The Weekly Briefing 🇺🇸
Running Toward Danger
Authorities released 47 seconds of body camera footage showing the moment a Grand Blanc Township police officer and a Department of Natural Resources conservation officer fatally shot 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 28. The video captures the confrontation that ended a mass shooting and fire that left four people dead and several others injured.
Terror Shatters Yom Kippur
Worshipers in Manchester were forced to barricade themselves inside a synagogue during Yom Kippur prayers after a Syrian-born British citizen rammed his car into congregants and began stabbing victims outside, The New York Times reported. Police shot and killed the attacker within seven minutes, but not before two worshipers were killed and several others wounded — including one accidentally struck by police gunfire. The terrifying assault has shaken one of Britain’s largest Jewish communities, where residents say antisemitism has surged since the Gaza war, fueling a growing sense of fear and vulnerability even in long-peaceful neighborhoods. 🕍 More here
Chiefs Warn of Surge in Threats
Police chiefs are warning of a dangerous escalation in politically fueled threats and violence, saying the rise in incendiary rhetoric is putting officers, judges, and public officials at unprecedented risk. The International Association of Chiefs of Police passed a resolution condemning the “incitement of violence” and urging prosecution of those—including elected leaders—who stoke division. Former St. Paul Police Chief Todd Axtell told NBC News he’s “never observed” such hostility in his career, while former Boston Commissioner Ed Davis called the threat level “unprecedented,” saying law enforcement now faces both heightened political danger and routine crime without adequate resources. 📈 More here
Apple Removes ICE-Tracking App
Woman Rams Border Patrol
U.S. Border Patrol agents shot an armed woman Saturday on Chicago’s South Side after she and others rammed their vehicles and boxed them in with at least 10 cars, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Agents exited their trapped SUV when the suspect attempted to run them over, prompting them to fire “defensively,” DHS said. The woman, a U.S. citizen already known to authorities for doxing agents online, was armed with a semi-automatic weapon and later drove herself to a hospital for treatment. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said reinforcements were deployed to “control the scene,” and DHS officials confirmed that no officers were seriously injured. 🔗 More here
Confessing to ChatGPT
A 19-year-old Missouri State University student was arrested after allegedly confessing acts of vandalism to ChatGPT, according to court documents reviewed by Yahoo Finance. Investigators say Ryan Schaefer admitted in chats with the AI that he had been “smashing the windshields of random cars,” later asking, “(w)ill I go to jail.” Police found the messages after Schaefer consented to a phone search, linking him to damage on 17 vehicles. The case comes amid renewed attention to AI privacy after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said user conversations with ChatGPT are not legally protected, noting, “We could be required to produce that … and I think that’s very screwed up.” 💻 More here
Handling Non-Emergency Calls
Fort Worth police are expanding their Civilian Response Unit, a team of non-sworn employees who handle lower-priority calls so officers can focus on violent crime. The department is hiring nine new members, bringing the total to 20. Civilian responders investigate thefts, burglaries, and vandalism where suspects have fled, taking reports, lifting fingerprints, and interviewing victims. “This allows officers to be available for serious offenses,” said CRU supervisor Jean Rowell in an interview with NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. The program, launched in 2021, has sped up stolen vehicle recoveries and could soon expand to 30 members. Applicants don’t need law enforcement experience and earn $20 an hour with benefits. 👮🏼 More here
New Briefing Room Podcast
Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw shares how the Tampa Police Department drove down violent crime and built stronger community trust.
🔹 “Focus on Four” strategy
🔹 Smart use of AI, drones & data
🔹 Managing major events
🔹 Prioritizing officer wellness & resilience
Federal Oversight To End
A federal judge said she is prepared to release the Newark (NJ) Police Department from a 2016 consent decree that followed findings of excessive force and unconstitutional stops. Judge Madeline Cox Arleo cited “vast improvements in policing” and noted that public comments will be accepted for two weeks before a final order. Newark’s 1,100-member department is now 83% Black or Latino, with officers receiving advanced de-escalation and use-of-force training at a new academy. Homicides have fallen from 106 in 2015 to 37 last year. “There are a lot of people who believe consent decrees can’t work or don’t work,” said former Newark Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara. “Newark showed that it can.” Mayor Ras Baraka said, “The police department is better for it, and I think the city is better for it.” ⚖️ More here
Manipulating Crime Data
Federal investigators are examining whether D.C. police supervisors intentionally downgraded serious crimes to make the city appear safer, according to The Washington Post. About three dozen officers have voluntarily shared information with the Justice Department, echoing complaints that violent offenses were often reclassified as minor incidents. The D.C. Police Union says it has compiled more than 150 examples of potential misclassifications since 2024. Union Chairman Greggory Pemberton accused department leaders of “playing fast and loose” with crime data, while Mayor Muriel Bowser and Chief Pamela Smith maintain crime has dropped sharply in recent years. The probe, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and the House Oversight Committee, comes after President Trump declared a “crime emergency” in the capital and questioned the accuracy of local crime figures. 📊 More here
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