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Philadelphia
Philly’s strategy for solving violent crime relies on the public’s trust. The police killing of Eddie Irizarry, 27, threatens to strain that trust even more.
Community Violence
Atlanta was expected to invest $5 million in violence intervention programs, but organizers say those commitments have fallen short, even as investment in a controversial police training center has nearly doubled.
The U.S. has 78 million people with criminal records who face more than 40,000 legal restrictions and barriers to finding jobs and housing, according to a new survey.
Chicago
After Brandon Johnson announced key figures to shape the city’s public safety plan, voters want to make sure he follows through on campaign promises.
The Trajectory
Federal law has long barred people who use cannabis from owning guns. The Supreme Court's landmark ruling has the potential to change that.
In response to punitive sentencing laws, the state created a pilot program that offers young people rehabilitation instead of jail. Now, an effort is underway to make it permanent.
Parents say that no one has been arrested for the murders of their children, even after they've passed along tips to the police. Now they're skeptical of a new campaign to locate homicide fugitives.
A recent study found that a Philadelphia program can reduce shootings among participants by about half.
What is the conversation about gun violence in your city missing?
Commentary
Historically, juveniles are responsible for a small portion of shootings and homicides. That remains the case today, even as regressive rhetoric resurfaces in America’s most hallowed institutions.
How We Fix This
The city hopes that providing officers and residents the space and tools to listen to each other can remedy distrust and prevent further violence.
Criminal Justice
Hamid Abd-Al-Jabbar and David Thompson bonded in juvenile detention in the 1980s, then spent most of the next 40 years in prison. When they emerged from one of the country’s most unforgiving state penal systems, their friendship proved crucial.
Philadelphia’s progressive prosecutor is facing a climbing homicide rate, pushback from the police, and skepticism from the community. If he wins, can his platform survive?
U.S. Attorney Channing Phillips is continuing a Trump-era policy that shifts some D.C. gun possession charges to federal court. Opponents say it disproportionately affects Black residents.
While local leaders seek answers to a sharp rise in violent crime, experts worry the Justice Department’s CrimeSolutions clearinghouse may be holding back effective programs.