What About…Defunding the Police?
There is an underlying belief that the active presence of a police force of the kind we are familiar with prevents the explosion of crime. But history and modern criminology suggest otherwise.
George Floyd
The Democrats Should Not Be Presenting Houston's Police Chief As an Avatar of Reform
Trying to distract attention from the deadly corruption in his own department, Art Acevedo demands "action at the national level."
Does This Video Show a Cop Aiding and Abetting George Floyd's Murder?
Tau Thao repeatedly dismissed bystanders' concerns as his colleagues used a fatal prone restraint.
A Quiet Night in Portland
The J.V. squad was out looking for trouble and the battle over who counts as press continues.
Secret Service Asked CBP for Helicopters and Spy Planes in Response to White House Protesters
The Secret Service wanted the helicopter to deploy a "fast ropes" commando team if necessary.
Minneapolis Tells Residents With Riot-Wrecked Buildings They Can't Clean Up Until They've Paid Their 2020 Property Taxes in Full
After failing at the one thing people think they need from government, Minneapolis is getting tough on making damaged citizens pay up.
Most Americans Don't Trust Cops Much, a New Gallup Poll Reveals
The results reflect the impact of increasing publicity about police abuses.
Colorado Cop Says He Didn't Mean 'KILL THEM ALL' Literally
Colorado Springs Police Sergeant Keith Wrede insists he was just "going crazy" to Metallica and doesn't want protesters to die.
Diversity Training Isn't Just Expensive, It's Counterproductive
"Well-intentioned efforts to celebrate diversity may in fact reinforce racial stereotyping," say two Carleton College faculty.
81 Percent of Black Americans Want the Same Level, or More, of Police Presence: Gallup
Growing calls to defund or abolish cops in the wake of police-brutality protests are at odds with what most African Americans actually want.
Leaked Footage Shows Aggressive Cops Terrifying George Floyd in His Last Minutes Before Death
The fatal encounter demonstrates why police reformers want more departments to train officers in de-escalation.
Everybody Is Jumping to Conclusions About This Couple's Show of Force in Response to Trespassing Protesters
Mark and Patricia McCloskey's justification for brandishing their guns depends on facts, not ideology.
Coronavirus, Protests, and Policing Expose Government Failure at Every Level
The summer of 2020 got a lot crappier over the weekend, according to the Reason Roundtable podcast.
Dispatch From Portland: The Morning Crew
A tarot card-reading liberal arts major, a Sudanese immigrant, and a former restaurant worker explain why they are out protesting in Rose City.
Judge Orders Federal Officers in Portland To Stop Harassing and Assaulting Journalists and Legal Observers
U.S. District Judge Michael Simon reminds the feds that they are bound by the First Amendment.
Dispatch From Portland: The Fire Next Time
The protests continue, as does the tear gassing.
What It's Like To Work in the Portland Jail During the George Floyd Protests
The federal police presence in Portland has enraged demonstrators. It's also taken pressure off the local justice center.
Trump Deploys Lawlessness Against Lawlessness
The president’s heavy-handed response to protests against police brutality belies his promise of "law and order."
Dispatch From Portland: A Distinct Lack of Crowbars and Cops
Up close with the #WallofMoms on night 53 of the protests
Sending Secret Police To Do Protester Snatch-n-Grabs Is Bad, Mmmkay?
The Reason Roundtable talks Portland, policing, federalism, coronavirus, and the perennially dumb discourse.
ACLU Sues Federal Agents Deployed in Portland
The ACLU of Oregon says it's the first of many lawsuits regarding the Trump administration's deployment of federal law enforcement to Portland.
Kmele Foster: Black Lives Matter 'Is Hostile Towards Free Markets and Capitalism'
The Fifth Column podcaster on racial identity, cancel culture, libertarianism, and Trump vs. Biden
Only 4 NYPD Cops Have Been Disciplined So Far for Violence Against Protesters
Dozens of dozens of incidents were caught on video.
