The Weekly Briefing
Curated News for Public Safety
OUT ON BOND – Investigators said the man accused of shooting and injuring three police officers in Pueblo was out on bond for three felonies. Billy Soto has been identified as the suspect who was shot and killed in a shootout with police. Investigators said Soto fired 80 rounds at officers using a rifle. The officers were shot on Tuesday night after responding to a call of an officer shot. Pueblo Police Chief Chris Noeller shared that he is upset the suspect was out on bond. "Our officers were ambushed and shot by a malicious person who should've been in jail, but wasn't because of our soft-on-crime legislation and bonds," said Noeller. The chief said Soto was a "self-admitted" MS-13 gang member and had 14 felony arrests on his record, most of which Noeller said were pleaded down to misdemeanors.
THE SILENT STRUGGLE – This week has been a devastating one for law enforcement in Harris County, as three members of the Sheriff’s Office have died by suicide. These losses highlight an issue that often goes unspoken -- mental health within the law enforcement community. As many would assume, law enforcement officers experience a high amount of stress, exposure to traumatic incidents, and long hours that eventually take a toll on their mental health. The pressure of public service is heavy, yet many officers may suppress their emotions due to fear of stigma or professional repercussions. Beyond the dangers of the job, personal struggles can add to the stress, making it difficult for officers to reach out for help. When mental health challenges go unaddressed, it can be devastating -- not only for the officers themselves but for their families, colleagues, and communities.
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH – Firearm-related deaths among children and teenagers in the United States have risen sharply in recent years, increasing by 50% since 2019. In 2023, firearms remained the leading cause of death among American youth for the third year in a row, followed by motor vehicle accidents, according to the latest mortality data released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The data shows 2,581 children aged 17 and under died from firearm-related incidents in 2023, including accidents, homicides and suicides, with a national rate of nearly four-gun deaths per 100,000 children. Young people in the United States were killed by firearms at a rate nearly three times higher than by drowning. This means that for every child who died from drowning in 2023, nearly three died from gun violence.
MASS SHOOTING – Two people have been arrested in connection with a mass shooting in Las Cruces, New Mexico, Friday night that left three teenagers dead and 15 others injured, police said early Sunday. Tomas Rivas, 20, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested Saturday and charged with three open counts of murder with additional charges pending, according to a social media post from Las Cruces Police. Rivas will be booked and held without bond at the Dona Ana County Detention Center, and the 17-year-old will be sent to a juvenile detention facility, police said. It’s unclear if they have attorneys. The shooting happened at Young Park just after 10 p.m. Friday, after an altercation between two groups during an “unsanctioned car show,” Las Cruces Police Chief Jeremy Story said at a Saturday news conference.
PEEPING DRONES – Emilia Clarke was sitting on the sofa in her Venice, California, home when she heard an insectile buzzing. She glanced up and there it was: a drone, hovering outside her living room’s tall windows, its camera trained on the Mother of Dragons as she gave an interview. “There’s a drone looking in my house!” a stunned Clarke exclaimed. “That’s really creepy.” Once spotted, the drone shot off. About 20 minutes later, however, the whirring device crept back to gawk some more at her personal space. Clarke was exasperated and more than a little unnerved.
MORE: This happened in 2019 — four years after a California law passed banning drone operators from violating the airspace of private property. Illicit drone use has not only continued despite states passing strict laws but in recent years has proliferated, says Mike Fraietta, an FAA drone pilot and founder of security company Gargoyle Systems. Drone security systems are on the rise as companies and event producers look to secure their airspace. Professional, military-grade drone-detection systems — the kind used for sporting events, for instance — can cost about $200,000.
ANTI-THEFT MEASURES – Vehicle thefts in the United States recorded their biggest yearly drop in four decades as automakers, mainly Hyundai and Kia, bolstered anti-theft measures, while easing supply chain constraints made stealing vehicles for parts less lucrative. Hyundai and Kia cars topped the list of the most stolen vehicles in 2021 and 2023 as their lack of immobilizers made them easy targets for stealing, fueling viral social media trends such as the "Kia Boys.” Although cars made by Hyundai and Kia were among the top five models that were stolen last year, their thefts fell by about 37.5%, data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau showed.
ORGANIZED PORCH PIRATES – On a cold afternoon in December, a man wheeled a black luggage into a phone-repair shop in Brooklyn and handed the bag to the employee behind the counter. About 40 minutes later, another man entered carrying a large plastic bag and left without it. Later that day, a third man entered the small store carrying two large bags and handed them to the same employee. The destination was Wyckoff Wireless, a nondescript store tucked along a street of bodegas, bakeries and other small businesses whose fronts are decorated with graffiti. It looked like many other mom-and-pop shops around New York City—except federal agents were surveilling the scene, as they later recounted in a criminal complaint.
