Excessive police fines substantially decrease public safety, study reveals

Handing out tickets might be distracting police departments from working on more serious crimes.

Flickr user Tanenhaus
  • Recent research uncovered that the more a city's police department collects fines and fees, the less effective they are at solving crimes.
  • In cities where violent crimes are not solved, trust in the police goes down. As a result, citizens report fewer crimes to the police, causing a vicious cycle.
  • To address this, cities need to focus less on fining those who break minor laws and focus more on violent/property crimes.
Keep reading Show less
judicial system Criminal justice system unfair policing crime justice police
Surprising Science

CSI: How Refined Is Your Visual Intelligence?

Are you detective material? This visual intelligence test will make you think twice about accuracy and just how much details matter.

Amy Herman’s visual intelligence tests and exercises are best done with a friend, because every time they unveil something about perspective that you didn’t expect. Herman created and teaches a course called The Art of Perception to doctors, intelligence analysts and the NYPD, and while her lessons are entertaining for individuals looking to have their minds blown, they are immensely relevant for businesses and even more so for criminal investigations.

Keep reading Show less
Amy Herman crime scene detail investigation Magritte perception police visual intelligence eye witness testimony videos
Videos

Race Is More Than a Myth: It’s an Institutional Reality

Journalist Jelani Cobb considers the impact of Obama’s presidency on race in America. Did he make good on the promise of change that got him elected?

As President Obama leaves the White House, the post-mortems on his term and predictions on his legacy are starting to emerge. Particularly, what did Obama do for race politics in America – did he turn out to be the beacon hope liberals saw, or the expensive liability handing out reparations and redistributing power, as some conservatives feared?

Keep reading Show less
Jelani Cobb Barack Obama racism Black Lives Matter institutional racism Obama legacy race America African American police ferguson videos
Politics & Current Affairs

Does Clothing Make You a Terrorist? Scotland and France Make New Muslim Dress Policies.

Authorities in France and Scotland are taking very different approaches to Islamic dress in their societies.

Reactions to growing terrorist threats have varied in countries around the world and show Western countries divided in how to integrate their Muslim populations.

Keep reading Show less
burkini hijab scotland france ban police terrorism
Technology & Innovation