Footage of Partial Blindings During Anti-Police Brutality Protests Contradicts Cops' Reports
One department said a protester was hit in the eye with tear gas after the canister bounced. Video shows something entirely different.
Bari Weiss Resigns From The New York Times, Alleging That 'Self-Censorship Has Become the Norm'
With the twin resignations of Weiss and New York columnist Andrew Sullivan, elite journalism's eight-week nervous breakdown shows no signs of abating.
Sluggishness of Police Reform Feeds Frustration
George Floyd's death triggered a long overdue cultural reckoning with race-related issues and inequities. It will be too bad, though, if the policing issues that set off the protests are forgotten.
This Week in Policing Reform: Hawaii Lifts Police Secrecy, Civilian Oversight Boards Make Ballots in Miami and Philadelphia
And Sen. Tim Scott (R–S.C.) says policing reform in Congress might not be dead after all.
Dallas Cops Who Joked About Pinning a Man to the Ground Until He Stopped Breathing Get Qualified Immunity
The decision vividly illustrates how the doctrine shields police from accountability for using excessive force.
Qualified Immunity Is a Test for Conservatives
The judicially invented license for police abuse undermines the rule of law and the separation of powers.
Chicago Youth Nonprofit Sues City After Police Raid Over Free Food for Protesters
Chicago used its food licensing laws to harass a nonprofit providing free food to protesters.
Despite Its Government's Antics, America Has Made Moral Progress in a Difficult Time
That's not the case in countries with authoritarian rulers who want to believe that America is just like them.
In 2020, Words Are 'Violence,' Arson Is Not
The redefinition of the term diminishes actual victims of violence and trivializes why people are protesting.
Would Derek Chauvin Receive Qualified Immunity for Killing George Floyd?
The answer speaks volumes about the extent to which that doctrine protects police officers from liability for outrageous conduct.
Wesley Yang: Woke Protests Against 'White Supremacism' May Be the New Normal
The Souls of Yellow Folk author says a new "elite consensus" fixated on racial outrage is forming and may destroy our ability to function.
House of Representatives Votes to Give D.C. Statehood
The House voted to recognize the District of Columbia as a state, but many obstacles still lie ahead.
Tucker Carlson Might Want To End Qualified Immunity If He Actually Knew What It Was
The Fox News host says reforming qualified immunity would "end law enforcement." That's not even close to being true.
This Week in Policing Reform: Utah Outlaws Kneeling on Suspects' Necks, Memphis P.D. Ends No-Knock Raids
There's a lot going on. Here's a rundown of significant police reform news from around the country.
House Passes Policing Reform Package, Including Provision That Would End Qualified Immunity
Republicans have said ending qualified immunity is off the table, and for the moment policing reform looks dead in Congress.
Major Cities Wrestle With Proposals to End School Policing
San Francisco and Oakland have moved toward getting police out of its schools, while Chicago and L.A. rejected similar proposals this week.
This Republican Senator Calls Three Black Men Peacefully Carrying Long Guns 'Mob Rule'
A Second Amendment hypocrite with a plan to undermine federalism
Prison Guards Who Locked Naked Inmate in Cell Filled With 'Massive Amounts' of Feces Got Qualified Immunity
The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged that the plaintiff's Eighth Amendment rights were violated.
Journalists Abandoning 'Objectivity' for 'Moral Clarity' Really Just Want To Call People Immoral
Trading unattainable exactitude for unimpeachable morality will lead to a scoldier and less accurate journalism.
Glenn Loury on Police Abuse, Systematic Racism, and Hysteria
The Brown University economist says prejudice and systemic racism are not the primary problems facing African Americans.
Glenn Loury: 'We're Being Swept Along by Hysteria' About Racism in America
The Brown University economist and outspoken critic of Black Lives Matter discusses George Floyd, social progress, and the state of political discourse.
A Senate Republican Has Officially Come Out Against Qualified Immunity
The legal doctrine frequently allows police officers to violate your rights without fear of civil liability.
