The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸
Fallen Heroes
Editor’s Note: Like the tragic story above about the murder of Sergeant Lee Sorensen and Officer Eric Estrada in Utah, The Weekly Briefing has been tracking the rise in ambush attacks on officers throughout the year. This latest report adds to that ongoing coverage.
Ambush Attacks Rising Sharply
Ambush-style shootings of police officers are climbing nationwide, with 56 officers shot in 45 such attacks through July 31, 2025 — already accounting for more than 28% of officers shot this year (CBS News). The Fraternal Order of Police reports a 60% increase in shootings targeting police since 2018, and ambushes are now a steadily growing share of those incidents. Recent cases include the killing of two officers in Tremonton, Utah, and the 2023 Fargo ambush that left one officer dead and two others wounded. FBI researchers are conducting the first national study of ambush offenders, while the FOP is urging Congress to pass the “Protect and Serve Act,” which would create federal penalties for knowingly assaulting law enforcement officers. 📈 More here
📺 or 🎧 to Texas DPS Chief Bryan Rippee on how we can “protect those who protect us” on this episode of The Briefing Room, here.
Police Expand Foot Patrols
The Syracuse Police Department is using the “Koper Curve” strategy to target crime hotspots while strengthening ties with residents, CNY Central reports. Officers are required to leave their vehicles and patrol designated areas on foot for 10 to 20 minutes each shift, particularly in neighborhoods facing gun violence, burglaries, and car thefts. Chief Joe Cecile said the effort aims to reduce crime and increase community trust by having residents regularly see the same officers. Officers now conduct more than 100 foot patrols weekly and have embraced the approach, with Cecile noting it will continue year-round despite harsh winters. 🚶🏻♂️More here
Read the seminal Newark Foot Patrol Experiment (1981), conducted by the Police Foundation and led by George Kelling, Tony Pate, and colleagues. The study found that foot patrols lowered fear of crime and improved community satisfaction, laying the historic foundation for community policing and evidence-based policing — and inspiring the Broken Windows theory. 📚 More here
New Fort Worth Chief Named
Former Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia has been selected as the next chief of the Fort Worth Police Department, where he will oversee nearly 1,900 officers. Garcia, who retired last year to serve briefly in Austin city management, was introduced Friday by city officials, who praised his record of reducing violent crime, building community trust, and supporting officers. He previously led Dallas PD from 2021–2024 as its first Latino chief and earlier served as chief in San Jose, California. Garcia succeeds Neil Noakes, who retired in May after 25 years with the department, WFAA reports. 👮🏼♂️ More here
DOJ Investigates DC Crime Stats
Rogue Drones Threaten Public Safety
Unauthorized drones are increasingly disrupting firefighting, border security, and mass events, raising concerns that local police lack authority to intervene (The Hill, Op-Ed by Don Barnes, Sheriff of Orange County, CA, and Brian Fennessy, Orange County Fire Authority Chief). The authors cite incidents where drones grounded firefighting aircraft, including a collision with a Super Scooper during the Palisades Fire that left the plane sidelined for five days. More than 700 unauthorized drone incursions were recorded on that fire alone, and near-collisions have since occurred in San Diego County. Beyond wildfires, drones have been used to smuggle contraband, disrupt large gatherings, and by cartels at the southern border, where DHS logged over 27,000 incursions in six months of 2024. While federal law allows a few agencies to disable rogue drones, local law enforcement remains barred from using counter-drone tools. ☠️ More here
Read Major County Sheriffs of America, Major Cities Chiefs Association, and other national public safety associations cUAS joint letter to Congress —> here
Men Killed Claiming to Be Police
Houston police say a homeowner shot and killed two men wearing ski masks and bulletproof vests who claimed to be officers serving a warrant late Friday night. According to HPD, the suspects fired through the door of the southeast Houston home before the resident returned fire, killing both men. Investigators said the men had badges around their necks but no police cars or lights were present. The homeowner was unharmed. HPD officials emphasized that legitimate officers identify themselves clearly with marked vehicles, lights, and announcements. The case remains under investigation, KHOU 11 reports. 🔗 More here
Capitol Chief Confronts Challenges
Michael Sullivan, sworn in June 30 as the new chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, takes charge at a time of elevated threats and federal involvement in D.C. policing, CQ Roll Call reports. The department continues to face staffing shortages and low morale while tracking nearly 9,500 threats against lawmakers in 2024. Sullivan, a veteran of Louisville, Baltimore, and Phoenix, said he will focus on recruiting more officers, strengthening mutual aid agreements, and improving day-to-day leadership to retain personnel. He also highlighted the need to expand dignitary protection and threat investigations to keep pace with rising risks. 🏛️ More here
Support for Pursuing Serious Felonies
A nationally representative study in Criminology & Public Policy (Mourtgos, Adams, McLean & Alpert) found that Americans want police pursuits to continue when the underlying crime is serious, especially violent felonies—even if the chase involves high speeds or dangerous conditions. At the same time, public support for ending pursuits rose when the offense was minor and risks to bystanders were high, such as heavy traffic or icy roads. The findings show broad alignment with modern pursuit policies but underscore that the public still expects police to chase violent offenders. 🚓 More here
Democratic States Challenge Trump
Twenty Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia have sued the Trump administration after it warned that more than $1 billion in federal crime victim grants could be withheld from jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The lawsuit argues that the Justice Department’s conditions violate congressional authority, since the grants were created under the 1984 Victims of Crime Act. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, a lead plaintiff, accused the administration of “playing politics” with victim services. The Trump administration, however, has maintained that federal dollars should not support states and cities that block cooperation with immigration authorities, The Washington Post reports. 🔗 More here
IACP Issues Resolutions on ICE
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) passed two resolutions addressing federal immigration enforcement. One warns that ICE agents wearing face coverings can create confusion, fear, mistrust, and even risks of mistaken identity in policing operations. The other raises concern over inflammatory rhetoric from public figures, saying it contributes to hostility toward law enforcement. ICE has argued face coverings are needed to prevent doxing and assaults. IACP leaders say transparency and identification are critical for public trust and officer safety. 🔗 More here
FBI Lowering Recruiting Standards
The FBI is preparing to ease its hiring requirements, shortening academy training from 18 weeks to 8 and dropping the college degree requirement, according to The New York Times. The plan, backed by Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino, comes as the bureau expects to lose more than 5,000 employees through retirements and buyouts. Supporters say the change could broaden the FBI’s recruiting pool by drawing more from the ranks of experienced federal investigators, while critics — including former senior officials — warn it risks diluting the bureau’s elite reputation and weakening its national security focus, according to the The New York Times. 🕵🏻♂️ More here
Cartels Expand Across Latin America
Cartel violence and drug trafficking have surged across Latin America, with the Amazon becoming a superhighway for cocaine bound for Europe, according to the The Financial Times. Criminal groups are moving tons of drugs each week using drones, narco-subs, and smuggling networks, fueling record profits as global production hit nearly 3,800 tons in 2023. Once concentrated in Colombia and Mexico, cartel influence now stretches across the region, with Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho rivaling Mexico’s Sinaloa and CJNG cartels. U.S. officials warn that these groups now rival national economies, diversifying into gold, weapons, and human smuggling. In response, the Trump administration has labeled several cartels foreign terrorist organizations and authorized expanded military operations, including drone surveillance and naval deployments. 💵 More here
Dallas Police Dog Fully Recovered
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