Police handling of recent pension protests in France has drawn heavy criticism, as reported here. One expert describes the approach taken by police as “an escalation doctrine” and a human rights activist asserts “We have forgotten that the police are a public service that is there to protect the exercise of freedoms, which means protecting demonstrators. Instead, in the French version of maintaining public order, the crowds are seen as hostile, almost as enemies.” In contrast, other EU countries follow a strategy of communication and deescalation when dealing with crowds and protests ..read more

Chile, generally the safest country in Latin America, saw a 32% increase in homicides in 2022, attributed in part to Venezuelan gang violence. Over the last month, several police officers have been killed. In response, the government has passed new laws that “stiffen penalties for those who commit crimes against the Carabineros and grant the police privileged self-defense rights,” as reported here. Critics worry about the increased potential for police abuse of their authority, while one observer thinks “In practical terms, it’s not much of a difference … it’s symbolic ..read more

The London Metropolitan Police recently underwent an independent review that found it to be “institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic,” as reported here. The Met Commissioner has accepted the findings though he questions whether the problems are institutional. Among the recommendations are getting rid of bad officers, stopping the recruitment of bad officers, culture change, and recommitting to policing by consent. According to the head of the UK’s Police Foundation, “My own view is that the Met is now in the last chance saloon.” The full Casey Review is here ..read more

There are 9 mobile DNA vans being used in Ukraine to identify war dead, as reported here, 6 provided by American philanthropist Howard G. Buffett. The mobile vans equipped with rapid DNA technology are able to complete identifications in a few hours. Without the vans, it would be taking years to make identifications, due to transportation issues and the tremendous backlog caused by thousands of war casualties. That delay would leave families in the dark and also interfere with war crimes investigations ..read more

Crime in Malta has decreased over the last several years but the public’s perception of criminality and safety has gotten worse, according to this interview. The country’s homicide and overall crime rates are low by international standards, but its population has been increasing and diversifying. In the view of one criminologist, part of the explanation for the disconnect is that “people who wield a high level of influence – such as politicians, business leaders, etc. – simply echo popular perceptions, such as ‘the Police Force is demotivated’; or ‘the crime rate is exploding’… without actuall ..read more

The Garda commissioner recently visited the agency’s liaison officer in Bogota, Colombia as part of a networking trip to North and South America, as reported here. In Colombia, “discussions centred on the booming cocaine trade from South America to Europe.” Commenting on the involvement of organized crime groups in drug trafficking and other transnational offenses, the commissioner said “It takes a network to defeat a network.” The Garda plan to open additional liaison offices in UAE and in Southeast Asia in the next year ..read more

Global rankings of 128 countries on their efforts and capacities in 2022 to mitigate money laundering are available here. The countries rated best included Finland, Sweden, Iceland, and New Zealand. Rated worst were the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti. The U.S., Canada, and Germany ranked below 25 other countries but still in the top 25%. China was in the bottom 25% while Russia, Turkey, and Mexico ranked below the midpoint ..read more

Three Caribbean nations appear to have had the most homicides per capita in 2022 in the combined Latin American and Caribbean region, as reported here. The leader was Turks and Caicos at 77.6 per 100,000 population, followed by Jamaica and St. Lucia. Those three would likely be joined by Haiti, but that country’s situation is so dire that murder statistics aren’t trusted. Beyond the islands, Venezuela and Honduras had the highest homicide rates, while Chile and Paraguay were lowest among the countries whose statistics are considered reliable. Chile, although still the safest country in the reg ..read more

Violence and protests have continued in Haiti, as reported here. In the last 18 months, 78 police officers have been killed, including 14 so far in 2023. Recently, numerous police have gone on strike, and “armed demonstrators, believed to be policemen, some in uniform and wearing balaclavas, stormed the prime minister’s residence.” Gangs have largely replaced the government as the controlling authorities in much of the country. According to one expert, “Haiti is on the brink of a wider conflict that could cost more lives, cause much suffering, and have adverse ripple effects across the region ..read more

The 31st International Problem-Oriented Policing Conference will be held August 7-9 in Boulder, Colorado in the U.S. As always, finalists for the Herman Goldstein Award will present their exceptional POP projects and a variety of related workshops on CPTED, problem analysis, place management, quality policing, and other topics will be offered. Conference information is available on the POP Center website here ..read more