expertise in real estate, finance, and operational services, awarded the grants at the conclusion of its second annual Building Hope IMPACT Summit, which was held at Miami Dade College.

Key Points:

Building Hope awards $175,000 in grants to inspirational charter school leaders.
Congratulations to this cohort of best-in-class charter schools," said President and CEO of Building Hope William D. Hansen.
Earlier, Building Hope awarded Shellie-Ann Braswell Shine Brighter Awards to volunteer leaders Megan Hunt, Mark Hurst, and Cara Nowak.
The 2024 IMPACT Awards application window will open in September 2023, and next year's winners will be announced in early 2024.

Homelessness today sees workers and families with nowhere stable to live. No wonder their health is suffering

Retrieved on:

Thursday, May 4, 2023

During the current housing affordability crisis, we’re seeing people who work and families with children becoming homeless or living in unstable housing.

Key Points:

During the current housing affordability crisis, we’re seeing people who work and families with children becoming homeless or living in unstable housing.
They may be living in a motel room, vehicle, tent or caravan park.
Here are some of the unique physical and mental health challenges of being homeless today.

Housing is too expensive

And having a job no longer guarantees secure housing.
Read more:
'I left with the kids and ended up homeless with them': the nightmare of housing wait lists for people fleeing domestic violence

Impacts on health

We know overcrowding directly contributes to poor physical health, such as infectious diseases and injuries.
Unstable housing may also disrupt access to health care, including to prescription medications, causing people to delay seeking care.
Being homeless increases the likelihood of being the victim of violent crime, which threatens physical and psychological health in the short and long term.
Read more:
How financial stress can affect your mental health and 5 things that can help

Impacts on children

When crammed into undersized spaces or places not meant for people to live, a lack of space for cooking, playing, or schoolwork can have their effects, particularly on children.
For instance, children who live in overcrowded homes are more likely to have poorer mental health and do less-well at school.

Working while homeless has extra challenges

People who work and are homeless may hide their homelessness out of shame, fear of judgement, and worry about losing their job.
The stress of being homeless can affect work performance and the ability to hold down a job.
Read more:
This is what the lives of Big Issue sellers tell us about working and being homeless

It’s a human rights issue

Health and housing are basic human rights.
And stable housing is a critical determinant of health.
But as recent evidence shows, even renting is unaffordable for some, despite working full time.

City of Chicago’s Maurice Classen Joins Zencity as Chief Operating Officer

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Public Policy, Government, Public Safety, Defense, Technology, Other Technology, Government Technology, Classen School of Advanced Studies, COVID-19, City, Growth, MacArthur Foundation, Local government, Chicago Police Department, Violent crime, Drug

Zencity, a technology company providing the leading platform for community trust to over 350 global cities, counties and agencies, announced that Maurice Classen has joined as the company's chief operating officer (COO).

Key Points:

Zencity, a technology company providing the leading platform for community trust to over 350 global cities, counties and agencies, announced that Maurice Classen has joined as the company's chief operating officer (COO).
Prior to joining Zencity, Classen served as chief of staff to the mayor of Chicago and the de facto chief administrative officer of the third-largest city in the United States during a historic period.
"We are beyond thrilled to have Maurice join our team at Zencity," said Eyal Feder-Levy, CEO and co-founder, Zencity.
“Having served two mayors in one of the biggest cities in America, I can speak with experience as to how important solving the challenge of being more responsive, and building trust is to the day-to-day work of local government,” said Maurice Classen, chief operations officer, Zencity.