The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸

Ambush Attacks on Officers Surge
In Lorain, Ohio, Marine veteran Officer Phillip Wagner was fatally ambushed—alongside fellow officers Phillip Wagner and Peter Gale—while parked on a dead-end street retrieving lunch; a third officer, Brent Payne, was critically wounded before the shooter was killed in return fire. This attack is the latest in a rising wave: CBS News Crime Unit data show at least 50 officers shot in ambush-style incidents so far in 2025—on track to surpass 2024’s total of 80 and following a 2023 peak of 138 ambushes. Overall officer shootings climbed 40% from 2018, with 342 line-of-duty gunshot victims last year. FBI trainers emphasize that, in the face of these concealed threats, officers “always have to have that situational awareness.” 📈 Read more

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Crime Trends in U.S. Cities
A mid‑year report from the Council on Criminal Justice examines 13 offense categories across 42 major cities through June 2025 and finds declines in 11 of them compared to the same period in 2024. Homicides fell 17% (327 fewer killings), aggravated assaults dropped 10%, gun assaults 21%, robberies 20%, and carjackings 24%, while only domestic violence rose 3% and drug offenses held steady. Property crimes also trended downward: motor‑vehicle thefts were 25% lower, residential burglaries down 19%, non‑residential burglaries 18%, larcenies and shoplifting each 12% below last year. Compared to pre‑pandemic mid‑2019 levels, homicides are 14% lower, sexual assaults 28% lower, and most other violent offenses remain below 2019, though motor‑vehicle thefts still sit 25% above those earlier levels. The authors caution that these 42 cities aren’t fully representative, reporting can lag or vary by jurisdiction, and many crimes go unreported—underscoring the need for better data and rigorous research to guide policy. 📊 Read more

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Focused Deterrence Drives Murder Drop
After a 12 percent nationwide drop in homicides in 2023—on track for a further 20 percent decline in 2025—Baltimore has seen its fewest murders in 50 years thanks to a “kitchen‑sink” influx of federal dollars and a new focused‑deterrence strategy. American Rescue Plan Act grants funded street lights, rec‑center renovations, and millions in violence‑reduction grants to nonprofits like Roca Baltimore, which pairs high‑risk young men with job training, mental‑health support, housing help, and intensive outreach. Mayor Brandon Scott’s team reports preliminary evidence that concentrating resources on the small cohort most likely to shoot or be shot is moving the needle—but recent DOJ grant cancellations threaten to undercut these gains just as cities brace for the next uptick. 🤔 Read more

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Providence Sees No Murders
Providence has recorded just one homicide in the first six months of 2025—and grand‐jury testimony suggests it was ruled justifiable, meaning the city has seen no murders so far this year. More encouragingly, violent crimes overall continue a five‑year downward trend: rapes and robberies fell from 1,062 incidents in 2019 to 715 in 2024, and just 291 violent crimes were logged through June 2025 versus 345 in the same period last year. Aggravated assaults with firearms are also down, from 100 in all of 2023 to 69 in 2024, with 31 so far in 2025 (versus 35 at mid‑year 2024), and property crimes—including burglaries and vehicle thefts—are 18 percent lower than last year’s figures. 📉 Read more

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Real‑Time Firearm Violence Dashboard
This month, Maryland rolled out a public, near‑real‑time Firearm Violence Data Dashboard designed to give officials, researchers, and community groups up‑to‑date shooting data down to the ZIP‑code level. Unlike prior systems relying on federal feeds lagging by up to two years, the state’s tool pulls directly from its own Vital Statistics (fatalities), hospital emergency‑room reports (injuries), and Violent Death Reporting System (circumstances), ensuring both speed and reliability. Developed by the new Center for Firearm Violence Prevention and Intervention, the dashboard aims to guide targeted investment in violence interrupters, inform policy (such as recent bans on auto‑sears and expanded gun‑free zones), and track emerging trends—most notably Baltimore’s nearly 24% homicide decline this year—while helping Maryland prepare for shifting challenges, including a rising share of firearm suicides. 👨🏻‍💻 Read more

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The Briefing Room 📺 Episode 01

The Briefing Room 📺 Episode 02 (Coming This Week): Sheriff John Allen, Bernalillo County, New Mexico

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Applied Criminology and Police Leadership
Last year’s success of Philadelphia Police Captain Joseph Green’s community‑walking program—14,000 logged positive interactions correlating with a 20% drop in homicides and 30% fewer shooting victims in Southwest Philly—prompted Commissioner Kevin Bethel to partner with Penn and the Neubauer Family Foundation to launch a year‑long Master of Applied Criminology and Police Leadership. Beginning in fall 2026, 15 officers (rising to 45 over three years) will combine weekly online coursework and monthly in‑person seminars on evidence‑based policing, management, and innovation, culminating in capstone projects designed to tackle district‑ and department‑wide challenges. Funded by a $2.55 million gift, the program aims to scale data‑driven solutions like Green’s PLA capstone across Philadelphia and, later, to other East Coast forces. 🎓 Read more

