Bad Cop Blotter
The NYPD Cops Who Went Binge-Drinking with an Alleged Rape Victim Will Keep Their Jobs
The cops' incredibly unprofessional behavior violated departmental rules, but apparently not enough for them to be pushed off the force.
What I Learned Writing About Bad Cops for a Year and a Half
I've been writing this Bad Cop Blotter column for more than 18 months, and the pre-Ferguson, post-Ferguson divide is palpable—if only in a media-giving-a-shit kind of a way.
The Death of an Unarmed Homeless Mexican Immigrant Has Set Off Protests in Washington State
Antonio Zambrano-Montes was shot after throwing rocks and cars, but the cops are unlikely to face charges over his death.
Should America Have a Public Child-Abuse Registry?
A Michigan woman wants to publicly name and shame people who mistreat kids, but there are always pitfalls to such schemes.
When Drug Raids Go Bad, Cops Die and Homeowners Get Sent to Prison
It's only natural to freak out when gunmen appear at your door at odd hours.
Should We Be Surprised That the DEA Is Tracking America's Drivers?
The federal agency is working "to create a centralized repository of all drivers' movements across the country" according to the ACLU.
How Can We Stop Unnecessary and Dangerous SWAT Raids?
A Georgia reform bill proposed in the wake of a police operation that put an 18-month-old in the hospital is a step in the right direction.
The Feds Are Making It Harder for Local Cops to Seize Private Property
Attorney General Eric Holder is axing a program called Equitable Sharing, dealing a brutal—if not fatal—blow to the system of formalized American police corruption that is civil asset forfeiture.
The 'Charlie Hebdo' Attacks Showed When We Need Cops
We should salute cops when they do their jobs, but law enforcement heroism can't be used to delay police reform.
Alabama Police Killed a 'Sovereign Citizen' Who Was Dropping Off a Stray Animal at a Shelter
On Tuesday, police in Dothan, Alabama, fatally shot a reported member of the loosely-defined "sovereign citizen" movement after he refused to show a government-issued ID to employees at an animal shelter.
The Police Informant Who Caused a Deadly Pot Raid in Florida Has Outed Himself
Some of the more notable SWAT raids of the past decade have been precipitated by anonymous informants. Most of the time, their credibility is something known only to police—assuming they exist in the first place.
Let's Please Not Have an Anti-Anti-Cop Backlash
The execution-style murder of two Brooklyn cops this weekend is an outrageous tragedy, but it shouldn't detract from the broader fight to reform America's police.