Tag: police

In Illinois, a model police reform law falls short; Missouri backpedals

By Kallie Cox After passing the SAFE-T  Act in 2021, Illinois was hailed as a model for police reform. However, despite the abolition of cash bail and sweeping police reforms, there remain barriers to accountability. The next step, critics say, is enforcing the existing policy changes among Illinois’ enforcement agencies, strengthening the penalties for failing

Records show Illinois fails to hold police accountable for misconduct

Eighty-one Chicago police officers lost their badges over the past 20 years, but only after being investigated for 1,706 previous offenses – an average of 21 accusations per officer.   One third (28) of these Chicago officers were investigated for domestic altercations or sexual misconduct. Two murdered their wives.   That statistical picture emerges from records obtained

Teaching journalism in the wake of George Floyd

For many journalism educators and their students, the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in May 2020 launched a year of reckoning, intensifying classrooms discussions focused on race and the media.   Brandy Monk-Payton, an assistant professor In the department of communication and media studies at Fordham University, said when she returned

Missouri media miss story of new police ‘bill of rights’

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a police officer bill of rights into law July 14, even though other states have moved to repeal their law enforcement officer bills of rights as part of a larger effort to hold police officers accountable. Surprisingly, just over a year after the murder of George Floyd, Missouri’s leading media