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Targeting Repeat Offenders
Beginning in 2021, Colorado led the nation in per‑capita bank robberies, driven in part by pandemic‑era masking norms, opioid‑related desperation, and even the adrenaline rush of quick hits. In response, the F.B.I.’s Denver office shifted from individual casework to targeting repeat offenders—assigning memorable monikers (the “Penguin Bandit,” “Powder Puff Bandit,” “Double Dipper Bandit,” etc.) to circulate surveillance images and solicit public tips. That strategy paid off: tips identified suspects like parolee Samuel Ruthstrom (the Penguin Bandit) by his distinctive waddle, and federal prosecutions—with stiffer penalties than state courts—helped drive the robbery rate down by mid‑2024. Meanwhile, banks installed controlled entry systems and hired guards, and collaborative law‑enforcement efforts have slashed this year’s robberies to a fraction of their 2021 peak. 🏦 Read more

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Chief Theetge: I am in Complete Disgust

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Counter Drone Authorities Urged
Since 2021, more than 3,000 drone events have been reported near U.S. airports—11 this year alone forced aircraft to take evasive action—and two collisions with firefighting planes in California and Texas have underscored the threat, Homeland Security’s counter‑drone chief told the Senate Judiciary Committee. Officials also highlighted intentional drone misuse at major sporting events and predicted risks for the 2026 World Cup, yet counter‑drone protection has been deployed at only 0.05 percent of the roughly 90,000 special events the FBI could have protected. Lawmakers and federal agencies urged Congress to toughen penalties, broaden Justice and DHS authority to disable or destroy rogue drones, extend protections to critical infrastructure and airports, and empower state and local law enforcement to act without federal approval. ✈️ Read more

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A Flying Indoor Security Drone
Ring’s long‑promised drone, the Always Home Cam, is finally slated for a limited rollout, maybe. Designed by CEO Jamie Siminoff, this pint‑sized quadcopter patrols a single floor of your home on preset flight paths, uses onboard obstacle‑avoidance to dodge walls and décor, and returns to its charging cradle after a five‑minute bat­tery cycle. Viewing is via the Ring app—no live manual piloting or cross‑floor jumps are allowed—and there’s no audio capture, only video. Priced at $249.99 and powered by automotive‑grade components, the Always Home Cam aims to replace multiple static cameras. Privacy advocates remain uneasy about an Amazon‑owned device buzzing through private spaces, but Ring pitches it as a way to “be in two places at once” and check on open windows or stoves from anywhere. 🔗 Read more

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Robotic Deer Decoys Nab Poachers
Wildlife‐enforcement units are deploying Brian Wolslegel’s remote‑controlled, heat‑emitting deer decoys to outsmart tech‑savvy poachers using thermal scopes. Built from genuine taxidermy hides, heating coils, and RC‑car mechanics, the new “thermal deer” mimics live body heat and movement—ears twitching, legs shifting—to lure illegal hunters into federal stings. In field trials across several states, officers have set these decoys roadside and, once a shot is fired, converged on the scene to make arrests. At roughly $6,000 apiece and durable against dozens of rounds, these robotic “Bambi bots” have helped agencies secure 10–30 poaching convictions annually, keeping law enforcement one step ahead of increasingly sophisticated criminals. 𐂂 Read more

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Border Alliance Deters Crossings
New Hampshire’s $1.4 million Northern Border Alliance has bolstered law enforcement visibility within 25 miles of the Canadian border by funding overtime, equipment, and training for state, county, and eight local agencies. From January through June, the program—championed by Gov. Kelly Ayotte and funded at $600,000 biennially—logged 3,200 patrol hours, secured seven assists to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, and yielded ten arrests on charges ranging from drug possession to domestic violence. Participating departments received new snowmobiles, a UTV, patrol trucks, and winter gear to cover the region’s 58 miles of forested boundary more effectively. Officials credit the heightened, coordinated presence—despite only one official checkpoint—for deterring crossings into New Hampshire, while critics contend the low apprehension rates undercut the program’s necessity. 🇺🇸🇨🇦 Read more

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Childcare Stipends Offsets Soaring Costs
The Atlanta Police Department, partnering with the Atlanta Police Foundation, has broadened its childcare assistance program—now offering officers with children under five up to $400 monthly, regardless of city residency—to help offset soaring childcare costs (center-based infant care in Fulton County averaged $11,203 in 2023). Previously limited, the program now covers officers inside and beyond metro Atlanta. Sgt. Ashlee Burgess, who once paid $1,700 monthly, now tops out at $1,400 after receiving a $300 stipend, while Sgt. Tasheena Brown praises the expansion for securing afterschool care continuity. Both cite the benefit as crucial for easing financial strain, boosting morale, and making APD more competitive in recruiting and retaining officers. 👶🏼 Read more

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Family Hopes Loss Spurs Awareness
The Bradenton Police Department is grieving the loss of Officer Zachary Butterfield—a Coast Guard veteran, devoted husband and father of two—who died by suicide on Thursday; his family, alongside Chief Josh Cramer, hopes that by sharing Butterfield’s courage in reaching out to peer counselors and attending a first‑responder retreat, other officers will feel empowered to speak up. Recognizing that suicide now surpasses line‑of‑duty deaths among, the department and the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association have launched a mental‑health peer support course at St. Petersburg College, training officers to watch for signs of distress, lean on one another, and remember that seeking help honors both their own well‑being and the loved ones who depend on them. 💙🖤 Read more

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