Ambush Shootings of Police Officers Reach Highest Total in Decades
Doubling up on patrols and donning body armor, cops are taking precautions that could complicate crime prevention and community relations.
Law Enforcement
He Terrorized His Lebanese Neighbors for Years Before Shooting One of Them to Death. Why Was He Able to Keep His Gun?
A protective order did not save Khalid Jabara.
I Was a Crisis Negotiator for 23 Years. Here’s What It’s Like to Talk Down an Armed Hostage Taker.
Gary Noesner, the former chief of the FBI’s Crisis Negotiation Unit, on the virtues of self-control and active listening.
The ATF Inspected Fewer Gun Dealers Last Year Than at Any Time in the Past Decade
More than 130,000 sellers weren’t visited at all.
The Wonk’s Guide to What Works, and What Doesn’t, When Policing Violent Crime
A review of evidence-based strategies for addressing America’s violent crime epidemic can help cities move past knee-jerk responses — and focus on proven solutions.
An Illegal Gun on the Streets Is No Slam Dunk in Court
To reverse a sharp decline in firearm convictions, New York City is pursuing another experiment with specialized gun courts. But making illegal weapons charges stick can be vexingly hard to do.
A 27-Year Police Veteran on Why Domestic Violence Calls Pose the Greatest Danger for Cops
A new study on law enforcement deaths found that domestic disputes are more likely than other scenarios to lead to an officer getting shot. One Massachusetts officer isn’t surprised.
I Ran a Big City Police Department. The Way We Train Cops to Use Lethal Force is Broken.
"When it comes time to pull a gun or a trigger, the standards need to be the same from coast to coast."
How the Flood of Guns into Public Spaces May Complicate Police Reform
The Dallas police department is among those embracing a new strategy meant to reduce community conflict. But the rising number of firearms carried by civilians can make de-escalation more difficult.
The Attacks That Killed the Most Police Officers in the Last 100 Years
Most of the incidents were shootings.
How a Gun Trace Works
Tracking a firearm's chain of custody is standard operating procedure for law enforcement — but the agency responsible for handling requests frequently can't answer essential questions.
Criminals Are Heading to Gun-Friendly Vermont to Trade Heroin for Firearms
The opioid addiction crisis is the latest headache for New England officials trying to stop interstate gun trafficking.