MORE: They suspected the wireless shop was a fence, or middleman, that authorities say was being used to move thousands of stolen iPhones. Last month, federal authorities arrested 13 people in connection with what they say was an international crime ring that targeted FedEx deliveries nationwide. Porch thefts aren’t new, but they have become increasingly sophisticated. There was a spree last year—captured on doorbell cameras—where thieves stole iPhones just moments after they were dropped on front steps. They knew when the packages were coming and what was inside. The Wyckoff Wireless case reveals how authorities say they did it: by harnessing technology and old-fashioned bribery.
RESTRUCTURING THE BUREAU – Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, is pushing ahead with a plan to decentralize the agency’s command structure and divide the bureau into three regions, according to an internal email obtained by The New York Times. The move will mean that in effect, the top agents in 52 field offices around the country will no longer answer to the deputy director, a significant departure from the way the bureau has done business. Instead, those field offices will report to three branch directors at headquarters who will be in charge of the East, West and Central regions. The remaining three F.B.I. offices and the largest in the country — New York, Washington and Los Angeles — will answer to the deputy director.
CHANGES COMING TO SECRET SERVICE – Sean Curran faces a tough task as the new director of the Secret Service: reforming the troubled protective agency months after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump at a campaign rally, its worst security debacle in decades. Congressional lawmakers and outside experts want Curran to shake up the agency’s leadership, overhaul security planning at big events, and even rethink the structure of the 8,000-person agency. Its problems include a chronically overworked staff and a multibillion-dollar budget that service officials say has not kept pace with rising threats against U.S. leaders.
TECHNOLOGY BOOSTING RECRUITMENT – As law enforcement agencies across the D.C. region grapple with staffing challenges, there may be help on the way in Fairfax County, Virginia. Applicants to the Fairfax County Police Department increased 10% in 2024, according to police data, and the agency suspects its emphasis on emerging technology could be behind the boost. “We’re early adopting a lot of innovative technology, which I think contributes to the draw of why people choose Fairfax County,” said Deputy Chief Wilson Lee. The Criminal Justice Academy in Chantilly, Virginia, was the first in the state to use artificial intelligence, Lee said. The academy partners with a company that develops AI technology, and recruits are given assignments that include crafting interview questions and building a rapport with someone. The technology grades the work, Lee said, and after the assignment, recruits get a score assessing their overall performance.
IACP IMMIGRATION ADDENDUM – As new policies and practices unfold, the IACP remains committed to sharing timely updates and actionable information with our members. We are proud to release an Addendum to our recently published IACP Immigration Policy Fact Sheet. This fact sheet addendum adds essential context for police officers on identifying National Crime Information Center (NCIC) alerts generated by Immigration Violator File (IVF). The fact sheet addendum provides essential context for law enforcement agencies who may be notified of immigration violations, including an overview of differences in warrant types and the parameters of their authority to act in response. This resource is designed to support police leaders in developing policy guidance for their agency and officers.
HEATHROW INVESTIGATION – Britain’s counterterrorism police are leading the investigation into the cause of the fire near Heathrow Airport, signaling that the possibility of sabotage was being taken seriously, at least as a precaution. But officials said there was no immediate evidence that foul play was involved. After the blaze at the electrical substation and subsequent power outage, the scale of the resulting chaos raised uncomfortable questions for Britain’s government about the security measures protecting key transport hubs and the resilience of the country’s aging infrastructure. The Metropolitan Police in London said that counterterrorism specialists had taken charge “given the location of the substation and the impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure.”
TRANSFORMATIONAL SHIFT – Information from the City of Oklahoma City shows mental health-related calls dispatched to Oklahoma City police officers have dropped over 57% in the past 13 months. The reduction signals a transformational shift in the way people experiencing mental health crises in Oklahoma City are being connected with specialized support and away from emergency law enforcement intervention. Mental health-related calls dispatched to Oklahoma City police officers dropped by over 57% from October 2023 to October 2024 — from 1,292 calls in October 2023 to 549 calls in October 2024. “It is encouraging to see such a significant reduction in OKCPD officers being dispatched to mental health-related calls,” Oklahoma City Police Chief Ron Bacy said. “It’s only possible with collaboration among 911 call takers and dispatchers, OKCPD officers and community partners who are trained to help people in crisis connect to the resource they need in that moment.”
OFFICER DOWN – San Bernadino County (CA) Deputy Sheriff Hector Cuevas was killed when his patrol car struck a pole. Deputy Cuevas was in pursuit of a stolen vehicle that had been reported to the department just minutes earlier. During the high-speed chase, Deputy Sheriff Cuevas' vehicle collided with another car and then a nearby power pole.